The writer has a passionate grasp of her subject and her time. 'A very readable and accessible history of a terrible time. 'Cossins is both relentless in her search, and engrossing in her writing' - Lucy Sussex The writer has a passionate grasp of her subject and her time.' - Kerry Greenwood

Forgotten Memories - Barbara Schave Baby Farmers - Annie Cossins. conditions which broke that most sacred and powerful bond - between mother and baby - and broke the hearts of impoverished young women.' - Gabrielle Lord Gaynor, a recognized authority on child abuse by burning and. brings to life the awful poverty and the immoral 'morality' of the times. It's a glimpse into a society that preferred to turn a blind eye to the fate of its most vulnerable members, only a century ago. This resulted in the most infamous trial in Australian legal history, and exposed a shocking underworld of desperate mothers, drugged and starving babies, and a black market in the sale and murder of children.Īnnie Cossins pieces together a dramatic and tragic tale with larger than life characters: theatrical Sarah Makin her smooth-talking husband, John her disloyal daughter, Clarice diligent Constable James Joyce, with curious domestic arrangements of his own and a network of baby farmers stretching across the city. In the weeks that followed, 12 more babies were found buried in the backyards of other houses in which the Makins had lived. In October 1892, a one-month-old baby boy was found buried in the backyard of Sarah and John Makin, two wretchedly poor baby farmers in inner Sydney. 'The book's power stems from its devastating details Cossins establishes a tone so vivid it's reminiscent of Dickens.' Publishers Weekly Annie Cossins pieces together the fascinating story of the most infamous legal trial in Australia to reveal an underworld of struggling mothers, unwanted babies, and a society that preferred to turn a blind eye. The most common murder victim in 19th century Australia was a baby, and the most common perpetrator was a woman.

The Baby Farmers by Annie Cossins