For Immediate Release: For More Information:

October 12, 2021 Samantha Strom

Senior Editorial Project Manager
SparkPress
samantha@sparkpointstudio.com

-now available in audiobook-

In 1937, Mary Margaret Joyce is born in the Tuam Home for unwed mothers. After spending her
early years in an uncaring foster home, she is sentenced by a judge to an industrial school,
where she is given the name Peg, and assigned the number 27. Amid one hundred other
unwanted girls, Peg quickly learns the rigid routine of prayer, work, and silence under the
watchful eye of Sister Constance. Her only respite is an annual summer holiday with a kind
family in Galway. At the tender age of thirteen, Peg accidentally learns the identity of her
birthmother. Peg struggles with feelings of anger and abandonment, while her mother grapples
with the shame of having borne a child out of wedlock. The tension between them mounts as
Peg, now becoming a young adult, begins to make plans for her future beyond Ireland. Based
on actual events, The House Children is a compelling story of familial love, shameful secrets, and
life inside Ireland’s infamous industrial schools.

Key Selling Points:

 Explores the impact of maternal abandonment and judicial involvement in determining

where to place unwanted children.
 A historical fiction with timely themes involving children in the system. 
 A unique perspective of what it’s like to go through life feeling alone and living in the
industrial schools of Ireland.  

~over~
 The House Children
A Novel
By: Heidi Daniele
On Sale October 12, 2021
SparkPress
OrangeSky Audio
Audiobook $11.89 | Paperback $16.95 | ISBN-13: 978-1943006946

Praise
"Peg's experience at the industrial school and her struggle to feel worthy in a country that looks
down on illegitimate children will move even the hardest of hearts . . . The setting and mature voice
of Peg make this a great crossover novel, with appeal for adults and teens alike, particularly fans of
Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train and J. Courtney Sullivan's novels."—School Library Journal

“An unassuming but riveting tale of the hardships and ultimate rewards of family.” —Kirkus
Reviews

"Peg’s story includes dark themes: the shame of being a House Child in a society that degrades
them, the dangers of being a young woman in a period when they had no rights, the struggles to
find happiness while hiding who you are . . . however, those who read Peg’s tale are sure to root for
her and be drawn in by her determination to secure a better life for herself.”—Booklist

“ . . .authentic account of the oppression and punishment inflicted by the Catholic church and Irish
society on unwed mothers and their innocent children.”—Historical Novel Society

"The novel, based on actual events, introduces a compelling story line involving a secret that seems
unforgivable. Daniele successfully creates a tale with a protagonist readers will cheer for . . . Give
this to fans of The Home for Unwanted Girls (Joanna Goodman) or Orphan #8 (Kim Van
Alemade).”—VOYA

Meet the Author:

Heidi Daniele’s passion for history and genealogy opened
the door for her debut novel, The House Children. An
empty nester, living in the Hudson Valley with her
husband, Heidi enjoys gardening, photography, and
exploring her family tree. She has a degree in
Communications and Media Arts and has worked on
several short independent films. She earned the Learning
in Progress Award for Excellence at a Dutchess
Community College Film Festival for coproducing,
writing, filming and editing, “Final Decisions.”

heididaniele.com @HeidiDaniele

@heidimdaniele @the.house.children
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