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Orphan Smith

My Father’s Secret

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About this listen

When a DNA test blows apart her father’s hidden identity many years after his death, Deb finds she has a sister, Barbara, and an entirely new family she never knew. As the sisters work to unravel more of their father’s secrets, they find his connection to a dark chapter of British-Canadian history. Will the sisters finally get to the bottom of their father’s past? Or are some secrets meant to stay buried forever?

From BBC Studios, the producers of hits such as Stalked and To Catch a Scorpion as well as Audible Originals Mother, Neighbor, Russian Spy and I Am Not Nicholas comes Orphan Smith: My Father’s Secret, a gripping seven-part series that follows a daughter’s search for the truth.

©2025 BBC Studios (P)Audible Originals LLC Best of 2025 Historical Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt
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I think this could have been told much better than it was. At the beginning it just seems like a story of two families who didn't know their father had a family to a previous wife and vice versa. OK, bit of a shock to them but not that exciting for the listener. But stick with it. It’s sad, horrifying and an education into how those who thought they knew better or decided they actually were better, treated the less unfortunate in past times.

Bit ponderous.......but keep with it.

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I knew a little about Canada’s Home Children before listening but this podcast showed me the impact on families over generations. And how a century later, the children and grand children are still adapting and processing the sad stories.
It’s made me think a little about my family and tracing my roots. And about where I come from.
And it’s also reminded me of the difficulties of living if you were poor in the days before the welfare state.
A brilliant, moving piece of history from
one family.

Superb

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Well written and beautifully narrated. I would love it to have been longer. although sad, it was very interesting. I'm hoping there will be another instalment following on from the information discovered at the end.

Heart breaking

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I knew about the Australian child migration scheme only because my own father almost became one of them but I had no idea about the Canadian home children. So many poor kids being ripped apart from everything they know. The consequences are far reaching & widespread.

This story is both sad & fascinating in equal measure.
It really is amazing what we can do today in terms of genealogy & it’s just so sad that so many children were sent abroad without their parents’ consent and/or knowledge, simply because they were poor.

Well worth a listen.


Fascinating

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Using the tale of an individual and his family to tell the story of so many others.

Individual personalities of otherwise unknown people

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