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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs tells the gut-twisting story of six teens in 1968 who have been sent to the Good Shepard, a reform "school" led by Catholic nuns. Each girl comes from a different background with a different story, but together they must find hope in a dark place. Working together they will find a way to survive, break free and find justice.
This hard but touching story really pulled me in and made me feel for these girls. Each one has such a unique story to tell that really sucks you in and makes them appear real. Wiggs talked to many survivors of similar reform schools and it shows in the realistic nature of the storytelling. Wayward Girls is perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah's The Women.
This hard but touching story really pulled me in and made me feel for these girls. Each one has such a unique story to tell that really sucks you in and makes them appear real. Wiggs talked to many survivors of similar reform schools and it shows in the realistic nature of the storytelling. Wayward Girls is perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah's The Women.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A dark, hidden piece of American (and Irish) history comes to life as we dive into the Magdalene laundries. These homes were created to change the ways of “ girls who have lost their way”, perhaps unwed mothers, or girls with difficult personalities, or maybe even girls whose parents just couldn’t care for them for one reason or another, and were placed under the strict and relentless rule of Catholic nuns.
Each character has a distinct personality, brought to life by the author. I love the feistiness and determination of Mairin. I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie of the teenage girls under dire circumstances… the unlikely friendships formed. The fear they felt being trapped in a home that was truly a prison was clearly shown in the story. I appreciate the “then and now” approach the author uses to talk about the time of Mairin’s stay in the Good Shepherd home and where she and the others are now. Susan Wiggs chose to write it as two separate sections, rather than going back and forth between the timelines which can often be confusing.
The Magdalene laundries were horrific places and I thank Susan Wiggs for giving us readers a glimpse into what life must have been like for girls sent there.
Each character has a distinct personality, brought to life by the author. I love the feistiness and determination of Mairin. I enjoyed seeing the camaraderie of the teenage girls under dire circumstances… the unlikely friendships formed. The fear they felt being trapped in a home that was truly a prison was clearly shown in the story. I appreciate the “then and now” approach the author uses to talk about the time of Mairin’s stay in the Good Shepherd home and where she and the others are now. Susan Wiggs chose to write it as two separate sections, rather than going back and forth between the timelines which can often be confusing.
The Magdalene laundries were horrific places and I thank Susan Wiggs for giving us readers a glimpse into what life must have been like for girls sent there.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An amazing story that I loved. Based on a true place and terrible trauma that happened at a girls boarding school in Buffalo, New York. The time period is the Vietnam war, although the very end is present day. For lots of reasons, girls were sent online with the nuns and ran a laundry. They didn’t learn anything at all! The main character is Marin who went to escape her creepy stepdad. Angela was sent as conversion therapy since she is gay.
The story is deeply emotional, will make you cry and even laugh a little. It’s a long journey about how resilient young women can be. If you like stories of injustice and historical oppressive systems with a redemption arc, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for the audiobook. Book to be released July 15, 2025.
The story is deeply emotional, will make you cry and even laugh a little. It’s a long journey about how resilient young women can be. If you like stories of injustice and historical oppressive systems with a redemption arc, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for the audiobook. Book to be released July 15, 2025.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Wayward Girls is a hauntingly devastating novel that follows 4 girls through their experience imprisioned at the Good Shepherd and trauma in the decades that followed. While the story is heartbreaking, the relationships that these women formed as teenagers and reconnected over is heartwarming and there is an incredibly satifsying endning. This is set in Buffalo, and I was fond of the connections given my in-laws living in a surrounding town. This is an incredibly important historical fiction novel that sheds light on a dark, hidden part of American history. Highly recommend though with lots of trigger warnings for abuse, exploitation, rape, and forced adoptions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Gaslighting
Minor: War