Happy Release Day!
Congrats Susan
on the release today of
Wayward Girls!
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs
Historical Fiction, 400 pages
Published July 15, 2025 by William Morrow
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers.
It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”
Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.
In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
My thoughts about Wayward Girls ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First line—"On November 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S3419/A5494) allowing adoptees to receive a copy of their pre-adoption birth certificate when they turn eighteen years old."
Wayward Girls is a heart-breaking story of how 'bad' girls were treated in the 60's. It's hard to believe that the treatment these girls suffered through was an actual thing. But on the other hand, it was also a heart-warming story, full of caring, strong girls who pulled together to protect each other. I came to love and care for each and every one of them.
Historical fiction is one of my favorites genres. I am in awe of the research that author's put into one of their books. And I love learning about the history of our past. Wayward Girls took me on a journey to my personal past, reliving the late sixties, all while seeing a world I had no knowledge of at the time. I could relate to some of the culture references but had no clue of the hard lives that some girls lived through.
I loved Wayward Girls and highly recommend it to all historical fiction lovers. I will remember the girls of this story for a long, long time.
I received an ARC of Wayward Girls and this is my honest opinion.
***************************
About the author
Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See
www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
*********************
Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks SO much for leaving me a comment! Every single one means a whole lot to me!