Wayward Girls
A Novel
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- USD 15.99
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- USD 15.99
Descripción editorial
"After decades of bestsellers, Wayward Girls might be Susan Wiggs' opus. A gut-wrenching story of survival, friendship, and justice. Masterful."—Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
"The magnificent Susan Wiggs takes a leap into the history of women..a page-turner, replete with mystery and suspense."—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming work of historical fiction based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption. Set in the turbulent Vietnam era in the All-American city of Buffalo, New York, six girls are condemned to forced labor in the laundry of a Catholic reform school, an institution reminiscent of the notorious Magdalene Laundries.
In this compelling coming-of-age story, we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd in 1968—a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns—locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she 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 female friendship as young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
"Compelling...This powerful and unforgettable novel is a poignant and enlightening look into a sad chapter of recent history."—Library Journal (starred review)
"Heart-wrenching...sweeping. This one lingers long after the last page."—Publishers Weekly
"Wayward girls is all about the power of female bonds...this isn't just a moment in time—it's a cautionary tale."—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name
“Susan Wiggs is at the top of her game. Through the skillful weaving of an endearing cast, Wayward Girls displays the power of sisterhood to survive, conquer, and ultimately heal from the most harrowing of times. An evocative tale packed with resilience and secrets that kept me reading late into the night. I loved it.” —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Girls of Good Fortune
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wiggs (The Twelve Dogs of Christmas) delivers a heart-wrenching chronicle of abuse and healing in this sweeping novel that spans half a century. Fifteen-year-old Mairin O'Hara's life in Buffalo, N.Y., falls apart in the summer of 1968, when her older brother, Liam, narrowly saves her from being raped by their alcoholic stepfather. After Liam heads off to fight in Vietnam, Mairin's mother drops her off at Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd to keep her safe. There, the draconian nuns force the teen girls in their care—many of them pregnant—to work in the laundry. Some girls are at the institution for lack of anywhere else to go, but most were sent as punishment. They are subjected to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, including rape by the order's doctor and the forced adoption of their babies. Determined to save her new friends, Mairin hatches an escape plan. Decades later, the women reunite to expose the horrors they suffered. Though the subject matter is heavy, Wiggs weaves in threads of hope in the girls' acts of defiance, such as hacking off their hair so the nuns can't pull it, and their determination not to let the experience break them. This one lingers long after the last page.
