William Morrow & Company
Wayward Girls
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"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 novel 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.
In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd--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 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
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780063118270
EAN:
9780063118270
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
400
Authors:
Susan Wiggs
Publisher:
William Morrow & Company
Published Date: 2025-15-07
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This was a wonderful story; powerful and full of questions you will ask yourself about how women have been treated in history. Susan Wiggs is one of my go to authors and I highly recommend this book.
I have read and enjoyed all of Susan Wiggs books. I was looking forward to this new book of hers for quite some time. I felt a lot of trepidation about beginning to read it once I learned the background of the story; but, I must say it was a truly beautiful story about awful events the characters shared. Susan’s exceptional writing brought the characters to life so the reader could really imagine their suffering, the myriad crazy beliefs that brought each of the girls to this place that was so deeply abusive to their personhood, and, then shared the impact that time had on their lives for years, as well as, how some of them had a chance to recover and heal themselves after being lucky enough to reconnect with each other 50 years after the abuse. Thank you for a wonderful story.
What a great story!!
This was an interesting book. Very hard to put down. Hard to learn what those poor young girls went through.
Every once in a while you read a book that really tugs at your heart strings. This book was amazing, a story that needed to be told, but it sure made me angry. It's hard to imagine how and why the Catholic Church tried to hide this abuse. I was raised Catholic and at Christmas time we would bring gifts to a local orphanage that was run by the Catholic Church, and now I wonder what went on there.
