Wayward Girls - Susan Wiggs

Wayward Girls

By Susan Wiggs

  • Release Date: 2025-07-15
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 19 Ratings

Description

"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

Reviews

  • Harrowing plight of innocent young women

    4
    By kaykaybean13
    I was completely immersed by the shocking and disturbing nature of the story and experiences these poor young and Children were forced to endure at this home run by the nuns who were assuming their Catholic way of living and posed as pure Catholics. Yet, the truth and abuse and negligence these females were regularly subjected to is horrific especially considering the false narrative of this institution. It posed as a safe haven for females in the family way but unmarried or has been sent to the home because the family they belonged to was far too large and they couldn’t afford to shelter or feed this child. These women remained there until she turned 18. The rawness and traumatic experience and emotional distress they endured was profoundly devastating not only for them but for the readers as well. Highly recommend this book based off of true facts that these poor souls that would be forced to live in these unthinkable and irreparable conditions that have led to traumatic consequences they would never be rid of and the weight of their suffering and past was crippling and all encompassing.

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