I finished The Girls We Sent Away this past week and I have some thoughts💭🫣. While I think it’s an important, powerful story, it’s shocking and heart wrenching and well, to put it bluntly, it’s not a feel good read AT ALL. Readers beware🫠

Thank you so much to @bookmarked for sending me this copy!!

Unrated.

The Girls We Sent Away
by Meagan Church
Narrated by Susan Bennett

Rating:4.3/5.0 Stars

The Girls We Sent Away, isn't anything super new in the so-called Baby Scoop Era. Awesome, smart, talented girl gets pregnant by the first or second sexual encounter and gets sent away to have the baby. The thing that Ms. Church does well, is craft a beautiful world, the beautiful world in which Lorraine takes things a little too far and winds up pregnant, though she has the world at her fingertips. Lorraine is sent away for the last few months to have the child in secret and hopefully move past this unfortunate accident...but Lorraine fights back.

With her performance, Ms. Bennett brought Lorraine and her friends to life. Overall, if the summary intrigued you, then I definitely recommend this listen!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and RB Media for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

This high quality audio is set in a time where the world was different and although fictional unmarried mothers were sent away to give birth and then their babies given away and the whole thing covered up. This is a heartbreaker. The important thing about this for me was the evolving of the main chatacter as she went through difficult times. The other characters are introduced and create a greater understanding of the situation the girls are in. The unusual use of the 3rd person pov helped me. I loved tge description but found it hard going due yo the evolving subject.
Thank yoy netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

An emotional and important read that takes a close look at one girl’s fight for her future when society turns its back on her. The reader is quickly drawn into Lorraine’s story and can’t help but continuing to listen to see what will happen next. The narrator is the perfect choice, bringing added dimension to this riveting story. Sure to spark conversation, this would make an excellent book club or buddy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC! This was an interesting thriller/literary fiction novel! I found it interesting and engaging, I was riveted. A great plot and intriguing characters and motives.

I had a personal connection with this story. My father was born in 1959 to an unwed mother that was "sent away" to birth her child and put him up for an adoption. I appreciated the perspective of Lorrianne Delford. She became pregnant and her parents sent her away to have her baby elsewhere, she had no choice. I wonder what my father's birth mother felt, and this book gave me a glimmer into her truth. The audiobook was great and the writing was good, it made me want to read Church's other book.

4.25 stars

A very interesting story; I used to read a lot more historical fiction than I do now, and this book is a good example of why I enjoyed it so much. The plot was entertaining and realistic (if a bit devastating at times), I appreciated the range of characters, and I just couldn’t put it down. It was a nice change from a lot of the other things I’ve been reading lately.

The Girls We Sent Away is such a poignant tale of a time when the mistake of premarital sex made visible through pregnancy was handled with a form of shunning. Readers are transported back to the time of the Space Race.

Lorraine is on the cusp of having all she wants. She's got a wonderful boyfriend, Clint. She's proving that a girl can be a good lifeguard. And she is poised to be the first female class valedictorian with aspirations of attending college. Her big, scary dream is to become an astronaut.

One moment in time changes all that. She is swept away by Clint who takes her virginity as if that's going to seal their love and commitment forever. The irony is that Lorraine has her heads in the clouds (literally watching the stars as she has sex with Clint) that you almost feel like she doesn't know what is happening to her or what her silence consents to.

But, when Lorraine discovers she is pregnant, life changes quickly for the worse. Clint first tries to arrange for an illegal abortion and is irrate when Lorraine doesn't show up. This is an example of when vague language is not for the best. Lorraine had no idea what he had planned. Instead, she's dreaming about getting married and becoming a family. That somehow they can do that while he is attending college full-time.

Lorraine's sad tale continues as her parents ultimately have her go in hiding until they can ship her off to a maternity home several hours away. There she meets other young girls, all with their own tales. Only, the uncaring house mother had a strict policy of not sharing personal information or making friends. Instead, the girls are essentially punished even more through the demands made upon them at the home and the looks of disgust by any who recognize them for the unwed mothers they are.

You then journey with Lorraine as she finally starts to find some more common sense than she had beforehand. Of course, the journey throws in all the ways that she was kept in the dark by her parents and educators. Because ignoring sexual attraction and telling young women to be 'good girls' is enough to explain the sexual act and potentially life-altering consequences.

As for the narration of the audiobook, I found Susan Bennett to have done a good job with the pacing of the story and conveying the emotional turmoil experienced by Lorraine.

Thanks to Recorded Books and NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In Megan Church's audiobook "The Girls We Sent Away," narrated by Susan Bennett, listeners are transported into a poignant and nostalgic narrative that explores the challenges faced by Lorraine, a young woman caught in the tumultuous 1960s Baby Scoop Era.

Susan Bennett's simple narration style adds a layer of depth to the storytelling, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the emotional journey of the characters. Her delivery complements the narrative, enhancing the overall listening experience and bringing out the nuances of Megan Church's evocative writing.

Megan Church's writing style exudes a nostalgic quality that resonates throughout the audiobook, capturing the essence of the era and the emotional struggles of the main character, Lorraine. The juxtaposition of societal expectations and personal ambitions is skillfully portrayed, drawing listeners into a world where love is conditional and agency is hard-won.

Set against the backdrop of the Baby Scoop Era and the Race to Space, "The Girls We Sent Away" offers a compelling exploration of themes such as resilience, societal constraints, and the fight for autonomy. Megan Church's narrative weaves together historical context with emotional depth, creating a captivating listening experience that lingers long after the final chapter.

"The Girls We Sent Away" is a powerful audiobook that combines Susan Bennett's engaging narration with Megan Church's nostalgic writing style to deliver a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant story. Whether you're drawn to historical fiction, stories of personal struggle, or narratives of resilience, this audiobook is sure to leave a lasting impact on its listeners.

What an emotional and moving story! Very different times in the 60’s and how young, pregnant girls were treated - still amazed that places like this existed. How girls were judged and shunned being told they had to be hidden away or else they would bring shame to their family and community. Lorraine was a beautiful, strong, young…. And when her parents found out she was pregnant they made her and the problem disappear.

Nothing was done to prepare Lorraine for what was to be expected in the maternity home, child birth, or how it would feel to give up her baby. A beautifully written tragic story. The author did an amazing job of describing what life was like for these girls in the house. You will root for her during moments of strength, and feel every bit of Lorraine’s pain right through to the last twist at the end.

Now I can’t wait to looking MC’s other book, The Last Carolina Girl!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Well written glimpse into the lives of many young women during the 60's. Definitely a worthwhile read, and the narrator did a good job.

I had heard about the Baby Scoop Era in passing before, but I hadn't read anything (fiction or nonfiction) on it before, which made this book particularly interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as an audiobook, but the main detractor for me was that it didn't feel quite as vivid as I would have liked. I would have preferred stronger descriptions of the home and the other girls there. While I found the description on the settings and characters to be lacking a little bit, the book did an excellent job of not only outlining the consequences of being an unwed pregnant teenage girl in the 60s, but showing how incredibly helpless they were in those situations.

Overall, I enjoyed this book fairly well and would definitely recommend it for a book club! It would make for a great discussion.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

Hidden in Shame

This is a story of the 1960's. A story of the unfortunate girls who gave into passion and found themselves unwed mothers in a society that considered it shameful and a disgrace.

It is a story of the young women, how they found themselves in this situation, how they handled it and the parents behind the girls.

It is also a story of the home for unwed mothers to which these young women were sent and the degrading and unsympathetic way they were treated by those that were supposed to help them. The lies they were told and the heartache they went through.

The story follows Lorraine an excellent student from a well to do home set to be valedictorian of her senior class suddenly finding herself in a delicate situation with child. The indignation and disappointment of her parents and the trauma of the Maternity home where they sent her.

It was a very sad story and sadly happened to so many young in this time period. There was little or no regulation of the homes where they were sent and the treatment they received.

I was very sad for Lorraine and the other girls in the story it was not a happy place at all.

Thanks to Meagan Church for writing about this delicate subject and bringing the injustices to light, to Susan Bennett for the fantastic narration, to RB Media for publishing it and to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to and review a complimentary audio book.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book. I've already heard about the 'homes for unwed mothers' in passing and also from my mother (who had friends disappear to them), so the premise of this book immediately caught my attention.

Lorraine- soon to be valedictorian of her high school class the next school year and the single child of a well-to-do family becomes pregnant (without really understanding the concept of how one gets pregnant) and gets sent away to not tarnish the family name. I immediately loved Lorraine's character. That being said, Church's development of characters is fantastic throughout the book which is rich with characters from different classes and backgrounds.

The readers get to know the other girls in the home, along with the strict understanding that there is a family ready to adopt each of their babies, so they can go back to their lives as if nothing happened, which is largely how these homes worked back in the 40s-70s.

This book explores the lack of sex education given to young women, the same pressures from men to have sex, and the abandonment from boyfriends when given choice of marriage and raising a child or breaking ties with their girlfriends. The baby scoop era forced so many young moms to relinquish their rights to their babies through lies, parental/societal pressure and the withholding of medical support/treatment.

This was both a fast and tough read. I had to know what happened to Lo and her baby, yet having an inkling of what would happen at the same time. This was one of my favorite historical fiction books I've read in a while. I would highly recommend this to bookclubs as it is one that I desperately want to be able to discuss with others.

I did receive the audiobook of this novel. And Susan Bennett was fine, although a little melodic for my taste.

NetGalley ARC Audio

When Lorraine gets pregnant in 1960's North Carolina, her college bound boyfriend is less than helpful and her parents are horrified. She is sent to a home for unwed mothers to finish her pregnancy.

Lorraine is an ambitious girl, and being away for most of her senior year puts a wrench in her college plans. She goes in to the home hopeful that she can continue her education. What she finds is a sad, lonely place where she must take homemaking classes. She bonds with her two roommates and goes to the library. With the help of a young librarian she is able to study for her GED.

She is also faced with an impossible decision, will she give her baby up for adoption. Her struggle in this respect was very relatable. We also hear from other characters such as Lorraine's parents, her useless boyfriend, a high school friend, the social worker at the home and the friendly librarian.

If you would like more information about these homes you should read the girls who went away by Ann Fessler.

This book......it made me so MAD!!! Everyone let this poor girl down. As parents shouldn't we be protecting our children, not just pushing them off? That's all I can say about the story. The book itself was great. There was a nice twist at the end. I listened to it. It's a story set back in the mid 1960s about unwed teen mothers. I enjoyed the story a lot. The characters were interesting, good and bad people. The story is mostly told from Lorraine's point of view, but occasionally we get the mother's and the house mother's point of view. The narrator did a great job with bringing this book to life. I will recommend this book, just be prepared to be mad.

Great book that beautifully captures how unwed girls who got pregnant in the 1960's were "managed." I really like Lorraine and the story as it unfolded. There were lots of loose ends to the book, but I suppose the story mirrored the reality those girls faced with many unknowns in their lives as they had to keep moving their lives forward (in the days without Internet ;-)).
Thank you for the advanced copy.

Copied from Goodreads:
The Girls We Sent Away" offers fictional insight into the "Baby Scoop" era of the 1960s. Lorraine is looking forward to senior year. A bright young woman, Lorraine is knowledgeable about many subjects, but none of them involve human reproduction. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness turns Lorraine's senior year on its head. Like so many other pregnant teenagers, Lorraine is made to feel ashamed and packed away. Lorraine's pregnancy, her mixed emotions, and interest in the Space Race are well depicted through the course of the novel. I appreciated that there were characters that performed acts of villainy without being quintessential "villains," a more normal course of events. None of the actions or characters in this work of historical fiction were particularly inventive, but it was an enjoyable window into this time and place.

TW: pregnancy, fetal death, STIs, abortion

"The Girls We Sent Away" was released in the U.S. on March 5, 2024. Thanks to Recorded Books and NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A very impactful read, The Girls We Sent Away is set in 1960s North Carolina and tells the story of Lorraine Delford. She seems to have it all, a respectable family, a boyfriend, top of her class, future valedictorian. She dreams of being in the space race and loves science.

This all changes when right before her senior year of highschool Lorraine ends up pregnant. By the time she confirms it, it’s ‘too late’. When Lorraine tells her mother, a plan is set in motion for her to be sent to a Marernity home for unwed mothers.

This is a must read that gives us a heartbreaking glimpse into the past and how young women were given little to no education around sex and how they were blamed and shamed when the consequences of their lack of knowledge came to light. We see the mistreatment of Lorraine and all the real girls this must have happened to and the way it affects them forever.

Thank you RB media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you to Meagan Church, NetGalley, and RB Media for an eARC of The Girls We Sent Away.

This book touches on a topic that is a hard point in country's history. The fact that we forced young girls to give away their children and act like it never happened is truly appalling. Personally I've found stories like these super intriguing. This book was no different. I got so completely frustrated with the rude, closed-minded characters that I found myself getting physically tense!

With such a heavy subject matter sometimes it can be hard to truly enjoy a book like this. While it had it's bright spots, it was really a sad recap of a tough time in history and it's even worse when you remember it happened not that long ago.

I thought the writing was ok - I felt like the author kept alluding to things further in the future than the book ever even touched upon. Why bring up how Lorraine' life will forever be intertwined with Clint's if the furthest we get is a year in the future?

This book had a lot of potential but ended fairly abruptly and left me wanting more. 3/5 stars.