Huge thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an ARC of this book through Net Galley.
This book was SO GOOD! I am a slow reader but this was one that I stayed up way past my bedtime to read the last 100 pages because I had to know how it ended for these “wayward girls” The main character drew me right in and I found myself laughing,crying,and cheering these characters on.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Wayward Girls is a powerful story about six teenage girls in the late 1960s that are forced to go to the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is a reform institution ran by the Sisters of Charity. Throughout the story, you will feel every emotion. You will want to keep reading to find out what happens to the girls and how their lives are forever affected.

#williammorrow #uplitbooks

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs opens with a gripping prologue—a woman searching for her birth mother uncovers a haunting trail that begins in a home for wayward girls, where she seemingly never existed on paper. That mystery sets the tone for a powerful historical novel about the lives of six young women confined to a Catholic institution in 1960s Buffalo, NY.

The story blends harsh realities with moments of solidarity and quiet rebellion, offering a voice to girls who were punished simply for being different. The Buffalo-area references—Niagara Falls, Father Baker’s, and more—ground the setting and will resonate with local readers.

There were moments where the narrative leaned into telling rather than showing, and some early pacing felt slower. Still, the themes of survival, justice, and long-held sisterhood give this story emotional depth.

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was fantastic! Such important themes, particularly with the current political climate in the US. The characters were so well-written and I loved being able to follow their stories through their lifetimes. I also loved the tiny nod to Sugar and Salt from a prior novel by the same author. I haven't read a lot of her books yet, but be sure I will be soon!

An important read for anyone, but would be especially good for fans of Handmaiden's Tale.

3.5 stars. Susan Wiggs follows in the footsteps of fellow former romance novelist Kristin Hannah into the historical fiction genre, succeeding for the most part. Wayward Girls takes place at the notorious Good Shepherd Refuge in Buffalo NY in the late 1960s. Good Shepherd was a Magdalene Laundry, a Catholic institution started in Ireland, where "fallen" girls were sent to be rehabilitated through hard work and prayer. No formal education was provided, provisions were meager, and punishment was brutal.

Into this hellhole comes 15 year old Mairin O'Hara, whose only crime was fighting back against her stepfather's attempted sexual assault. Mairin never stops rebelling against Good Shepherd's harsh conditions, although numerous failed escapes only yield more severe discipline. But many years later, the truth finally comes to light and Mairin is able to put the past behind her.

The book blurb indicates that the story focuses on six Good Shepherd residents, but that is somewhat misleading. Mairin is the POV character 75% of the time, and the few remaining chapters are insufficient to fully develop the other girls' characters. They feel like historical placeholders: the Pregnant one, the Lesbian one, the Black one, the Asian one, the Intellectually-Disabled one, etc. The pace is a tad wonky as well; two-thirds of the book takes place over the course of one year, but the final third hurdles through decades until the wayward girls have their day in court.

Despite its wobbles, Wayward Girls reads quickly, and is a worthwhile reminder of the cruelties done during my lifetime (granted I'm old) in the name of God.

ARC received from Net Galley and publisher.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed it. A strong five stars. great book the characters suck you in and make you love some and hate others.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review. All opinions here are my own.
Both brutal and uplifting, sad yet redemptive, this 'based on a real place and memories' story of a group of girls in an old catholic reform school in upstate new york. The descriptions of the book are spot on, so I wont repeat.
I found the characters likeable and ones you wanted to root for.
The story was compelling and kept me wanting to read more.
However, I though the middle (and the book as a whole) ran a little long. There are also just so many trigger warnings in this book from rape to abuse to confinement and more. Its hard not to be infuriated by the religious 'right' that explains away the horrible things they do to people.
I would recommend this to patrons with the caveat of all of the triggers. It is a rather brutal read but it swings around and ties a nice happy bow at the end.

I’ve always been intrigued by stories about girls and women overcoming obstacles and working together towards justice. It’s still mind blowing to think pregnant girls were being lied to about their children at birth and the trafficking that occurred as recently as the late 60’s and early 70’s (when much of this story takes place).

A must read for any woman who grew up during the Viet Nam era. With a cast of diverse characters ( gay, juvenile delinquent, abused, pregnant ) all living together ( confined ) to a home run by nuns. This is a story of friendship and survival.

The Wayward Girls tells the story of Mairin O'Hara, a girl who was sent to a home for wayward girls run by Catholic nuns. While on the outside, people praised the work of the nuns for saving girls who were pregnant and unwed, troublemakers, orphans, or disabled, the horrors that went on inside the walls of the "school" had lasting effects on the girls who were there. While Mairin was there, she is subjected to harsh punishments at the hands of the sisters. She befriends a group of girls - Angela, Helen, Denise, Odessa, Janice, and Kay - who work together on an escape plan.

While this is a work of fiction, it is based on true events at Catholic homes for girls across the country. It was difficult to read about the abuse the girls endured and the lasting psychological effects their time at the home had on their lives. But, at the same time, it was an uplifting book, reading about the girls' struggles and the way they overcame the horrendous treatment by the nuns.

I loved the characters in this book. The girls, Mairin especially, were fiery and spirited. They sought out ways to stand up to the nuns, though they typically felt the wrath of punishment. The pace of the book was well done and held my attention throughout.

4 well-deserved ⭐s from me. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book. It's scheduled to be published on July 15, 2025.

Thank you to the publisher (HarperCollins) and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy!

Wow. This book was so touching, and so sad, but also I felt so happy for the Wayward Girls. I love when a book can make you feel two things at once.

I loved reading about strong female characters, stuck in a time and place where they were not treated well, listened to, and held accountable for actions not their own. Even though I hated the suffering they endured, I also felt like it created a friendship and bond with each other that helped them become better versions of themselves. I found myself telling them to keep their spirit down sometimes, and other times, cheering on their every indiscretion.

I also love reading historical fiction, and knowing that a version of this story actually happened really helps me root into the characters and what was happening in the world at that time.

I loved the writing; I felt I understood the characters and they each had a piece I could recognize in myself. Truly a masterpiece.

Thank you for the E-ARC of this book @uplitbooks and @williammorrow


Oh wow. The topic of this book was intense and so good. It followed the story of teenage girls in the 1960s who were sent against their will to a Catholic reform school in Buffalo, NY. They were forced to work in the laundry room and treated horribly by the nuns.

I grew up in this area so all of the references were spot on! Geneseo, Niagara Falls, Father Bakers, the Buffalo Bills, UB... Ahhh so many things that had me saying, 'I know that place!' But I wonder if these details become redundant for readers unfamiliar with the area or if they just kind of go over their head.

The one complaint I had about this book was that it had a lot of telling instead of showing and because of that I felt like I wasn't entirely in the action and it was hard for me to get emotionally connected to the women. Also, when they were older, in their 70s, they spoke like they were still in their 20s.

I will be purchasing this for my mom because I think she'll get a huge kick out of all the local references, and I just can't believe this happened in our recent history!

Loved this! Definitely a reminder of how things have changed in our world, but also an indication of how much farther we have to go! The story was so sad and tragic, with just enough happy added in.

Mairin is just doing her best growing up in the Vietnam era as the child of a strict Irish Catholic mother and a good-for-nothing stepfather. When her brother is drafted and it becomes clear that it is no longer safe for her reside in the same home as her stepfather, Mairin is essentially incarcerated at a Catholic reform school for, you guessed it, wayward girls. In this context, "wayward" means anything from pregnant out of wedlock to being raised in the turbulence of foster care to showing signs of same sex attractions and more. While there, they live under the strict conditions and abuse of the nuns and forced to work instead of being educated. Although in the very beginning, Mairin doesn't come across as particularly strong-willed, once she is left at Our Lady of Charity Refuge, her personality seems to change. She is stubborn rabble-rouser, and constantly trying to escape or plan an escape. The story follows her bonds with her fellow wayward girls, their various trajectories, and how some of them come together in the future. It's a story of strength, justice, and survival.

This book started slow for me, as it isn't typical for Susan Wiggs and not what I expected. BUT, I got drawn in and absolutely loved it. I had never heard anything about these places and was appalled that they existed in the United States. Wonderful story and I loved learning something new.

Susan Wiggs tells the powerful story of a group of young girls confined to Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns. These girls all of different backgrounds and history find themselves having to trust and rely on each other to survive. This book is sometimes a difficult read due to the horror that these girls went through. This is definitely a moving and sometime heart wrenching book, but Susan Wiggs does a wonderful job showing that friendship can withstand anything. The Wayward Girls should definitely be on your read list. Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Susan Wiggs for this ARC for my honest review.

First off, I really enjoyed this book! I could really tell how much work went into writing this, including research, and I love when you can tell that an author really put their whole heart into making the story good, but also correct. This book was amazing, and afterwards I actually decided to look into the specific place that the book was based on, and found so many interesting facts about it. This book really opened my eyes to the darker side of religion, and overall it was a great read!

WAYWARD GIRLS, the newest novel by Susan Wiggs, explores the role of Magdalene Laundries, so well known in Ireland, but far less noticed here in the US. Magdalene Laundries accepted ‘wayward girls’ from Catholic families and ostensibly educated them ‘back’ to being ‘normal.’ In fact, the Laundries were a racket run by religious orders to abuse desperate young women and force them to wash clothes and linens for community endeavors. The girls were essentially forced labor without any workplace protections. Most of the girls were unmarried and pregnant, and to add further injury and abuse, their babies were stolen and transported for adoption elsewhere; the girls were often told their babies had died at birth. Into this sordid tale, one teenaged girl is sent to the Laundry in Buffalo to protect her from a stepfather bent on abusing her. The tale involves the efforts of the girls to escape and their lives once they leave the Laundry. The early part of this book is difficult to read for the hopelessness it describes. The girls’ later years are fascinating. This is a fast moving and gripping tale of ultimate survival. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

What an emotionally, captivating story of hope, abuse, survival, and friendship.
When Fiona and Mairin were young, they loved Tiger Beat, walking to school, and sharing their dreams. They had no idea the direction their lives would take, and the consequenses of the decisions the adults in their lives made.
This book focusses on Mairin, and what she endures once her mom and step father send her to live at a reform school. The abuse, fear, endless hours of labor, and cruelty she and the others endured was painful, and hard to read about. Her strength, courage, and determination were inspiring. While the characters were fiction, the book gives the reader a glimpse of what life was like for "Wayward Girls" in the 60s and 70s.
Susan Wiggs writes a wonderful story about a horrible time in history. I couldn't put it down once I started.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy learning about things I was unaware of. Author Susan Wiggs tells an amazing story of the Magdalene Laundries which was a prison of sorts for young alleged wayward girls. Several of these girls formed a friendship and were able to find comfort in each other. You will want to put this on your must read list!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.