I have never felt anything so powerful from a book. This historical fiction had so much truth to it and that definitely came through in the pages. Six girls, and definitely more, were institutionalized in a Catholic prison really. Their stories of torture, survival and waging a friendship that ultimately bonded them as more than just friends. My heart was wrenching tears on more than one occasion. What culminates in the end is nothing short of miraculous. Susan Wiggs shows another side to her writing that just proves masterful.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected eproof ARC of 'Wayward Girls' by Susan Wiggs - expected release date of 07/15/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a deep dive into the lives of 6 young women, forced against their will, to live at a reform school being run by the Catholic church. The reasons the girls were there were all different, and the book was told from each of their perspectives. While it was hard to keep the character's storylines straight, it wasn't hard to feel disgust and sadness over what they endured. This is a book of fiction, but we all know things like this did actually go down back in this era, and it wasn't OK. Great job to Wiggs for telling this story and bringing light to such a terrible time in women's history.

This book was great in the beginning, but randomly turned into what felt like a Lifetime movie script, but then would still show pockets of greatness. The ending began to drag. However, this was still a decent read.

This book starts a little slow and it is a very hard subject to read about. How do you rate the horrors these girls went through, I know it's fiction but there is a lot of truth in there too. My heart went out to every character in this story and the millions of girls who suffered at the hands of the Church. This book did not suck me in like a few other books on the same subject did, it's not a book that nestles into my soul either. But it is a good historical fiction account of the horrible atrocities and dishonesty that went on in the church and Catholic Charities. If you are looking for a story about this time period that leans more towards historical or history, this is a great option. If you are looking more for the story of a single girl or less historical, I preferred The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church.

If you live in Buffalo New York in 1960 and you find yourself a pregnant girl with no attachment you are forced into a girls home
These ladies have one thing in common and not much else, but they form bonds and look out for each other
I was very invested in these characters and their strength, well some of the story was hard to read. It is a definite must read

I have read other Susan Wiggs novels and always enjoyed them, which made me hopeful that Wayward Girls would be a terrific novel and an enjoyable read. Perhaps my familiarity with this author is why I am so disappointed. The primary characters--Mairin, Odessa, Angela, Helen, Denise, Janice, and Kay--are interesting and well-developed, but unfortunately, this novel is filled with clichés, such as these same characters, who are one of every ethnicity, appearance, and background. Additionally, there are cruel abusive nuns, a single sympathetic nun, an abusive doctor, instead of a an abusive priest. Too many of the characters are archetypes. Only the young girls are individuals.

The Magdalene laundries have been the subject of multiple novels, nonfiction texts, documentary films, and popular films. The story has been done over and over again. It was disappointing to find Wiggs squandering her talents on a novel that could have been taken from the documentary, The Madeleine Sisters. I read Wiggs' authorial note about her interest in an abandoned Magdalene laundry, with which she was acquainted. The theme of shared trauma, the deception, the escape, the dishonesty about money, are all familiar themes in the stories associated with the laundries.

Wayward Girls will likely appeal more to readers who know nothing about the laundries, but for me, Wayward Girls was well-written repetition. Thank you To William Morris publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my review. These comments reflect my honest appraisal.

3 stars

This was an incredible story that follows a group of girls who survived imprisonment at a horrific “reform school” in the late ‘60s. It’s a hard and emotional read but it was very moving. I enjoyed the different point of views because it allowed me to understand each character in a deeper way. Definitely recommend this book and be sure to read the authors note!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this ARC!

Historical fiction based in truth, following the lives of several young women forced to live in a Catholic laundry in the 1960s in Buffalo, NY.
And exploration of trauma, found sisterhood, and how the past shapes your future. Beautifully written and touching story.

When NetGalley approved my request to read this book I was thrilled. I have read many books written by Susan Wiggs and enjoyed them tremendously. I knew she decided to end her Nantucket stories and the book was certainly a different genre. I found it very slow and hard to get into but I made myself a promise to finish the book because it was by one of my favorite authors. If it were any other author I would not have plotted through. It is about girls who are sent to a Catholic reform school and the horrors they endure A group of them escape and it tells the story of what happens to them in their lives. It probably wasn't until the last quarter of the book when it all started to come together that it held my interest.

I predict this novel will be a top book club pick for ‘25-‘26.
This is a historical novel, based on true stories, and there are a mountain of topics in these pages to discuss, unpack and research!
Set in the Vietnam war era in Buffalo , NY, this is the story of teen girls, who after some minor indiscretion, or having brought “shame” to their families, were “sent to the nuns” to “Catholic School” for reformation.
Essentially they were tossed aside like garbage by their families, the very people that were supposed to protect them and advocate for them.
And the only education they received at these so-called schools was how to endure hard labor and brutal punishment.
This book really broke my heart , because of the evil and inequality these vulnerable characters, and so many women of this era faced.
And , oh wow , these characters! So beautifully constructed, I was so invested in all of them. Diverse and interesting backgrounds, all facing their own individual hell on earth. They all had a mountain of obstacles to overcome and survive.
The music of the time period was woven throughout the chapters, fully embedding you into the era. The mentioning of different songs and bands brought emotion and atmosphere to the story and compelled me to make my own Wayward Girls playlist on Spotify.
I am so grateful to Susan Wiggs and William Morrow books, and so many other authors and publishers, who continue to shed light on some difficult subjects. This was a story that needed to be told! Well done, thank you!

Susan Wiggs tells unforgettable stories. Wayward girls was written in a way that pulled you in and you didn't want to stop reading until you finished the book. The fictional characters were woven into a historical event. They became human and the horrors they survived were felt in the stort. Highly recommend.

I have been a fan of Susan Wiggs for many years. In this novel she writes of a time when ‘wayward girls’ be they pregnant from an unprotected sexual encounter, or deemed unable to handle by their parents, are sent to reform school. When we meet these young women, we quickly realize they are at heart good girls, just been dealt a lousy hand in life. A group of teenagers who seemingly have nothing in common, bond together to try and make their life better, and ultimately plan an escape from the cruel ministrations of the nuns who run the home. Well researched w historical accuracy and color commentary, this book is a must for all public libraries.

Greatly enjoyed this historical fiction novel! The story is compelling and while disturbing, it needs to be heard. I loved the main character and her group of Wayward Girls who had to survive a horrible experience at a Catholic girls home in the 1960s/70s. You can't help but root for all of them. My only complaint about the novel was the lack of complexity in the writing. There was a lot of action in the book and the author covered a huge swath of time and I think this detracted from some development in the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wayward Girls is a devastating, unforgettable novel that shines a bright light on a dark, largely hidden corner of American history. Set in Buffalo, New York, in the late 1960s, it follows six teenage girls who are confined at the Good Shepherd, a so-called reform institution operated by the Sisters of Charity. In reality, it’s anything but a school—it’s a prison disguised by religious authority, where girls are sent to be silenced, hidden, and exploited.

What makes this novel so effective is how personal it feels from the very first pages. The girls—Mairin, Angela, Helen, Odessa, Denise, and Janice—are not flat archetypes. They are fully realized young women with layered backstories, distinct voices, and different reasons for ending up at Good Shepherd. Whether it’s Angela being punished for her sexuality, Mairin being “protected” from her stepfather, or Odessa caught in a racially charged police sweep, the common thread is that these girls were discarded by the people and systems meant to protect them. And once inside Good Shepherd, they’re subjected to forced labor, physical punishment, emotional abuse, and total isolation.

The author does not sugarcoat what happened at institutions like this. She take inspiration from a real reform school in Buffalo and from first hand interviews with survivors. That foundation in truth adds a layer of gravity that never leaves the page. The abuse these girls suffered—being locked in closets without food or water, forced to work without pay, separated from their babies after forced births, punished for acts as small as speaking out—may seem hard to believe. But it all happened. The novel forces readers to confront the fact that institutions like this existed not just in Ireland or some faraway place, but right here in the United States. And the Catholic Church, which ran these places under the guise of charity and discipline, has never truly been held accountable.

What elevates Wayward Girls is the way it balances this brutality with hope. At the heart of the story is Mairin, a spirited, rebellious girl who refuses to be broken. Her determination to escape and to protect her friends becomes the emotional engine of the story. The friendships formed among the girls—built in secret, in stolen glances, whispered conversations, and acts of solidarity—are deeply moving. These girls are each other’s only lifeline. They aren’t just surviving together; they’re teaching each other what it means to resist, to care, and to dream beyond their prison.

The writing is sharp and emotionally charged, but never sentimental. The author trust the reader to sit with the discomfort, to wrestle with the injustice, and to absorb the full emotional impact without softening the edges. There are moments in this book that will make you furious, that will make you cry, and that will stay with you long after you close the cover.

And the story doesn’t end in the 1960s. One of the most poignant parts of the novel is how it follows the women decades later, as they slowly reconnect and realize they were part of something far bigger than they ever understood at the time. They begin to share their stories, fight for recognition, and work toward healing. It’s a testament to the human spirit and to the idea that even when justice is delayed, it’s still worth fighting for.

This is a book that should be required reading. It forces us to reckon with how society has treated women—especially young, poor, marginalized women—under the guise of morality and order. It asks hard questions about complicity, silence, and institutional power. And it honors the courage of those who endured, who survived, and who are finally being heard.

Wayward Girls is harrowing, honest, and beautifully written. It’s historical fiction at its most urgent—gripping as a novel, and vital as a reflection of our past. If you’ve read about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, this will feel familiar—but perhaps even more shocking when you realize it happened here, too. Read this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is the story of six young girls who were sent to the Good Shepherd in 1968. The Good Shepherd was posing as a school for girls that were pregnant, unruly or just sent there by their families. It was run by a group of Catholic nuns. This place was horrific with unbelievable treatment of the girls. I enjoyed reading about the friendships formed between these girls, even in such harsh living conditions. They only part I had a problem with was near the end. The author skipped a big part of the character's life. They were young girls, and then near the end it jumped to all the characters being older ladies. I understand the author was letting us know what happened with all the girls. It just seemed like an abrupt jump into the future. Other than that, I enjoyed this story.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend checking it out. It was very enjoyable.

In the late 1960s in Buffalo, teenager Mairin is suddenly sent to a "reform school" for wayward girls, despite having done nothing wrong. What follows is the horrific account of her time under rule of abusive Catholic nuns. It also shares the stories of several of the girls she met there and the impact of the trauma they experienced.

What a fascinating book. For some reason, I wasn't aware that Magdalene laundries existed outside of Ireland. Apparently some 38 of them were in the US alone, and of course the Catholic Church likes to pretend they aren't responsible for the horrific abuse and crimes committed at these institutions.

I deducted a star because some of the dialogue just felt cheesy and forced. Otherwise, it's an interesting read.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction and stories about enduring friendships.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Raw, real, and heartbreaking. This book is very emotional. A reminder of where and how far women have come but not at the same time. Great read.

Wayward Girls is a great story of six "wayward" girls in the 1960s. For various reasons they all wind up at the Catholic home the Good Shepherd. It is there that their bonds are formed over the abusive and demeaning treatment of the nuns who supervise the home. It is rare that I read a book and think "this would make a great movie", but the characters are so well developed and diverse that it could easily be an excellent movie. We see the girls as teenagers and then follow the main character thru her life. We are reunited with most of the characters as elderly women, still dealing with the trauma of their youth. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historic fiction or anyone who just enjoys a good story.

What a powerful historical fiction novel based on America's own version of the Magdelene Laundries of Ireland. The story draws you in, the characters are relatable and some are quite loveable. A real sense if a tine in American history is conveyed. I adored it.