5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

Oh, my goodness! This is an incredibly powerful book about young women incarcerated in a Magdalene laundry in Buffalo, New York. I thought that this was only in Ireland, but I was wrong. It is historical fiction inspired by true events.

These young women are institutionalized by their parents, thinking that their daughters will receive an education and spiritual nourishment. That couldn't be further from what happened. They are abused, work unpaid in a laundry, and are not appropriately fed, housed, or clothed. Horrific, until six "wayward girls" attempt to escape.

I highly recommend this novel to learn about our history, so we can improve it going forward.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7437374998 - posted 5/23/2025
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7406b328-d628-4699-8532-b5c21da8e529?redirect=true - posted 5/23/2025
booksbydorothea Blog: https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/05/review-wayward-girls-earcebook.html- posted 5/23/2025

This was an amazing book that talked about a rarely talked about piece of history. The writing was excellent and you connected to the characters easily. Would definitely recommend this book to family and friends

This book is based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption. If you enjoyed Before We Were Yours, and Orphan Train, you will love this book. The book is centered around 1968. We meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd—locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
The school, as parents thought it was, because it happen to be run by the Catholic church. Is anything but a school. The girls were forced to do manual labor that they weren't paid to do, abid by a lot of rules, and given no education. If the girl was pregnant, the nuns took the babies, and sold them for adoption. There was also no “real” birth certificate, just the adoption one. This book you will find may hard to read at times, but you will cry and find joy in the girl’s story.
Told in dual timelines, Wayward Girls not only follows their harrowing experiences at Good Shepherd but also their futures, as the women confront the scars of their pasts and fight for the truth.

#netgalley

I received an ARC from NetGalley. This is a book about overcoming obstacles and finding lasting friendships in the least likely places. in 1968 Good Shepard is where they sent the girls that didnt fit into societys view of how they should behave. These 6 teens from different backgrounds and different reasons for being there become lifelong friends.

The Wayward Girls takes place in Buffalo, NewYork in the 1960's. Mairin was sent to a Catholic Reform school where she meets a group of girls. The girls in the reform school are treated horribly by the nuns living there. These girls formed a bond that lasts a lifetime. This book tells of their experiences both in the home and the the aftermath of their lives there. This story will stay with you for a long time.

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs is a compelling and heartfelt novel that sheds light on a dark chapter of history with sensitivity and depth. Set against the turbulent backdrop of 1968 Buffalo, New York, the story follows six young women confined in the oppressive environment of the Good Shepherd reform school, each carrying their own struggles and secrets. Wiggs masterfully explores themes of friendship, resilience, and survival as these girls navigate a system designed to punish and control, yet also become a source of strength and solidarity. The characters are vividly drawn, from Mairin’s fierce protectiveness to Angela’s betrayal and Odessa’s unwavering resilience. The addition of Sister Bernadette offers a nuanced perspective on loyalty and morality, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. Based on true stories, the novel is both wrenching and inspiring, shining a light on injustices faced by marginalized girls and women. Despite its heavy subject matter, Wiggs weaves in moments of hope and redemption that leave a lasting impact. I give this book four stars for its powerful storytelling and important message. It’s a thought-provoking read that reminds us of the enduring strength of young women in the face of adversity.

A heart wrenching story about the Magdalen laundries in the USA and their treatment of young girls left in their care. These abuses of power have been well documented in both fiction and non-fiction in other countries, particularly Ireland, but I think this is the first documentation I’ve encountered in the USA. This is a fictionalized account based on many non-fiction documents.

Wiggs covers a number of accepted abuses during the middle of the 20th century in the United States, but paints a picture of hope and the human spirit to conquer evil.

I’m very glad to have read it and hope that it will serve to enlighten the public.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow, in exchange for an honest review.

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.