This book completely pulled me in—and broke my heart in all the right ways. I wasn’t prepared for how much it would stick with me. Wayward Girls is raw, emotional, and beautifully written. It tells the story of young women who were sent to a reform school not because they did anything terrible—but because they were misunderstood, unwanted, or simply didn’t fit the mold.

I found myself really connecting with the characters, especially Mairin. The way Susan Wiggs captures the strength of these girls—their resilience, their quiet acts of rebellion, the friendships they form in the darkest of places—was powerful and, honestly, emotional. There were moments I had to stop reading and just sit with what I was feeling.

It’s the kind of book that makes you angry at the injustice, but also grateful for the strength and courage of women who find their way back to each other. And even though parts of the story are heartbreaking, there’s this steady thread of hope and redemption that carries through to the end.

If you like historical fiction that makes you feel something—deeply—this one is worth your time. I loved it. I’ll be thinking about these girls for a long time.

This book is captivating. It's the story of real girls, told through the lives of fictional characters. The teen girls were sent to a "school" run by nuns and the Catholic Church. They were sent there by courts, or by parents and social workers. Some girls were sent there for safe keeping by their parents, some families didn't have the resources to keep them, some were sent because they were pregnant, or suspected of being gay, or unruly, or to keep them out of the hands of stepfathers who are not fatherly.

The girls were put to work in dangerous conditions, abused by the nuns, and never were provided with an education. Meals and housing conditions were not adequate in any way.

The reader meets the girls when they are young and some are so innocent. They are stunned when they arrive. Some buckle under, some fight back. I experienced so many emotions. Anger, frustration, wanting to lash out at the injustices. And I cheered on these girls who fought to survive. Their bodies and spirits took poundings, but still they survived. The ending chapters, many years later, were satisfying and gratifying. The final outcomes in real life was many years late, but also worth reading about.

Definitely a great read, but not for young or sensitive readers. I have both the e-book and the audio version. The narrator was excellent.

🕊️ Before sex ed, Google, TikTok and definitely before consent was part of the conversation, there were whispered warnings and the looming threat of being “sent to the nuns.”

🦬 This story drops us into the fruit belt neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, during the late 1960s/early 70’s. Back to a time when teen girls were left to piece together the truth about their bodies, and choice was not a part of the equation.


🗺️Susan Wiggs brings us on a journey of friendship, survival and trauma as we follow the story of girls who find themselves at a reform school run by nuns. Made to work as a laundry service for profit, subject to punishments both physical and mental, one of the girls is determined to escape. After numerous failed attempts, she knows she can’t do it alone.

📖The story grabbed my attention from the first chapter. As someone who grew up in Buffalo, the setting our author created rang with authenticity. He ability to create this neighborhood I could deeply visualize in my head - from the creak of the screen door, to the feel of bike pedals beneath my feet. Phenomenal!

🎙️The narration was good - not great. Overall, the narrator told the story well. It did not detract from the reading, but also didn’t elevate it to that next level as some narrators do.

🥇 I gave this book 4.5/5 stars ⭐️ as the first 3/4 of the book was a 5⭐️ read for me and the last 1/4, a 4⭐️. Definitely recommend this one.

Oh boy! I wasn't sure what to expect when jumping into this one, but man, did it pull at my heart strings. Jane Oppenheimer did a phenomenal job as always bringing this book and the characters to life! It is just so heartbreaking what these girls had to endure. If you get a chance, I highly recommend reading or listening to this touching book. I will comment that having the author narrate the first part of the book and the end, in my opinion, wasn’t a great move. The book began to feel disjointed and lost its flow especially in the second part. For that, I have to take away one star.

A great historical fiction about a real place that starts in the late 60s and spans decades. Marin is sent to an institution run by nuns to keep her away from her step father. The institution is not what it seems and Marin fights it from day one. She meets other girls that are there and they start forming friendships and seeing their resilience through their horrible experience.

The story is about friendship, strength and determination. It spans decades and some parts of it was just heartbreaking to read.

Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell did a good job with the narration and I felt the sternness of the nuns and the pain that these girls went through.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks @harperaudio for a copy do this book

What a fantastic book! Set in the late 1960s at a Catholic reform school, it tells the story of six girls who form a lifelong bond through their shared trauma. The story mainly follows Mairin, but all the characters are well-developed and compelling. I couldn’t put it down, hoping that all the girls would find their peace by the end. At the end of the audiobook, listening to the author discuss her research into Catholic reform schools in Buffalo, New York, made the novel even more heart-wrenching. I will definitely read more books by Susan Wiggs because she has a great talent for weaving wonderful stories. If you loved The Women by Kristin Hannah or The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, you will love this book.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wayward Girls had all of the ingredients I usually enjoy, historical fiction, strong female characters, and secrets, but for some reason, it just did not quite land for me. I expected to fall in love with it but instead felt detached from it.

The story is undeniably sad, and while that fits the tone of historical fiction (let's be honest, most history is just a record of how awful people and institutions can be), it left me feeling heavier than moved. There were compelling moments and solid writing.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

I don’t know why I keep reading stories about young women who were sent away to homes for unwed mothers back in the 60s and 70s, but this is my third or fourth one, and inevitably, I’m wrecked after each one. Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs was particularly gutting. These tender, innocent young women not only shouldered the weight of their so-called “bad deeds,” but some did absolutely nothing and still wound up abused, vulnerable, victimized, and stolen from by people who claimed they were helping. It’s so infuriating and inhumane, especially knowing it’s rooted in truth.

Set in 1968 Buffalo, the story follows six teenage girls confined to a Catholic-run institution for being gay, pregnant, or simply too headstrong for their families or the times. The Good Shepherd Refuge was supposed to reform them, but instead became a place of secrets, silence, and suffering. Yet within that darkness, these girls form bonds of resilience, sisterhood, and quiet rebellion.

This was a skillfully crafted novel and Jane Oppenheimer’s narration brought it to life beautifully. You could tell the story was deeply researched, not just the setting of a reform school, but also the historical and social details of the era. At times, it felt a bit too detailed for me, but I also appreciated how thoroughly each girl’s backstory was explored and how it helped me understand what brought them to this place.

If you’re drawn to historical fiction with rich character development and subject matter that stirs deep emotion, this one is it. I was infuriated and moved by this story. I’ll need a little time to recover emotionally from it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

A group of six girls were placed within a Catholic reform
school for a number of reasons, and were controlled by a group of nuns in New York, during 1968.

I really enjoyed this novel of girls, and exploring the complexities of the late 60s. As the author unfolded the unknown to me, I found each of the six girls very intriguing. I could’ve done without the gay character though, but they didn’t delve into the romantics of this character which I appreciated.

The journey throughout the novel and the complexities it offered make this four 1/2 stars for me. While it was a difficult time, the novel offered hope, friendship and sincerity, and even justice!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic. Easily a favorite of the year. So emotional, heartwarming, traumatic, real - just cannot say enough good things about this book. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a highly emotional book this year.

This well researched, heartbreaking novel about the horrible things done to these poor teenage girls packs quite a punch. It’s definitely not light reading but I couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook.

The narration is very good. The narrator does an excellent job with the large cast of characters.

The tone of this book is quite different from the other Susan Wings books I’ve read previously. I’ll need to listen to something light and fluffy next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

If I am being honest, this was a very hard book for me to read/rate. I know this book was kind of written purposefully to be hard to read, but it still needs to be stated. I almost wish this book came with a list of trigger warnings.

With that being said, Susan Wiggs is a fantastic writer, and even though this book has a lot of heavy moments, it also still has a lot of heart to it. I loved following along with the story of the girls, and I needed to know that they were going to be ok.

Furthermore, Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell do a great job with the narration of this story.

Even though I am only rating this book 3 stars, I still think this is a must-read book, and if anything is very important to read especially in our current history.

Wayward Girls is a heartbreaking and gut wrenching story about a group of young ladies sent to Good Shepherd, a Catholic reform “school” in the 1960s. It’s hard to believe the horrific things in the story actually happened to hundreds of girls for reasons out of their control. The tale contained enough flashbacks to set the tone without dragging it out too long. I loved seeing the way the unlikely partnerships developed between the girls. The audiobook narrator brought the story to life. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional ride.

Like most books about wayward girls, you follow a group of girls that were sent to a home. Mairin was sent because it was safer than being at home. Angela showed lesbian tendencies. Helen was a Chinese girls who was supposed to be there temporarily. Odessa assaulted a cop and then Denise was an unruly type. What I liked is that it showed more than just pregnant girls were sent to these types of homes. You get to see the girls bond and rise above their conditions. They are all very resilient. What I LOVED about the book is that this story follows them all the way to adulthood. You get to see how they thrived and it ties up some loose ends that other wayward girl books did not.

“People think the church can do no wrong” is a line spoken by one of the characters. If you believe these words, then Wayward Girls is probably not the book for you.

Our story starts in 1969, with a beautiful friendship. Mairin and Fiona are 15, an age where anything and everything seems possible. Neither have an inkling of how drastically their lives are about to change, and not for the better. The Good Shepherd is officially a reform school for girls, run by The Sisters of Charity Nuns. A name which is so ironic, it beggars belief.

The story has a feel of an epic, both in terms of the timescale, and the magnitude of the content. It covers a shameful period of history. A history that continues to have a huge impact on people’s lives today, a history that should shame individuals involved directly; and the many who have lied to protect the guilty, making them equally culpable.

The characters are so well developed. They are fragile, damaged and scared, but also brave, courageous and loyal. None of the characters are vanilla, they all induce strong reactions, both positive and negative. While listening, I felt the full gamut of emotions. From anger and sadness, to empathy and joy. It is quite the rollercoaster. It is hard hitting, but with so much heart too.

I listened to the audiobook, which is capably narrated by Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell. The voices of every character felt perfectly pitched, depicting the emotions honestly.

As the book concludes, you will find the author’s note, and a really interesting question and answer session hosted by Susan’s editor. Both are very much worth a listen. I must admit that I had not heard of Susan Wiggs prior to reading this book, but I will definitely have a look through her back catalogue. She tackles emotive issues head on, and brings these dark issues in to the light. Something I admire greatly, and think is so important.

I can’t recommend this 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book highly enough, but please read the synopsis first, from a triggering perspective. I am so glad I read this book, to “see” the women who were victim shamed and invisible for so long.

Wayward Girls, written by Susan Wiggs, narrated by Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell, was a completely immersive audiobook set in a 1960s Catholic reform "school." Truly a tragic situation for all the vulnerable young adults forced to live there. Essentially an American Magdalene Laundry and yet another instance of abuse by the Catholic Church. Wiggs' extensive research shines through every page. Though tragic, the stories of friendship and resilience born in that awful place are truly inspiring. Definitely keep tissues handy!!! Highly recommend!!!

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs tells the gut-twisting story of six teens in 1968 who have been sent to the Good Shepard, a reform "school" led by Catholic nuns. Each girl comes from a different background with a different story, but together they must find hope in a dark place. Working together they will find a way to survive, break free and find justice.

This hard but touching story really pulled me in and made me feel for these girls. Each one has such a unique story to tell that really sucks you in and makes them appear real. Wiggs talked to many survivors of similar reform schools and it shows in the realistic nature of the storytelling. Wayward Girls is perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah's The Women.

Wayward Girls is an absolutely gripping and must read novel. Told in two different parts (1960s and current day), Wayward Girls is a historical fiction novel about a Catholic reform school in Buffalo, NY. This book is extremely heavy and tells the horrors young women faced at the hands of the Magdalene laundries. It is heart breaking and deeply emotional. When reading historical fiction I tend to be gripped by the past story versus the current story and that was the case for this book (but didn’t decrease my enjoyment of it). 4.5 stars rounded to 5!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook Wayward Girls.

This was my first book by Susan Wiggs, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What really caught my eye was the cover. It felt very different from her usual style and made me curious enough to request it. The design gave the impression that this might be something deeper or darker than the feel-good chick lit she's known for, which is likely why I hadn’t picked up her work before.

For the first 75% of the book, I was fully engaged. I found the girls’ journeys engrossing and appreciated how effortlessly Wiggs shifted between different perspectives. It felt smooth and helped the story move along in a very natural way.

However, once the story moved past the girls’ ordeal at the Good Shepherd, the tone started to change. Things began to feel a little too neat and sentimental for me. That turn into more traditional women’s fiction wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, and it lost some of the emotional weight it had built earlier.

On the audiobook side, Jane Oppenheimer was fantastic. She has such a skilled voice and did a great job distinguishing each of the girls. I really enjoyed her narration. Cynthia Farrell’s parts didn’t work quite as well for me, although that might be because she was reading the sections I found to be more hokey.

Overall, I’m glad I gave this one a try. It had a strong start and some powerful moments, even if the ending didn’t fully land for me.

Thank you to Susan Wiggs, Jane Oppenheimer, Cynthia Farrell, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

One word review: COMPELLING! Susan Wiggs is a must read author for me and this was a great reminder of why. The story of what these young women went through lit a fire in me. I was heartbroken and angry for them and also extremely proud of these young women that somehow survived unspeakably horrible living conditions implemented by nuns. The bonds they developed during their time of living together were so strong that they were palpable for me and the narrators were perfect for these unique characters. I loved the author’s note about the background for this story and it was an added bonus that she read it personally. I also loved the brief mention of locations from her previous books at one point in the story.