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The Third Floor
A fifteen-year-old girl, raised in a rural farming community is sent to an inner city to live and hide in a home for unwed mothers. The Third Floor is written in the voice of the fifteen-year-old from letters saved from her best friend since the summer of 1962. She tells of daily life inside the home, chores, military rules, and lack of counsel. The girls, about 50 with a waiting list to enter, live out their time and go up to the third floor to labor and deliver their babies, relinquish them, and return to society and act as if nothing had happened and keep this secret for the rest of their lives. That summer was also her racial awakening and the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 4, 2012
Having been somewhat in Judi's shoes myself too 13 years after her time in an unwed mother's home, I found this story rings very true with her feelings and happenings and not much had changed in how one was viewed to be pregnant even with abortion being legal for a couple years by the time I myself, was in an unwed mother's home in 74. I do like how she follows up on what happened after the birth in her life and her family and friends so we aren't left hanging and wondering. I believe she had us updated all the way to 2011! An excellent story if you want to find out what it was like to be an unwed mother in the 60s and also realize alot of it can be true for us that dealt with it a decade later! It was heartbreaking to find out some of the things that happened to her baby.
March 5, 2012
As an adoptive mother, it was a much needed heartbreak to experience Judi's side of this. We think of our son's birth family often and have many debates of finding them and establishing a discussion. Hearing your side of this was powerful.
As a biological mother, it was a shock to think of someone going through pregnancy, labor, and birth with so little support and such public condemnation.
Thank you, Ms. Loren, for a very beautifully written memoir and a very thought provoking weekend.
As a biological mother, it was a shock to think of someone going through pregnancy, labor, and birth with so little support and such public condemnation.
Thank you, Ms. Loren, for a very beautifully written memoir and a very thought provoking weekend.
March 7, 2012
This book had me hooked and I read it all at once. My experience in 1971 was similar but better. It was not as militaristic or judgmental a place as "The Home" and births did not occur there but in a hospital. While I placed my son with an agency for a few weeks, I brought him home and raised him. He's still my Easter Bunny and my pride. I recommend this book for anyone who wants an accurate, first-hand account of what it was like to be "in trouble" back then--especially compared to present time.
May 29, 2012
Well, I'm iffy on how to rate this. This was a fast read, and at least the author did not draw it out any longer. It is important not to attach today's sensibilities to this story of an unwed pregnant teen during the early sixties. I found the story important in understanding how much attitudes and treatments have changed. The book was not great, however. The writing is ameturish, simplistic, and uneven. I think some of it is inconsistant. I expected the author's time in the group home to be horrific or harsh or something, but I really didn't think it was all that terrible. The girls were alloted chores, and there were rules necessary for smooth running of the Salvation Army home, but other than the restricting of education regarding the facts of pregnancey and birth, I thought it really didn't seem that bad. They were allowed free time, excercise, rest, mail, entertainment, and trips outside the home. They were even allowed to smoke, if they chose. It wasn't run like a jail. The book has a large second part about Grace's search for her son and what happened to her family and friends later in life, with many pictures. I had a hard time with this part, because I thought is was too long and detracted from the main story. Professional editing and advice would have been helpful. This was interesting in some ways, but didn't grip me. At least the pictures were fun to look at. I'm glad they were not left out of the Kindle edition.
April 30, 2022
This book touched a nerve. Several nerves, in fact. I couldn't believe how many memories came flooding back from the 1960s, high school, and unwed pregnancy.
The isolation, the guilt, the shame, the rejection and secrecy. It's all in "The Third Floor," and more. Anyone who takes this book lightly is heartless. Yes, things may be different now, and unwed pregnancy is a normal, everyday occurrence. But the 60's were different. I was there and I experienced all the emotions that Judi experienced. You may learn to deal with it, but you never, ever get over it.
Read this book!
The isolation, the guilt, the shame, the rejection and secrecy. It's all in "The Third Floor," and more. Anyone who takes this book lightly is heartless. Yes, things may be different now, and unwed pregnancy is a normal, everyday occurrence. But the 60's were different. I was there and I experienced all the emotions that Judi experienced. You may learn to deal with it, but you never, ever get over it.
Read this book!
March 4, 2012
It is not every time that you finish a book , close the cover and feel better for having read the story . Although a heart wrenching tale , I feel priviledged to have read this memoir .
I really enjoyed the writing style -short snippets of events and short chapters that seem to really capture the depth of the author's situation . I loved the fact that she included the present day happenings in the lives of everyone involved . I would highly recommend this book !
I really enjoyed the writing style -short snippets of events and short chapters that seem to really capture the depth of the author's situation . I loved the fact that she included the present day happenings in the lives of everyone involved . I would highly recommend this book !
March 11, 2012
This was a very quick read. I downloaded this for free for my Kindle. Overall I liked it, and found it interesting to read about the author's unexpected pregnancy at age 15 and subsequent stay at a home for unwed mothers in the early 60's. Sometimes the story felt a bit disjointed, maybe due to the length of time between the actual events occurring and the author putting pen to paper to tell her story. It was compelling enough though that I had to see it through to the end.
December 10, 2013
This book was written by a lady that lives in the same community I do. It's about being 15 years old in the 60's and having a baby in a home for unwed mothers. I found it interesting because of her recollections form the 60's and enlightening because I never knew what happened to girls when I was in high school who disappeared for a few months and then came back to school. Now I understand why these girls were so different when they returned to school.
June 30, 2019
Life as real as it gets
As an adoptee I read this book. My mom gave birth to me in 56’ very similar story I believed. I recently reunited with my birth mother. Not I see her as my personal hero. Fortunately we are very blessed and happy. But the reality of this was and continues to be amazing. I recommend reading this book.
As an adoptee I read this book. My mom gave birth to me in 56’ very similar story I believed. I recently reunited with my birth mother. Not I see her as my personal hero. Fortunately we are very blessed and happy. But the reality of this was and continues to be amazing. I recommend reading this book.
May 11, 2017
This was an interesting first hand account of a young girl who was sent to a home for unwed mothers until she had her baby. It was an interesting look into the past at something that needed to be hidden. Now it is right out there. Interesting contrast between the past and current times.
May 16, 2017
Hi
What a truth about the 50 and 60's. I had a cousin that lived with her son thru this period. It was insane time for her and him. You have hit the nail on th head. Thank you writing this book. God bless you.
What a truth about the 50 and 60's. I had a cousin that lived with her son thru this period. It was insane time for her and him. You have hit the nail on th head. Thank you writing this book. God bless you.
May 6, 2019
Loves all the restrictions of a war baby
I enjoyed the book as an adopted child born in 1944. So many things I had not considered previously. I had never looked at it from a mother's view.I guess I was being selfish and narrow minded.
I enjoyed the book as an adopted child born in 1944. So many things I had not considered previously. I had never looked at it from a mother's view.I guess I was being selfish and narrow minded.
March 16, 2017
Excellent
Very, very interesting and informative book, but with humor right along. Eye opening to what went on a few years back...
Very, very interesting and informative book, but with humor right along. Eye opening to what went on a few years back...
April 1, 2012
As difficult as it is now, being unmarried and pregnant in 1961 was much more difficult. This memoir is the first I have read dealing with the experience of a birth mother surrendering her child for adoption. This particular birth mother was unmarried, pregnant and fifteen in 1961 and her telling her story is a moment to experience the fear, ignorance and confusion of having such a “condition” in that bygone era. Had I found this small book in a “physical” form (with pages and cover), I hope I would have considered reading it, when it was offered as a weekly “freebie” for my electronic reader, it was an easy choice. I am glad I had occasion to meet Ms. Grace and hear her story.
The world in 1961 was much different. Men had jobs that required them to be outside the home, women stayed within the house and “made a home.” Females were viewed, largely, as weak and incapable; if they had a job outside the home, they were viewed as “taking a job” away from a man. Education about reproduction was vague, to say the least, dangerous to say more. In that year Judi Grace found herself, at 15, pregnant and uncertain just neither how she “got that way” nor what to expect from “the process” that was ahead of her. The father of the child was absent & denied responsibility (more than typical behavior particularly at the time). Her parents were loving, shocked and as supportive as they thought it best to be. Within weeks of her learning of being pregnant, an event that did not occur until she was in her fifth month of pregnancy, she was taken to a “Home” (a ministry of the Salvation Army) for unwed mothers four hours from her parental home.
This home housed fifty girls awaiting the arrival of their babies. Very little was known, by these girls, of how that arrival would occur. They were aware, through the whispered news, that babies “came out the same place they went in,” just enough information for the girls to commit more deeply to their denial. The four months Ms. Grace spent there were filled with chores, talk and hours filled with idle wanderings around the campus as they speculated about “what is next.” For some, they would be taking their babies home, most would be giving them for adoption.
Ms. Grace makes clear the sterile, denial enhancing environment she found at this live-in obstetrics ward. The first person she met when she arrived told Ms. Grace to “call her Lieutenant.” The mothers were known by their Christian name and last initials only. Everything about this birth location was designed to be forgotten as quickly as possible, in hopes “getting past” this period with as little affect to the lives of the birth mothers as possible. At least, that was the hope.
Ms. Grace elected to keep her son, bringing him home to be cared for by herself, her mother & maternal grandmother. All was going well until her mother had a stroke and she caught a nasty strain of the Asian flu. While she was ill “someone” arranged for her child to be adopted. After two weeks, she surrendered her first born, not to see him again for 22 years. The aftermath of her giving her child to adoptive parents, while much shorter than what is written about her awaiting the birth, is the most touching and sad.
This is a book for those interested in memoir, sociological studies or anyone nostalgic for “the good ole days.” The author is careful to use appropriately shielded language for younger readers without omitting sufficient description for the more mature reader. There are no inappropriate moments or language, as the author utilized her journals and letters written while she was in this period and therefore uses the “voice” of a naive fifteen-year-old to express what she experienced. There is much revealed in this little volume for the reader to be thankful that so much has changed since the “the Good Old Days.”
The world in 1961 was much different. Men had jobs that required them to be outside the home, women stayed within the house and “made a home.” Females were viewed, largely, as weak and incapable; if they had a job outside the home, they were viewed as “taking a job” away from a man. Education about reproduction was vague, to say the least, dangerous to say more. In that year Judi Grace found herself, at 15, pregnant and uncertain just neither how she “got that way” nor what to expect from “the process” that was ahead of her. The father of the child was absent & denied responsibility (more than typical behavior particularly at the time). Her parents were loving, shocked and as supportive as they thought it best to be. Within weeks of her learning of being pregnant, an event that did not occur until she was in her fifth month of pregnancy, she was taken to a “Home” (a ministry of the Salvation Army) for unwed mothers four hours from her parental home.
This home housed fifty girls awaiting the arrival of their babies. Very little was known, by these girls, of how that arrival would occur. They were aware, through the whispered news, that babies “came out the same place they went in,” just enough information for the girls to commit more deeply to their denial. The four months Ms. Grace spent there were filled with chores, talk and hours filled with idle wanderings around the campus as they speculated about “what is next.” For some, they would be taking their babies home, most would be giving them for adoption.
Ms. Grace makes clear the sterile, denial enhancing environment she found at this live-in obstetrics ward. The first person she met when she arrived told Ms. Grace to “call her Lieutenant.” The mothers were known by their Christian name and last initials only. Everything about this birth location was designed to be forgotten as quickly as possible, in hopes “getting past” this period with as little affect to the lives of the birth mothers as possible. At least, that was the hope.
Ms. Grace elected to keep her son, bringing him home to be cared for by herself, her mother & maternal grandmother. All was going well until her mother had a stroke and she caught a nasty strain of the Asian flu. While she was ill “someone” arranged for her child to be adopted. After two weeks, she surrendered her first born, not to see him again for 22 years. The aftermath of her giving her child to adoptive parents, while much shorter than what is written about her awaiting the birth, is the most touching and sad.
This is a book for those interested in memoir, sociological studies or anyone nostalgic for “the good ole days.” The author is careful to use appropriately shielded language for younger readers without omitting sufficient description for the more mature reader. There are no inappropriate moments or language, as the author utilized her journals and letters written while she was in this period and therefore uses the “voice” of a naive fifteen-year-old to express what she experienced. There is much revealed in this little volume for the reader to be thankful that so much has changed since the “the Good Old Days.”
March 7, 2012
This wasn't a real exciting or very sad or even shocking story to read. It was just a real, true account about what happened to teen girls in the 60's when they were sent away to have their illegitimate babies. It was all very hush hush back then.Well some of it is a little shocking if you were not aware of this happening. It was kinda sad too that girls back then did not really have much choice - either shot-gun wedding or be sent away to have the baby so no one knew and come back with a story that you went to visit relatives.
I am not all for women (or girls) having babies out of wedlock but... at least they have choices now! At least they can have their babies in proper hospitals and even keep and raise their baby by themselves if they choose. And I don't want to go into the whole abortion debate, but at least now if they choose they can get a safe abortion and not have to do it in some ally and have a 50/50 chance of bleeding to death by coat-hanger! I know that there are still many black-market adoptions but there are many safe legal adoption services if they choose that road.
Back then, even though the home they stayed in was not The Hilton at least it was a safe place to go, they did have food and medical care and a warm place to sleep with clean sheets. Yes, they were hidden away like freaks but even back then we did take care of our girls.
I really liked this story! I loved the friendships that developed in the home. I also like Judi herself, a naive, young, pregnant teen. She had so much happen to her at such a young age, she grew up fast.
I loved the ending of this book. In the end Judi has a section that tells what happens to all the "players" in the story. At lot of times at the end you find out what happens to the main character but are left wondering about the others, Judi wraps this all up for us.
A bit of a warning - there are some graphic scenes and while I would recommend older teens reading this just be aware there may be questions.
I am not all for women (or girls) having babies out of wedlock but... at least they have choices now! At least they can have their babies in proper hospitals and even keep and raise their baby by themselves if they choose. And I don't want to go into the whole abortion debate, but at least now if they choose they can get a safe abortion and not have to do it in some ally and have a 50/50 chance of bleeding to death by coat-hanger! I know that there are still many black-market adoptions but there are many safe legal adoption services if they choose that road.
Back then, even though the home they stayed in was not The Hilton at least it was a safe place to go, they did have food and medical care and a warm place to sleep with clean sheets. Yes, they were hidden away like freaks but even back then we did take care of our girls.
I really liked this story! I loved the friendships that developed in the home. I also like Judi herself, a naive, young, pregnant teen. She had so much happen to her at such a young age, she grew up fast.
I loved the ending of this book. In the end Judi has a section that tells what happens to all the "players" in the story. At lot of times at the end you find out what happens to the main character but are left wondering about the others, Judi wraps this all up for us.
A bit of a warning - there are some graphic scenes and while I would recommend older teens reading this just be aware there may be questions.
October 30, 2015
#119
I started this a long time ago. Like a parallel reading. I know reading a memoir is as a parallel reading is a crime. But I can't help it because I have to read this on Kindle.
This is full of wit. For a long time I didn't know that this was a memoir. I started reading it like a novel. Because the writing is funny.I thought perhaps it is a fictionalized memoir but I was wrong. As the book progresses with the real black and white photographs I came to know that this was real. That means it was sad. Unknowingly, I have read these kind of books before too. Even I watched the Academy nominated 'Philomena' movie too. Every time I come across an unmarried mother topic or a child without parents these stories come into my mind and they made my heart feel sad. This is another book of that sad story. But written in beautifully-comic way. The author genuinely has a comedy tone.
I don't know why author didn't write her journey in finding her first son.She finished the book at giving birth and leaving home. From the second part, the tone changes and I felt like I was watching end credits for a movie. They were like that. Quickly says the whereabouts of the people in the author's life whom we meet in the book.
Bought it on amazon kindle for 0 cents. Thanks for the author to share her story. Thanks a lot.
I started this a long time ago. Like a parallel reading. I know reading a memoir is as a parallel reading is a crime. But I can't help it because I have to read this on Kindle.
This is full of wit. For a long time I didn't know that this was a memoir. I started reading it like a novel. Because the writing is funny.I thought perhaps it is a fictionalized memoir but I was wrong. As the book progresses with the real black and white photographs I came to know that this was real. That means it was sad. Unknowingly, I have read these kind of books before too. Even I watched the Academy nominated 'Philomena' movie too. Every time I come across an unmarried mother topic or a child without parents these stories come into my mind and they made my heart feel sad. This is another book of that sad story. But written in beautifully-comic way. The author genuinely has a comedy tone.
I don't know why author didn't write her journey in finding her first son.She finished the book at giving birth and leaving home. From the second part, the tone changes and I felt like I was watching end credits for a movie. They were like that. Quickly says the whereabouts of the people in the author's life whom we meet in the book.
Bought it on amazon kindle for 0 cents. Thanks for the author to share her story. Thanks a lot.
April 15, 2013
A naïve fifteen-year-old girl, who wasn't entirely sure if she had even had sex, is smacked in the face by fate. After learning that she is pregnant, she is sent to a home for unwed mothers. Judi tells her story in first person narrative as she revisits this painful part of her past.
The original synopsis and certain parts of the book allude to mistreatment in the home. She does mention having to do chores, three chapel services each week where they are routinely lectured about sin, lack of counseling and information, lots of dancing, and assorted day trips. I'm not going to say the girls weren't mistreated. She obviously thinks she was and maybe it was too painful to relive. I'm just saying that if you are expecting a juicy, detailed exposé you will be disappointed.
All in all, it is an interesting tale. The author does a decent job of setting the scene and recalling the attitudes of the time. I have no complaints about the editing, which is a compliment from ME hehe. If I had to pick something to criticize it would be the beginning of the book. It starts off with choppy sentences and thoughts are kind of all over the place, but she seems to loosen up once the story takes hold of her and the narrative ends up flowing nicely.
The original synopsis and certain parts of the book allude to mistreatment in the home. She does mention having to do chores, three chapel services each week where they are routinely lectured about sin, lack of counseling and information, lots of dancing, and assorted day trips. I'm not going to say the girls weren't mistreated. She obviously thinks she was and maybe it was too painful to relive. I'm just saying that if you are expecting a juicy, detailed exposé you will be disappointed.
All in all, it is an interesting tale. The author does a decent job of setting the scene and recalling the attitudes of the time. I have no complaints about the editing, which is a compliment from ME hehe. If I had to pick something to criticize it would be the beginning of the book. It starts off with choppy sentences and thoughts are kind of all over the place, but she seems to loosen up once the story takes hold of her and the narrative ends up flowing nicely.
November 11, 2012
Review: It's 1962. A young girl from a small town in California is sent to live in a home for unwed mothers. Told in part through letters to a friend back home, she describes daily life at the home and how each girl eventually goes to the third floor to give birth, give up their babies and return to their previous life like nothing ever happened.
I didn't realize this was non-fiction when I decided to read this. After discovering it was, it made the story that much more powerful. I was shocked at how naive 15 year old Judi was, the complete lack of sex education (she didn't even know she had sex) and the way she was treated by her doctor when they discovered she was pregnant (rude and condescending). The girls in the home were constantly told how "bad" they were and none of them even know what the birthing process entailed (they didn't know "how" the baby came out). I was literally shocked that Judi's mother and older sister made the decision to either keep the baby and name the child (and Judi went with whatever they wanted). I was truly heartbroken for Judi reading what happened to her mother and her father's ultimate betrayal.
This was a slow, albeit boring read at times, but I really enjoyed this novel.
Grade: B
I didn't realize this was non-fiction when I decided to read this. After discovering it was, it made the story that much more powerful. I was shocked at how naive 15 year old Judi was, the complete lack of sex education (she didn't even know she had sex) and the way she was treated by her doctor when they discovered she was pregnant (rude and condescending). The girls in the home were constantly told how "bad" they were and none of them even know what the birthing process entailed (they didn't know "how" the baby came out). I was literally shocked that Judi's mother and older sister made the decision to either keep the baby and name the child (and Judi went with whatever they wanted). I was truly heartbroken for Judi reading what happened to her mother and her father's ultimate betrayal.
This was a slow, albeit boring read at times, but I really enjoyed this novel.
Grade: B
July 29, 2012
Grace shares her true story of being a pregnant teenager in the 1960's in this autobiography.
Written simply but with honesty and heart we get an inside look into the lives of pregnant teens in the 1960's thanks to Judi's decision to expose the "secret shame" of that time period.
In the 60's it was very popular to send off girls who found themselves pregnant to homes to wait out their pregnancies. It was also very popular to do so without providing explanation of pregnancy, the home itself, etc and to heap upon the girls judgment of their "sin". It was a difficult time for teen girls who found themselves pregnant.
To gain some insight into what the pregnant girls were thinking was good, although I certainly don't share the beliefs of the adults in the 60's who decided to treat these situations so callously. My feeling is that Judi needed healing from that time in her life and she found it as she wrote out her story.
Written simply but with honesty and heart we get an inside look into the lives of pregnant teens in the 1960's thanks to Judi's decision to expose the "secret shame" of that time period.
In the 60's it was very popular to send off girls who found themselves pregnant to homes to wait out their pregnancies. It was also very popular to do so without providing explanation of pregnancy, the home itself, etc and to heap upon the girls judgment of their "sin". It was a difficult time for teen girls who found themselves pregnant.
To gain some insight into what the pregnant girls were thinking was good, although I certainly don't share the beliefs of the adults in the 60's who decided to treat these situations so callously. My feeling is that Judi needed healing from that time in her life and she found it as she wrote out her story.
December 24, 2012
I grabbed this when it was offered free on the Kindle some time ago and just now got around to reading it. I've not had the best of luck with Kindle freebies but this one was amazing, and gets a solid 5 stars from me. Told from the point of view of the innocent girl she is when her 20 year old boyfriend pressures her for sex, it is a heartbreaking tale. Her parents, typical of the aloof, don't talk about it kind of mentality in the early 60's, are understandably upset about their youngest daughter's pregnancy. And I can't help but wonder, why in the world did they allow a 15 year old to date this 20 year old kid? But back then, it was the unwed pregnant girl who got all the blame and shame.
A very insightful look into 60's culture and mores, without being preachy or political. I especially enjoyed the epilogue that told about all the characters in the tale, but found it interesting that the father of the baby was the only one not mentioned.
A very insightful look into 60's culture and mores, without being preachy or political. I especially enjoyed the epilogue that told about all the characters in the tale, but found it interesting that the father of the baby was the only one not mentioned.
March 17, 2012
Eigenlijk zou ik het een tweeënhalf willen geven, maar dat gaat blijkbaar niet. Helaas. Op zich is het een interessant boek. Het zijn de memoires van een vrouw die als vijftienjarig meisje naar een tehuis voor ongehuwde, zwangere vrouwen wordt gestuurd. Ze doet het hele relaas van haar verblijf daar (inclusief bevalling... brr...) en ze schrijft het op een eenvoudige manier. Alsof het door een vijftienjarige zelf zou geschreven zijn. Het verhaal zelf neemt drie kwart van het boek in. Het laatste kwart van het boek wordt ingenomen door "hoe gaat het nu met al die mensen?". Zelfs de kleinste nevenpersonages komen aan bod. Dat stuk had voor mij gerust achterwege mogen blijven.
Op zich wel een interessant boek om eens te lezen hoe het er begin jaren zestig aan toe ging. Dat is wel eens boeiend om te lezen.
Op zich wel een interessant boek om eens te lezen hoe het er begin jaren zestig aan toe ging. Dat is wel eens boeiend om te lezen.
January 25, 2014
Fast read that I found quite interesting. What a life unwed pregnant girls in the early 1960s lived. A lot of these girls didn't even know what was going on, how the baby would be born, etc. They were taken away from their families during the pregnancy to "save face". The writing was quite elementary and it bothered me at the beginning, but either it improved as the book went on or I became used to it, I'm not sure which. I'd recommend this if you're interested in learning about this time in our history, I knew very little and was interested. One thing I really appreciated was at the end of the book the author took the time to give a really clear picture of what each person we met in the story was doing in their life. Many times I wonder and it was a pleasant surprise to see that she gave the information.
March 2, 2012
I thought this book was quite good and really a worthwhile perspective on young pregnancy in the early '60s. You hear about teen moms being shipped off to some facility where they can give birth in private and away from judging eyes, before returning home and to their normal. Of course, rarely would such a clean break ever occur, and this story gives insight on just what that experience might be like. The author went through this process herself at the age of 15, and the story shows just as much of her youthful naivete as her later transition to early adulthood. I will say that I much more enjoyed her voice as a teenager rather than as an adult looking back. The end of the book includes an epilogue, and her opinions of her grown son seem to me a bit unconvincing and perhaps unfair.
September 23, 2012
This book was certainly an eye opening memior of what pregnancy in the 1960s was like for young unmarried girls. In many cases, the girls knew so little about their bodies and sex that they didn't even know they were pregnant or how they got that way. When their periods first started, the poor girls often believed they were dying simply because everyone was too afraid to talk about it! If a girl did wind up pregnant, she was promptly sent away to a unwed pregnant girls home like the one in this story, but still not information about their upcoming delivery and births was ever given to them. This author's first-hand experience described in her story obviously shows how raw the emotions of adoption are and how the experience affected the entire course of her life.
July 10, 2012
An interesting memoir of a 15 year old girl and her unwanted pregancy in the 60's. The book is compelling as a historical reference of a time period not long ago when pregnant teens were sent away to a girls home to have thier babies and often forced to give the babies away. What was really interesting to see was the innocence of the teens - how no one prepares them for what was going on - the girls seem to be victims of their secret.
This is a short and quick read. I would recommend it for anyone who would want insight into their own adoption, especially if they were born during this time period.
This is a short and quick read. I would recommend it for anyone who would want insight into their own adoption, especially if they were born during this time period.
April 16, 2013
A true story of a young woman who finds herself pregnant in 1962. She tells her story in very simple way, describing her naivety and the shame associated with unwed pregnancy at that time. It was a good picture of the era and of her feelings and experiences in going through delivery and eventually giving up her child for adoption. Thank goodness that times have changed mostly for the better for women and children! The adage "good old days" doesn't always ring true! I enjoyed this quick read and was intrigued enough to read it right through. I would recommend it, especially to anyone who remembers how things used to be, or anyone interested in learning about this time.
April 23, 2012
This book is a first for the author and I really enjoyed reading the book. It is a true story about a 15 year old girl in the early 60's who gets pregnant and her family sends her to a home to have the baby to save her and the family from shame. It was really interesting to see how things have changed.
One of my favorite thing about the book is that the author finishes with telling you what every person in the book is doing now and what has happened with them in the years between finishing the book and her writing the book. I loved that!
One of my favorite thing about the book is that the author finishes with telling you what every person in the book is doing now and what has happened with them in the years between finishing the book and her writing the book. I loved that!
March 27, 2012
This was an interesting read for sure. I was shocked to some degree at how the OB/GYN dynamics/standards have changed over the years and it made me feel even more blessed to have my babies in this decade for sure! I just can't imagine it! I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her life and even though it's not a terribly exciting book, it was good and I am glad I was able to read it (for free too!).
March 15, 2012
The story of a pregnant 14-year-old in the 1960's, who is sent off to a "home" for unwed mothers to have her baby. Told from Judi's perspective at the time, it recounts her innocence and naivete, as well as all the emotions of being sent away to have her baby with no support system or even basic medical information about what was going to happen.
Judi also tells what happened afterword--the aftermath for her personally, for her baby, and for her family.
Judi also tells what happened afterword--the aftermath for her personally, for her baby, and for her family.
March 24, 2012
This memoir was amazing. It opens up the world of unwed moms in the 1960s. Being a memoir, I learned a lot about how the young teenagers were treated for getting pregnant. This book had all types of strong emotions in it from strong friendships, embarrassment, pain and love. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. I had to make sure that Judi would get through this experience, and come out unscathed. Well, part of that is right anyways.
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