A Home for Friendless Women

by Kelly Hill

In Victorian-era Louisville, the Home for Friendless Women is run by benevolent benefactors with one to reform the fallen women who live there into pious mothers and wives through religious lessons and hard work.

For Ruth, a college student who’s expelled after a campus sexual assault, the Home is a purgatory to endure before she can get her life back. For Belle, a queer sex worker who exchanged her bed at a brothel for one in the Home, it’s a safe place to rest her feet until she can track down her missing lover. And for Minnie, the daughter of the religious couple who founded the charity, the Home is her mother’s idea of a cautionary tale.

But as Minnie prepares for the Home’s silver anniversary party, she finds herself questioning the true cost of good intentions—and grappling with a terrible secret that has the power to unravel the Home entirely.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Adult Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Elisia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give ten stars if I could. Oh wait…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[V ❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely well researched novel about a home in Kentucky for women who become pregnant and therefore, “unchristian like.”

We follow three women;

Ruth- One of the first to be admitted into the home.
Belle- A former sex worker at a local brothel.
Minnie- The daughter of one of the women on the board of the Home.

All three women have their own stories to tell, and are as beautiful as they are heartbreaking. This is not a tale for the faint of heart. Very disturbing things are revealed that are happening in the Home, secrets that have been meticulously covered up for years. Some of the women go on to create better lives for themselves, while others are left to mourn the losses that the Home ripped away from them. It’s devastating to realize that this was a part of our history… something that almost nobody talks about.
All of the women are strong, progressive, and feel real. Some sapphic elements, which I adored. It was just really good and like I said before, the author knows her stuff. Haunting, very haunting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical fiction debut set in Victorian era Louisville featuring a group of young pregnant women staying in a home for unwed mothers. The author does a wonderful job bringing to life this time period and the limited options women had over their bodies and the huge stigma involved in pregnancy outside of marriage. Told from multiple POVs, we get to know how a number of the girls came to be in the home as well as a closer look at some of the women involved in running the home. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

CW: rape

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about a home for unwed mothers in Louisville, KY in the late 1870’s.

[Elisa Pappagallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love women

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-written and evocative historical novel. The format was slightly different from the dual-perspective form so popular today wherein 2 protagonists tell the story 50 or 100 years apart. Instead, very effectively, 3 protagonists shared the narrative over 2 decades. Highly recommended.

[Nicole Koonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction-drawn-from-historical-primary-sources is my new favorite genre.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fasten your seatbelts friends, you are in for an exciting ride with “A Home For Friendless Women”! This is an outstanding debut for author Kelly Hill.

I was fortunate to get my hands on an ARC. After reading this gem of a book, I am so excited for you to read it when it comes out this March 2024.

Hill does a fabulous job bringing the ‘homes for friendless women’ to light. As an amateur genealogist, I felt I knew a fair amount of 1800’s history, and yet I had never heard of these homes. I wish I was surprised these homes existed. It feels we have come a long from those days but at the same time, have we?

Hill interspersed the chapters with real newspaper clips, adding to the authenticity of this book being categorized historical fiction genre.

Hill made the characters so real I immersed myself in the home. I found myself rooting for the women to turn their lives around, to not internalize the negative messages they were receiving while in the home. Instead to find their time at the home to have been a blip in what would become a long happier life.

I’m still thinking about these women, wanting more.

Be sure to add this to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. Hill is quite the up & comer author to keep your eye on. I’m ready to read her next book!

[Brittany Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher that sent me this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I loved it. The characters and all they went through, along with what the girls that were in and out of the home went through was eye opening. This was to me a mix of Downton and Call the Midwife (not time wise though, I don’t believe) which are two of my MOST favorite time pieces ever!

[Susan Hance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut for this author! She delves into the murky history of how unwed mothers were treated in the distant past. She is unsentimental in her portrayal of this era and she brings her characters to life in a very relatable way. I was drawn into her story from the first page. Great read.

[Saltygalreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Home for Friendless Women focuses on a charitable home for pregnant, unwed mothers in Louisville, Kentucky during the Victorian era. Their idea was to reform these “fallen women” and transform them into hardworking, God-fearing productive members of society and prevent them from returning to their sinful ways. As we now know, nothing is ever so simple. We learn the stories of the young women, some just teenagers, who pass through their doors, and also the story of Minnie, the daughter of the founders, who now helps run the home. In preparing for the home’s silver anniversary party, Minnie is learning the full repercussions of some of the decisions made in years past and grappling with the impact those decisions had on the mothers and children.

What an accomplishment for a debut novel! I take my hat off to Kelly E. Hill. A skillfully written novel which demonstrates the pitfalls of good intentions and struggles for young women in a patriarchal and sternly religious society. I personally found it fascinating the way that many women were inclined to enforce patriarchal structures and attitudes, discouraging or criticizing other women for wanting more independence, freedom and political voice. While many of the women were clearly victimized in circumstances out of their control, the prevailing attitude remained that if a woman was properly behaved and didn’t go outside her designated role as a wife and mother, then she wouldn’t find herself in that predicament. I thought about the courage and resilience of some of these characters long after I finished the novel. Highly recommended for any reader of literary historical fiction. Sincere thanks to Penguin Randomhouse for the copy.

[Zaria Jenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really was a delight from start to finish. A captivating story with captivating characters. It is haunting to think that this book was inspired by a real place and the names were names of real inmates.

However, while those stories begin and end with their brief entries in a log book, Hill has given birth to colorful and adept narratives that, I think, reclaim a truth for those girls. Hill managed to weave a perfect balance between empowerment and the stark,unfair and downright cruel realities that women faced in a Victorian society. It is a well written, well researched and poignant book that I highly recommend!

[Chelbe Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devastating and beautiful masterpiece

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well researched. 4-4.5 stars. Great debut from Kelly E. Hill.

[The Book Maven · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#

[Alandrah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting thoughts on feminism in a historical context and another example of women taken advantaged of when they cannot access safe reproductive healthcare. I enjoyed the three viewpoints, but I felt that while the ending provided closure in some of the stories it opened more questions that were left unresolved.

[Lois Herrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Home for Friendless Women was a thought provoking novel for its historical depiction of an extremely difficult time for women. It allowed the reader to experience the powerlessness of women over their own bodies and life choices.

I was confused by the shifting point of views. The story is told from multiple points of views and it is not immediately clear whose point of view is speaking. I found this disruptive to the flow, especially as there could have been an easy solution in the chapter head.

I don’t always need to have the ending spelled out concretely for me but I was left with some dangling threads. I won’t reveal spoilers but this was less thought provoking and more disappointing.

In sum, I am grateful to the author for presenting this important historical subject matter as it has been sorely untouched previously.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was FANTASTIC. I also accidentally discovered a historical marker or something of that effect in Old Louisville regarding the ‘Home for Friendless Women’ and thought, “Is that code for unwed pregnant girls?” It is, and even though this is a work of fiction, the author does an outstanding job of interweaving the history of the facility and of Louisville through the characters and their stories. I’ve already promised to lend this book to a friend and hope it falls into many more hands afterwards.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up because it’s based on an actual home in Louisville. I enjoyed the story and the historical research. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the identity of some of the character due to both name overlap and lack of character development. Horrifying that this is how we treated some and honestly still how we treat women today.

[lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

wrote a whole essay but i accidentally deleted it but here are my thoughts:

the book was a fun experience, but it seemed too afraid to dive into the deeper issues.
the racism in the last act from mrs kesselman went completely unpunished, and honestly i know minnie was going though a crisis because she became docile and complicit with the world but having her think “mm that was wrong what the eff” and then do nothing about it after mrs kesselman turns down a mixed pregnant woman for her race is so ?????? and then it’s mentioned once or twice and completely forgotten about! what????? why even include it at that point? it’s not really feminism if you only focus on the white women’s perspectives. what ever happened to mabel? was she okay? we don’t know!!! and in the end the Home doesn’t become more inclusive. nothing changes. i feel like the handling of racism (if you can even call it that) was lazy and honestly the book would have been better off not including it at all. this is the kind of thing you can’t half ass! get some perspective!! some flavor idk!!
i would have loved to see an act from the perspective of a woman of color, because yes, the girls there are struggling, but a black womens point of view would have been so beneficial to the story and the theme of addressing the taboo. (think about a league of their own (2022). they told the stories of two queer women interested in baseball: one black one white. max’s story was completely different then her white counter because she was a black queer woman growing up in a black community with the struggles of her mom, not being allowed to play baseball on a team at all, and her sexuality. this was done so well!! i loved the two perspectives!! if this book had done something like this i feel like it would have been a lot more meaningful.) this book seems like it only really entertains the Idea of a safe space for women shunned from society and it doesn’t dive into the actual women and consequences of real world issues at the time.
the pedophilia of william munro was mentioned a few times and then only addressed at the end. he was sending these women to the Home after sexually assaulting them (including a character as young as fourteen!!! 14!!!) and only ruth raises an eye and considers he might have some part in a lot of the women being here. i know in the end he dies in a fire lit by belle (i assume), but it feels very last minute and rushed. this whole book would have been so great if the author took the time to research, expand and really look into the issues and dynamics of the women of the home and their trauma.
regardless the book was ok, but as a piece of feminist literature it was lacking in a lot of important things. i did really like ruth’s character and honestly her whole act. the best parts of the book are when they expand on the girls friendship and companionship in this tricky situation they’re in. ruth and kate were so incredibly caring towards each other. honestly that was the best part of the book!! it made the characters feel real and human. had it leaned into the characters and dynamics of them i feel like the book would have been a lot better.

[Grace Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO thought provoking! I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would've loved to analyze this in AP Lit.

One of the elements of the story that stuck out to me the most was the structure itself. The 3 separate parts almost made it feel like a short story collection, but they were all connected making the novel cohesive. Ruth and Minnie's stories intersected so seamlessly. Belle's felt more separate from the others, but the connections made toward the end of the novel were satisfying (thinking of the letter from her spouse and the last newspaper article). The historical components (newspaper articles, ads, headlines, etc.) sprinkled throughout brought gravity to the plot and themes; they served as a reminder that while the story is fiction, the premise is reality (and not that far removed from us).

I LOVED the reveal about Ruth's and Kate's daughters toward the end. I won't spoil anything but really thinking about it makes me want to weep. Ruth and Kate were excellent characters, really all of the young women were (Belle, Minnie, even those minor characters not fully developed). I really felt for Ruth and the education that was stolen from her. This quote made me pull out my sticky tabs for the first time in a long time: "If I ran this home, I would never forget that a woman does not fall on her own, that it takes a mighty push from someone more powerful." (37) And this one: "All the things I would be and do if I were not held responsible for the behavior of others." (61) Ruth's part was definitely my favorite and the end of her storyline was excellent.

Speaking of the end, the final 50-100 pages were filled with a suspense I was not expecting. Honestly, it bumped the novel up to 4.5 stars (maybe 5? I'll have to sleep on it). Waiting for Minnie to discover the truth, and then waiting to see what she was going to do about it, had me in a chokehold. Incredible writing - the only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars off the bat is because the middle of the story lost me just a little bit, but the beginning and end are definitely 5 star worthy. (Also, I didn't cry, and that's almost a 5 star requirement for me.)

Side note - the older women (Mrs. Kesselman, Minnie's mom, etc.) remind me of Taylor Swift's "But Daddy I Love Him": "Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best / Clutching their pearls sighing, "What a mess" / I just learned these people try and save you / 'Cause they hate you" These women are the definition of self-righteousness.

And one more quote for good measure! "She turned herself into a series of overlapping shapes, and in her reduction and subsequent transformation, she became more than a body, she became something powerful, something substantial. When had she stopped seeing herself this way, as a force to be reckoned with?" (246)

I will likely reread at some point. An excellent debut novel!

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review of this book is probably helped by having finished a novel about women seemingly taking agency before this that I thought was abysmal. I automatically liked A Home for Friendless Women just out of contrast.

To the actual credit of the story, the author accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time.

Each of the women in this novel is thoughtfully drawn, and there are great moments highlighting all of them. I appreciated the variety in everyone’s stories, and the fact that none of them fell prey to being super special stand out individuals amid a group of lesser women.

The way everything tied together in the end was maybe a bit heavy handed, but I thought it was executed well enough to not feel far fetched.

The division between three different narrators was both an asset and a drawback. In many ways, I wanted more from the first two stories when they suddenly ended. Yet this framework also prevented any of the parts from dragging out or being overwrought.

This is a quick and interesting read, which I would recommend to anyone who may be considering it.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

another three star book 😔 I really liked Ruth’s story at the start of this book, so I was disappointed to find that the story suddenly changes POVs midway through. Ruth was such an interesting character and the historical pieces of the book were fascinating. I felt invested in Ruth’s life and the way she described the world around her. I wish the whole book was just from her POV.

Other reviewers have said that they liked that the book was split into three different point of views rather than the classic alternating pov each chapter, but I have to disagree. Each story was interesting on its own, but because it was only relegated to ~75 pages or so each one felt incomplete to me. By the end of the book I still wanted to know more about what happened with Ruth and Belle. Minnie’s chapter was interesting but a little drawn out in my opinion.

[MsHeather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few books on this topic in the past year. This one was good. This is one time when I wished I'd had done the physical rather than the audio, though. I loved Ruth and how angry she was. I loved that we ended with Minnie - earlier in the book she seemed so shallow, so it was good to hear her story. I loved the inclusion of actual news stories. Loved the ending!! I'm all for female revenge.

"Do not be afraid of being an 'old maid' - for the term has lost its disgrace."

“We might be able to find you a husband too. Although you will have to do something about that sharp tongue of yours."

“He was the men who came to Fay’s with a Bible in one hand, their prick in the other. Men like that didn’t understand when a woman said no. No, it was simpler than that—they didn’t care what a woman said, as long as they got what they came for.”

[Hallie Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s been a while since the last time I read a book of this style but it was very engaging and very easy to insert myself into the narrative and envision myself as a lot of these characters. It’s so fascinating to know a lot of the basis for these stories are true while also mourning for these women whose story will never fully be told and who had to endure all the hardships of that time. This book definitely makes me grateful for the women before me that helped me get to where I am now. As far as a writing style and themes it’s very similar to the novel “Uprising” by Margaret Peterson Haddix, so if you enjoyed that book you would enjoy this one, and if you read this and are looking for something similar that’s definitely a great option! Would definitely recommend to my historical fiction gals and guys!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant and painful story of unmarried pregnant young women living together in a house run by a benevolent society. The story, told over a period of years, links Ruth, who was an Oberlin student, Belle, who worked in a brothel, and Minnie, the daughter of the founders. Each of them has a strong voice, each of them feels very real. A horrible event pulls their stories and you will see threads that start with Ruth pop up again. There was much more here than I anticipated so no spoilers but know that this is both devastating and a tribute to resilience. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Wonderful historical fiction I very much enjoyed.

[Megan Steely · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book written by someone who appreciates history. So many primary sources, especially news headlines, are incorporated which I absolutely love, yet it still reads like (and is) fiction. The stories connect and you’re able to see the changing of opinions over three decades in a short book.

I do have one major yet tiny bone to pick: part three opens with “two presidents shot in her lifetimes first Lincoln and now McKinley” completely ignoring that Garfield was also shot? This would have annoyed me not matter what, but in a book with this much research, this seems like a dumb oversight.

[Lilly Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so beautiful. I loved the plot and the depth of the characters, but most of all I adored the writing. The way that the author demonstrates the progression of time through changes in societal norms and characteristics was so compelling and immersive. Hill also illustrates the complex experience of womanhood with such intricate grace; such diverse connections and complicated characters. Each woman that you meet in the novel reminds you of a woman you know in real life. Overall the book is imbued with so much compassion and intellectualism that it is difficult to dislike it, even slightly.

[peachykeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is set in the 1800s and tells the story of three women, two who lived in the House for Friendless Women, and Minnie, the daughter of a Board member.
I really enjoyed the way the book was set up and Hill did an amazing job throwing you into these women’s lives. Reading how they lived and were treated as less than due to unfortunate circumstances.
Minnie’s story is a coming of age, realizing that things were not as she remembered and who was she to become the docile, obedient wife & mother?

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Kelly Hill which brought to life the stories of the pregnant “friendless women” of 19th century Louisville who lived at the home during and after their pregnancies. This engaging, compelling novel blends their stories of heartbreak, cruelty, injustice and violence with the historical documents of the time to create a rich and vivid account of what it may have been like to be a “friendless woman” in such a place and time. I loved the characters Hill created and was sorry to come to the end.
Definitely recommend.