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Wayward Girls
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers.
It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”
Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.
In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”
Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.
In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
640 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2025
1347 people are currently reading
28684 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wiggs
169 books7,455 followersSusan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,197 reviews
July 10, 2025
Wayward Girls has been portrayed as Susan Wiggs' opus by author Robert Dugoni after fifty novels. Its powerful storytelling shines a light on the Magdalene laundries in 1960s Buffalo, New York. It is an emotional look at six teenage girls held there for one year or more. Many of the parents and community members had no idea of the abuse and hard labor they experienced at the hands of the nuns. It was known as "The Good Shepherd," a Catholic reform school, but it was the same as the laundries in Ireland and a darker part of our history.
While difficult to read at times, these six girls and a young nun, Sister Bernadette, are fully fleshed out and propel the storyline. Traits and themes of resilience, determination, creativity, friendship, hope, and redemption are woven throughout. I was fully engaged through most of the novel. The last quarter of the book is told in the present, catching us up with what the six women and Sister Bernadette are doing and how they have reconciled their past at The Good Shepherd. The tone of this section changed, and while I wanted to know what was happening with them, it seemed a little lengthier than needed.
I am impressed with the meticulous research by the author to write this novel. It is informative, powerful, and compelling and based on true stories. These beautiful young girls will stay with me for a long time. If you are a fan of historical fiction that is heartfelt with a powerful redemption arc, I highly recommend this book. Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Susan Wiggs for the advance reader's copy and finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
While difficult to read at times, these six girls and a young nun, Sister Bernadette, are fully fleshed out and propel the storyline. Traits and themes of resilience, determination, creativity, friendship, hope, and redemption are woven throughout. I was fully engaged through most of the novel. The last quarter of the book is told in the present, catching us up with what the six women and Sister Bernadette are doing and how they have reconciled their past at The Good Shepherd. The tone of this section changed, and while I wanted to know what was happening with them, it seemed a little lengthier than needed.
I am impressed with the meticulous research by the author to write this novel. It is informative, powerful, and compelling and based on true stories. These beautiful young girls will stay with me for a long time. If you are a fan of historical fiction that is heartfelt with a powerful redemption arc, I highly recommend this book. Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Susan Wiggs for the advance reader's copy and finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 16, 2025
Be prepared to find the truth about these schools known as the Magdalene Laundries where they sent girls back in the 60s for many different reasons.
Some were sent there because of pregnancy - others were sent there just because their parents wanted them out of the house or they couldn’t afford them, but most of the reasons were not really legitimate to keep them.
They didn’t educate them. They used the girls as free labor for doing laundry for local businesses and treated them like prisoners.
These schools were run by nuns with many strict rules, very little nutritious food, horrible punishments, and with the outside world thinking the girls were being treated well and being redeemed
We meet Mairin, who was dragged there by her mother. While she is there she befriends other girls, but tries to escape every chance she can.
The girls become close and realize they need each other to endure what goes on.
You will love the characters and the lifelong friendships they made, but your heart will break for them.
WAYWARD GIRLS is another marvelously researched, pull-you-in book by Susan Wiggs that will also have you shedding tears.
Be sure to add it to your TBR. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Some were sent there because of pregnancy - others were sent there just because their parents wanted them out of the house or they couldn’t afford them, but most of the reasons were not really legitimate to keep them.
They didn’t educate them. They used the girls as free labor for doing laundry for local businesses and treated them like prisoners.
These schools were run by nuns with many strict rules, very little nutritious food, horrible punishments, and with the outside world thinking the girls were being treated well and being redeemed
We meet Mairin, who was dragged there by her mother. While she is there she befriends other girls, but tries to escape every chance she can.
The girls become close and realize they need each other to endure what goes on.
You will love the characters and the lifelong friendships they made, but your heart will break for them.
WAYWARD GIRLS is another marvelously researched, pull-you-in book by Susan Wiggs that will also have you shedding tears.
Be sure to add it to your TBR. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 22, 2025
5 stars! Powerful, emotional, inspirational.. couldn’t put it down. So good!
Read
August 18, 2025Full disclosure: I have known and enjoyed the company of Susan Wiggs for two decades, and she sent me her new book. I read it with great pleasure. I have to say that in Mairin O'Hara, the author has created one of the most memorable characters I've come across in my reading in a very long time. Mairin is an indefatigable and indominable teenager. Put into a Catholic "home for wayward girls" for the double sin of fighting off her stepfather's sexual advances and going to a movie with a boy she likes, Mairin's world shrinks to the confinement of what was called, in Ireland, a Magdalene Laundries. These were "homes" run by nuns where girls worked punishing schedules with no pay washing and ironing the clothing and the linens that were brought to the laundry by hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and individuals. The girls were poorly fed, poorly housed, and received no education. They were a place of sadism in the form of harassment, corporal punishments, starvation, and imprisonment.
Sent to live in one of these places--this one in Buffalo, New York--Mairin never loses her determination to escape, no matter the cost to her when she fails. She is more force of nature than human being, so certain of who she is and what she can and can't control that her escape seems inevitable...every time she attempts it. She continually asks the reader to look inward to assess her or his own capacity for courageous action in the face of certain failure and failure's even more certain attendant punishment. The reader leaves the novel with a heightened understanding of what it takes to endure inequity, betrayal, violence, and ruthless control, to lack agency over one's body but at the same time to remain true to what one knows exists in the soul.
Sent to live in one of these places--this one in Buffalo, New York--Mairin never loses her determination to escape, no matter the cost to her when she fails. She is more force of nature than human being, so certain of who she is and what she can and can't control that her escape seems inevitable...every time she attempts it. She continually asks the reader to look inward to assess her or his own capacity for courageous action in the face of certain failure and failure's even more certain attendant punishment. The reader leaves the novel with a heightened understanding of what it takes to endure inequity, betrayal, violence, and ruthless control, to lack agency over one's body but at the same time to remain true to what one knows exists in the soul.
July 25, 2025
This book hit a few of my pet peeves
1. Too many pop culture references that read as… see I did research and know the music and that people drank Tang.
2.Historical inaccuracies … the draft for Vietnam lottery started in 1969 … not 1968 … that was referenced as to why one guy went to the war and the other didn’t.
3. The worst!!! Constant references to the Immaculate conception to explain teen pregnancies … so many authors get this wrong! As a Catholic girl … they should know that the IC is when Mary was conceived without original sin … so she could be the mother of Jesus
4. Felt much of the dialogue was inauthentic and stilted.
Neither the conversations as 15 year olds nor 70 year olds.
An important story … just not didn’t do it for me.
I read another book on this subject
The Magdalen Girls … that took place in Ireland , I think did a better job with this topic.
1. Too many pop culture references that read as… see I did research and know the music and that people drank Tang.
2.Historical inaccuracies … the draft for Vietnam lottery started in 1969 … not 1968 … that was referenced as to why one guy went to the war and the other didn’t.
3. The worst!!! Constant references to the Immaculate conception to explain teen pregnancies … so many authors get this wrong! As a Catholic girl … they should know that the IC is when Mary was conceived without original sin … so she could be the mother of Jesus
4. Felt much of the dialogue was inauthentic and stilted.
Neither the conversations as 15 year olds nor 70 year olds.
An important story … just not didn’t do it for me.
I read another book on this subject
The Magdalen Girls … that took place in Ireland , I think did a better job with this topic.
October 20, 2025
In a departure from her contemporary novels, Susan Wiggs has written a masterpiece in Wayward Girls. The year is 1968, and Buffalo, NY, a Catholic-heavy, blue-collar city, is still in the grip of the church. Mairin, a free-spirited teenager with a strict Catholic mother, is sent to a reform school run by nuns, her sin being that her stepfather tried to molest her. The school is not a school at all, but a forced labor laundry run by the Magdelene Sisters (an echo of Small Things Like These). There, Mairin finds unexpected friends…parentless girls, pregnant girls, girls whose families simply couldn’t afford to feed them. It’s a brutal place, almost Dickensian in its grimness, and Mairin vows to escape and take some girls with her.
I was breathless as I read Wayward Girls. I knew about Magdelene laundries courtesy of my Irish mother-in-law, but I had no idea they existed in America and so recently. The blind devotion to the church, the grip the gaslighting nuns had on the parishioners and the cruelty they meted out with such blasé justification was terribly familiar. But Mairin’s positivity and refusal to break had me rooting for her the entire way. An unforgettable, powerhouse of a novel you will not be able to put down.
I was breathless as I read Wayward Girls. I knew about Magdelene laundries courtesy of my Irish mother-in-law, but I had no idea they existed in America and so recently. The blind devotion to the church, the grip the gaslighting nuns had on the parishioners and the cruelty they meted out with such blasé justification was terribly familiar. But Mairin’s positivity and refusal to break had me rooting for her the entire way. An unforgettable, powerhouse of a novel you will not be able to put down.
July 31, 2025
If Wayward Girls isn’t on your radar, add it to your TBR immediately. Female friendship, pain, tragedy, deception, and more all tied beautifully together into a story that is at times heartbreaking and so hopeful at others. A tremendous read!
January 8, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity. This book brings the past reality to life. The shame of premarriage pregnacy whether it was the yound ladies fault or not, making decisions without all the information due to the church, parents and even friends at times not communicating to ladies growing up with simple questions as how do you get pregnant. Wayward Girls takes place in Buffalo, NY in the 1960s where girls were sent to help straighten their lives out. It was run by the Catholic church and the girls were forced to do manual labor that they weren't paid for plus there were a lot of rules for them to follow. This facility not concerned about educating the young minds as using them for free labor in order to make money. Very sad and embarassing situation for the church surpirsingly no reparations for the ladies involved with nuns stealing babies and labor. This book is based on a real reform school in Buffalo. The author did extensive research and spent time talking to some of the girls who had been kept there during the 60s. Suddenly 50 years later the group discovers that they are survivors and form an alliance to fight for what was taken from them.
January 19, 2025
2.5
I wanted to like this so much more than I did… the premise and backstory sounded so promising, but the execution just didn’t work for me. The POV bounced around between characters, but none of the voices felt very distinct to me. The time periods felt off too—I get that in the Home they obviously didn’t have amenities etc, but it felt like it was set in the 1940s and then there would be a modern reference that would take me out. I think particularly in the “current” timeline; these women would’ve been 67/68 years old but their voices still came across as teens.
I also just didn’t feel the emotion behind everything. These girls went through something horrific and it just felt very surface level with throwaway comments about therapy and PTSD but we were just told all of this information instead of shown. The whole story felt entirely too long and more like an in depth outline of a book rather than a full fledged plot.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
I wanted to like this so much more than I did… the premise and backstory sounded so promising, but the execution just didn’t work for me. The POV bounced around between characters, but none of the voices felt very distinct to me. The time periods felt off too—I get that in the Home they obviously didn’t have amenities etc, but it felt like it was set in the 1940s and then there would be a modern reference that would take me out. I think particularly in the “current” timeline; these women would’ve been 67/68 years old but their voices still came across as teens.
I also just didn’t feel the emotion behind everything. These girls went through something horrific and it just felt very surface level with throwaway comments about therapy and PTSD but we were just told all of this information instead of shown. The whole story felt entirely too long and more like an in depth outline of a book rather than a full fledged plot.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
December 22, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I give this book 5 stars all day. I will tell you put it in your to be read pile, put it on the top of your to read pile. The content might be hard at times, but you will find you will cry and find joy in this book, friendship. I hope you find that you will "love" this book as much as I did. It was a five star for me, maybe it will be for you
July 30, 2025
Wow….I really loved this book! I listened to a majority of it on audio. Narrated by Susan Wiggs, Jane Oppenheimer, and Cynthia Farrell, and they were excellent!
I also loved having the physical because this book takes place in my home city of Buffalo NY in the 60’s and I found that to be so interesting. Hearing about places that I already knew about and places I never heard of, that sent me right to Google search. So fun! The subject of girls confined at The Good Shepherd reform school (a facility in Buffalo NY, run by sisters of Charity nuns) in the 60’s, was heartbreaking. This story focuses on six girls that became friends through their time there. I was fully engaged in their stories. The abuse these girls faced is so sad and really angers me. Some of these girls really fought the system and tried to free themselves, and I cheered on their effort. I loved how the ending was told, about them as they were older . That really added to the story!
Highly recommend, but if you're a sensitive reader, there may be things that trigger you, so beware of that. But so so good!
I also loved having the physical because this book takes place in my home city of Buffalo NY in the 60’s and I found that to be so interesting. Hearing about places that I already knew about and places I never heard of, that sent me right to Google search. So fun! The subject of girls confined at The Good Shepherd reform school (a facility in Buffalo NY, run by sisters of Charity nuns) in the 60’s, was heartbreaking. This story focuses on six girls that became friends through their time there. I was fully engaged in their stories. The abuse these girls faced is so sad and really angers me. Some of these girls really fought the system and tried to free themselves, and I cheered on their effort. I loved how the ending was told, about them as they were older . That really added to the story!
Highly recommend, but if you're a sensitive reader, there may be things that trigger you, so beware of that. But so so good!
July 29, 2025
I've read a few books centred around the Magdalene laundrettes, the nuns that ran them, and the girls who were forced to live and work there, and the abuse they consequently suffered.
This book will make you angry, it's written so well that you will shake your head in disbelief that this went on only a few decades ago.
Highly recommended.
This book will make you angry, it's written so well that you will shake your head in disbelief that this went on only a few decades ago.
Highly recommended.
December 1, 2025
Excellent book about girls that are sent to the catholic nuns “school” for many reasons - truancy, pregnancy, parents can’t afford them, etc and the horrible treatment that they endured. Very sad that this actually happened not so many years ago.
August 1, 2025
Susan Wiggs is a new author for me. I picked up this book because I remembered my mother reading a book by Susan Wiggs years ago called The Apple Orchard and she really liked it. I haven't read that one, but I thought i would try the author.
Description:
In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd—a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns—locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
My Thoughts:
This book was so sad. The Good Shepherd was supposed to keep girls safe and provide education. That's not what the girls sent there found at all. The corruption and abuse the girls were subjected to here is horrific. I found the resilience and resourcefulness of the girls admirable. The way they came together and helped one another was inspiring. This makes you wonder about this type of place and what is really hidden there. Religion has been in the news quite a bit with corruption uncovered - more and more all the time. It's really scary. People can be so trusing. An interesting book and an eye-opening read.
Thanks to William Morrow through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd—a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns—locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.
Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.
My Thoughts:
This book was so sad. The Good Shepherd was supposed to keep girls safe and provide education. That's not what the girls sent there found at all. The corruption and abuse the girls were subjected to here is horrific. I found the resilience and resourcefulness of the girls admirable. The way they came together and helped one another was inspiring. This makes you wonder about this type of place and what is really hidden there. Religion has been in the news quite a bit with corruption uncovered - more and more all the time. It's really scary. People can be so trusing. An interesting book and an eye-opening read.
Thanks to William Morrow through Netgalley for an advance copy.
October 7, 2025
This was set in Buffalo, NY in the late 1960's, and was loosely based on fact of the Catholic church accounts of the Magdelene laundries. The Catholic church when confronted tried denying the abuse, both physical and mental. Wayward Girls will give you some insight into it even though the story is fiction.
June 19, 2025
An amazing story that I loved. Based on a true place and terrible trauma that happened at a girls boarding school in Buffalo, New York. The time period is the Vietnam war, although the very end is present day. For lots of reasons, girls were sent online with the nuns and ran a laundry. They didn’t learn anything at all! The main character is Marin who went to escape her creepy stepdad. Angela was sent as conversion therapy since she is gay.
The story is deeply emotional, will make you cry and even laugh a little. It’s a long journey about how resilient young women can be. If you like stories of injustice and historical oppressive systems with a redemption arc, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for the audiobook. Book to be released July 15, 2025.
The story is deeply emotional, will make you cry and even laugh a little. It’s a long journey about how resilient young women can be. If you like stories of injustice and historical oppressive systems with a redemption arc, I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Audio for the audiobook. Book to be released July 15, 2025.
January 26, 2025
I've heard of the horrors of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland, but was very shocked that they existed in the US and as recently as the 1960"s. Susan Wiggs tells the powerful story of a group of young women confined to such a home in Buffalo, NY. Wayward Girls is fiction, but based on one of these homes, is a well-written and gripping novel. The lead character have been committed for a variety of reasons everything from being gay to being poor to just being unwanted. The tales of the home are horrifying, but the story of friendship and strength make this a great read. Wayward Girls is perfect for your next book group read.
July 12, 2025
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs. Thanks to @williammorrow for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Set in Buffalo in the 1960’s, a group of young girls find themselves at the Home of the Good Shepherd, where the nuns are dedicated to controlling and saving their souls.
As many historical fictions about the darker sides of history, it’s difficult to read at times, but true to our history. Young women in the 60’s, evil nuns, and the cultural breakthrough of the time period, the story is very entertaining. While most takes place in the home with the nuns, we get glimpses of the outside culture, including Vietnam, the protests, and hippie counter culture. I loved that a good portion of the ending was dedicated to closure.
“She was utterly and completely alone now. She didn’t know a blessed soul in this place, and there was nothing about these strange nuns that inspired hope or made her feel safe.”
Wayward Girls comes out 7/15.
Set in Buffalo in the 1960’s, a group of young girls find themselves at the Home of the Good Shepherd, where the nuns are dedicated to controlling and saving their souls.
As many historical fictions about the darker sides of history, it’s difficult to read at times, but true to our history. Young women in the 60’s, evil nuns, and the cultural breakthrough of the time period, the story is very entertaining. While most takes place in the home with the nuns, we get glimpses of the outside culture, including Vietnam, the protests, and hippie counter culture. I loved that a good portion of the ending was dedicated to closure.
“She was utterly and completely alone now. She didn’t know a blessed soul in this place, and there was nothing about these strange nuns that inspired hope or made her feel safe.”
Wayward Girls comes out 7/15.
November 17, 2025
end it already
The book was an interesting read and definitely a 4 star until the author tried to tie up literally ever little thing and I couldn’t wait for it to end.
The book was an interesting read and definitely a 4 star until the author tried to tie up literally ever little thing and I couldn’t wait for it to end.
July 22, 2025
NYT Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs (a favorite) returns with her most moving and compelling book yet, WAYWARD GIRLS. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, and at times haunting, inspired by a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption.
Top Books of 2025!
We follow six girls in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY, in this powerful and unforgettable, emotionally moving story by a master storyteller. A tale of courage and justice while shedding light on a horrific time in our history.
About...
During the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.
In 1968, we meet six teens thrust into confinement (by the hands of others, leaving them no choice) at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly. Some are just being normal teens and are taken advantage of.
~Mairin, a free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, was committed to keeping her safe from her stepfather.
~Angela, denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
~Helen, the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
~Odessa, caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
~Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
~Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
How will they ever escape this evil?
My thoughts...
Heartbreaking. Your heart will go out to these girls! WAYWARD GIRLS showcases the brutality, abuse, hardships, and horrific treatment of young girls who were placed in Good Shepherd, a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY.
Their families had various reasons for turning over their daughters, such as teenage pregnancy, being too provocative, too unruly, being gay, or catching the eye of a male family member.
Forced to work in a laundry with no pay, and what made it worse was that the parents thought they were doing the right thing, unaware of the abuses. Then once there, they are in prison with little rights.
Powerful and memorable, the author vividly describes the conditions and the fears, courage, and strength of these young women when they have no support or place to turn.
Wiggs offers an extensive Author's Note (even though fictional). WAYWARD GIRLS is inspired by actual events, and the systemic abuses perpetrated by the Magdalene laundries documented in Ireland.
It is sad to think this practice spread to thirty-eight institutions where women and girls from poor homes were regularly confined to these religious-run, state-sanctioned prison systems of slave labor and abuse.
The author brilliantly portrays these characters (victims) as victims of life-like realistic abuse and shaming. The girls were often placed in isolation in dark, small closets.
I loved how the girls stuck together, showcasing their grit, resilience, and determination, as well as their escape using the library van, which will make you smile. So sad how many women and young girls lost their babies, pressured against their will to surrender their parental rights.
Heartwrenching, compelling, powerful, and unforgettable. A moving story of friendship, justice, and survival with characters that will remain with you long after the book ends. An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions.
Audiobook...
I had the privilege of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, narrated by Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell, who delivered an engaging performance that captures the time, place, evil, injustices, and characters, holding your attention with compelling content, a perfectly paced narrative, and pitch-perfect voices for a dynamic delivery and an immersive connection between the performers and the listener. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Recs...
WAYWARD GIRLS is for historical fiction fans, strong women, and those who enjoy works by Ellen Marie Wiseman, Diane Chamberlain, Megan Church, and Sadeqa Johnson
A special thank you to William Morrow and Harper Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to an advanced reading and listening copy, in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
July 2025 Newsletter
July 2025 Must-Read Books
Top Books of 2025!
We follow six girls in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY, in this powerful and unforgettable, emotionally moving story by a master storyteller. A tale of courage and justice while shedding light on a horrific time in our history.
About...
During the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.
In 1968, we meet six teens thrust into confinement (by the hands of others, leaving them no choice) at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly. Some are just being normal teens and are taken advantage of.
~Mairin, a free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, was committed to keeping her safe from her stepfather.
~Angela, denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.
~Helen, the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.
~Odessa, caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
~Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
~Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.
Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.
How will they ever escape this evil?
My thoughts...
Heartbreaking. Your heart will go out to these girls! WAYWARD GIRLS showcases the brutality, abuse, hardships, and horrific treatment of young girls who were placed in Good Shepherd, a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY.
Their families had various reasons for turning over their daughters, such as teenage pregnancy, being too provocative, too unruly, being gay, or catching the eye of a male family member.
Forced to work in a laundry with no pay, and what made it worse was that the parents thought they were doing the right thing, unaware of the abuses. Then once there, they are in prison with little rights.
Powerful and memorable, the author vividly describes the conditions and the fears, courage, and strength of these young women when they have no support or place to turn.
Wiggs offers an extensive Author's Note (even though fictional). WAYWARD GIRLS is inspired by actual events, and the systemic abuses perpetrated by the Magdalene laundries documented in Ireland.
It is sad to think this practice spread to thirty-eight institutions where women and girls from poor homes were regularly confined to these religious-run, state-sanctioned prison systems of slave labor and abuse.
The author brilliantly portrays these characters (victims) as victims of life-like realistic abuse and shaming. The girls were often placed in isolation in dark, small closets.
I loved how the girls stuck together, showcasing their grit, resilience, and determination, as well as their escape using the library van, which will make you smile. So sad how many women and young girls lost their babies, pressured against their will to surrender their parental rights.
Heartwrenching, compelling, powerful, and unforgettable. A moving story of friendship, justice, and survival with characters that will remain with you long after the book ends. An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions.
Audiobook...
I had the privilege of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, narrated by Jane Oppenheimer and Cynthia Farrell, who delivered an engaging performance that captures the time, place, evil, injustices, and characters, holding your attention with compelling content, a perfectly paced narrative, and pitch-perfect voices for a dynamic delivery and an immersive connection between the performers and the listener. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Recs...
WAYWARD GIRLS is for historical fiction fans, strong women, and those who enjoy works by Ellen Marie Wiseman, Diane Chamberlain, Megan Church, and Sadeqa Johnson
A special thank you to William Morrow and Harper Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to an advanced reading and listening copy, in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
July 2025 Newsletter
July 2025 Must-Read Books
July 10, 2025
#ad much love for my finished copy @williammorrowbooks + @uplitreads #partner
& @librofm #partner for the ALC
🆆🅰🆈🆆🅰🆁🅳 🅶🅸🆁🅻🆂
< @susan_wiggs_ >
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴊᴜʟʏ 𝟣𝟧, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟧
Oof! A sweeping, heart-wrenching book that dives deep into childhood trauma, resilience, determination, and the unbreakable friendships formed in the darkest of times. Written with eloquence and edge, this story will consume your entire heart and soul.
A must read.
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs is a compelling, enchanting novel based on a true story. Set during the Vietnam War, this historical fiction follows the lives of eight girls - each sent to a home for wayward girls for different reasons.
This book will steal the air from your lungs and pierce straight through your heart. Wiggs’ words come alive in your mind. A story you will never be able to forget. Wiggs captures the human experience so beautifully.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝𝕤:
Marian: sent away for her own safety
Angela: sent away to be reformed
Helen: sent away when her parents are captured in China
Odessa: sent away because of an incident with police dealing with race
Denise: sent away for fighting in previous foster home
Janice: p
Sister Bernadette: the home saved her but things don’t sit well within her
& @librofm #partner for the ALC
🆆🅰🆈🆆🅰🆁🅳 🅶🅸🆁🅻🆂
< @susan_wiggs_ >
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴊᴜʟʏ 𝟣𝟧, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟧
Oof! A sweeping, heart-wrenching book that dives deep into childhood trauma, resilience, determination, and the unbreakable friendships formed in the darkest of times. Written with eloquence and edge, this story will consume your entire heart and soul.
A must read.
Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs is a compelling, enchanting novel based on a true story. Set during the Vietnam War, this historical fiction follows the lives of eight girls - each sent to a home for wayward girls for different reasons.
This book will steal the air from your lungs and pierce straight through your heart. Wiggs’ words come alive in your mind. A story you will never be able to forget. Wiggs captures the human experience so beautifully.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝𝕤:
Marian: sent away for her own safety
Angela: sent away to be reformed
Helen: sent away when her parents are captured in China
Odessa: sent away because of an incident with police dealing with race
Denise: sent away for fighting in previous foster home
Janice: p
Sister Bernadette: the home saved her but things don’t sit well within her
July 15, 2025
In the late 1960s in Buffalo, teenager Mairin is suddenly sent to a "reform school" for wayward girls, despite having done nothing wrong. What follows is the horrific account of her time under the rule of abusive Catholic nuns. It also shares the stories of several of the girls she met there and the impact of the trauma they experienced.
What a fascinating book. For some reason, I wasn't aware that Magdalene laundries existed outside of Ireland. Some 38 of them were in the US alone, and of course, the Catholic Church likes to pretend they aren't responsible for the horrific abuse and crimes committed at these institutions.
I deducted a star because some of the dialogue just felt cheesy and forced. Otherwise, it's an interesting read.
Recommended for those who love historical fiction and stories about enduring friendships.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
What a fascinating book. For some reason, I wasn't aware that Magdalene laundries existed outside of Ireland. Some 38 of them were in the US alone, and of course, the Catholic Church likes to pretend they aren't responsible for the horrific abuse and crimes committed at these institutions.
I deducted a star because some of the dialogue just felt cheesy and forced. Otherwise, it's an interesting read.
Recommended for those who love historical fiction and stories about enduring friendships.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
July 15, 2025
Started off not bad but then the timeline progressed way too quickly and it turned fairly tacky. Also, there was no character development/too many characters. I don’t need to know about every characters’ extended family and that they’re obsessed with luxury stationary.
July 14, 2025
This book was kind of all over the place for me. By the end, it had sort of worked itself out, but I felt impatient getting to that point as I read.
September 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Important subject matter and well done on audio.
However, last third of this book could have been whittled down to one chapter, and that’s what I was left with.
Important subject matter and well done on audio.
However, last third of this book could have been whittled down to one chapter, and that’s what I was left with.
April 6, 2025
Historical fiction based in truth, following the lives of several young women forced to live in a Catholic laundry in the 1960s in Buffalo, NY.
An exploration of trauma, found sisterhood, and how the past shapes your future. Beautifully written and touching story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An exploration of trauma, found sisterhood, and how the past shapes your future. Beautifully written and touching story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2025
WAYWARD GIRLS
By Susan Wiggs
Narrated by Susan Wiggs, Jane Oppenheimer, and Cynthia Farrell
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Set in 1968 Buffalo, Wayward Girls explores the heartbreaking reality of girls sent to Catholic reform schools.
We meet 15-year-old Mairin, who is sent to the Good Shepherd reform school, where she befriends other girls who have also been placed there under painful and often unjust circumstances. Mairin is determined to escape and to seek both redemption—and justice.
The narration by Susan Wiggs, Jane Oppenheimer, and Cynthia Farrell is finely done and adds depth to the story and its characters.
Though their time together was brief, the bond between these girls proves lasting. When they reunite years later, they find that no one else understands them the way they understand each other.
Wiggs shines a light on institutions like Catholic reform schools and Magdalene laundries—places meant to “reform” girls labeled as morally deviant. The reality for these girls was heartbreaking—emotional and physical abuse, being cut off from the outside world, and forced to work under the name of faith and discipline. Families, influenced by the Church, often believed they were helping their daughters, even when abuse was reported. As we now know, the Church too often prioritized its reputation over the protection of children. And of course, money played a role.
This was my first book by Susan Wiggs, and I appreciated her storytelling and writing. I’m open to reading more of her work.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for the advanced listening copy.
July 26, 2025
A deeply emotional novel that captivated and consumed me. The fictional depiction of what happened in the Magdalene Laundaries vividly depicts the shocking abuse that took place under the 'care' of the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunately, although fictional, Wiggs shares in the Author's Note that these experiences were largely inspired by real-life events.
Where novels such as 'Small Things Like These' explore what happened in Ireland, in 'Wayward Girls' we see institutions such as these had spread to the US too.
So back to the novel... the novel stretches from 1969 to 2025, focusing on what happened at the time of the abuse and then later: the repercussions. The dual timeline worked well as the novel is book-ended by the present and there aren't too many - what can be - disorientating shifts.
The protagonist, Mairin, is a big, bold and brave fifteen-year-old that swept me along with her vivacious character. Brilliantly plotted, with not a dull moment, it kept me up hours past bedtime.
Overall, I highly recommend this novel!
Where novels such as 'Small Things Like These' explore what happened in Ireland, in 'Wayward Girls' we see institutions such as these had spread to the US too.
So back to the novel... the novel stretches from 1969 to 2025, focusing on what happened at the time of the abuse and then later: the repercussions. The dual timeline worked well as the novel is book-ended by the present and there aren't too many - what can be - disorientating shifts.
The protagonist, Mairin, is a big, bold and brave fifteen-year-old that swept me along with her vivacious character. Brilliantly plotted, with not a dull moment, it kept me up hours past bedtime.
Overall, I highly recommend this novel!
July 14, 2025
Thank you UpLit Reads for my gifted copy and thank you LibroFM for my ALC
Oh this book is so good. Really, really good
It’s 1968. Mairin is in high school, excited about boys, and an overall good kid. Her creepy stepfather makes the wrong move, but Mairin is the one who pays for it when her mother sends her to the Good Shepherd. A reformatory school run by nuns for troubled girls.
Only Mairin isn’t troubled, she was trying to get out of trouble. After multiple attempts to escape the hell she experiences at the hands of the nuns, she makes some unlikely friendships with some of the other wayward girls.
When Mairin realizes her only chance at escape is with the help of a few friends, a grand scheme is created. A life altering decision for those who participate that will affect future generations for decades..
“And I’m an angry, lesbian, librarian. Nothing scares me” favorite quote of the book!
Historical fiction always fascinates me. I’ve read a couple novels about wayward girls and I am just beyond baffled and angry that places like this actually existed. From the start, I knew Mairin was going to be a fierce character and her strength and perseverance was palpable through the pages
I highly recommend you pick this book up. You will be pleasantly surprised by the ending
Oh this book is so good. Really, really good
It’s 1968. Mairin is in high school, excited about boys, and an overall good kid. Her creepy stepfather makes the wrong move, but Mairin is the one who pays for it when her mother sends her to the Good Shepherd. A reformatory school run by nuns for troubled girls.
Only Mairin isn’t troubled, she was trying to get out of trouble. After multiple attempts to escape the hell she experiences at the hands of the nuns, she makes some unlikely friendships with some of the other wayward girls.
When Mairin realizes her only chance at escape is with the help of a few friends, a grand scheme is created. A life altering decision for those who participate that will affect future generations for decades..
“And I’m an angry, lesbian, librarian. Nothing scares me” favorite quote of the book!
Historical fiction always fascinates me. I’ve read a couple novels about wayward girls and I am just beyond baffled and angry that places like this actually existed. From the start, I knew Mairin was going to be a fierce character and her strength and perseverance was palpable through the pages
I highly recommend you pick this book up. You will be pleasantly surprised by the ending
January 10, 2026
I read this book pretty fast, a very compelling story. Historical fiction about “wayward” teenage girls sent to an institution run by catholic nuns. Their “crimes”ranged from unwed pregnancy to being gay to disobedience. Some of the girls were sent there because their own mothers were single mothers who were poor, alcoholic, sex workers. Some had been arrested and one girl’s parents were visiting relatives in China and detained there by the totalitarian regime, so well meaning friends sent her there temporarily.
The public, especially the Irish catholic community, thought that the girls would get an education from the strict but fair nuns. Instead they were beaten, locked in a closet or a basement room with the rats, deprived of food and deluged with shame. There were no classes provided. They worked in the laundry for no pay. The babies born to the unwed mothers were forcibly taken away and sold to childless couples. The list of atrocities goes on, and the story is set in the late 1960’s, in Buffalo, NY.
The fact that the book was based on true stories and it all happened in my lifetime is astounding! The Catholic Church made a ton of money off what was essentially slave labor and child trafficking. Fascinating story, interesting characters and well told.
The public, especially the Irish catholic community, thought that the girls would get an education from the strict but fair nuns. Instead they were beaten, locked in a closet or a basement room with the rats, deprived of food and deluged with shame. There were no classes provided. They worked in the laundry for no pay. The babies born to the unwed mothers were forcibly taken away and sold to childless couples. The list of atrocities goes on, and the story is set in the late 1960’s, in Buffalo, NY.
The fact that the book was based on true stories and it all happened in my lifetime is astounding! The Catholic Church made a ton of money off what was essentially slave labor and child trafficking. Fascinating story, interesting characters and well told.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,197 reviews