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The Forgotten Midwife
Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience that follows the life of a young woman consigned to work in a home for “fallen girls” who quickly realizes she must risk everything to protect them.
New Jersey, 2023. Riley Carmichael is getting married and finally joining a huge, loving family but can’t help but feel the emptiness of her own side of the church. For most of Riley’s life it’s just been her and her wonderful grandmother, Betty, but as late-stage dementia overtakes her grandmother’s mind, Riley knows she’s losing her, too. On one of Riley’s visits to Betty’s nursing home, she encounters her grandmother in one of her increasingly rare moments of lucidity as Betty desperately hands Riley a tatty birth certificate for an unknown baby born in Ireland in the 1950s. Full of questions about her heritage, Riley embarks on a trip to Ireland to find that elusive sense of home.
Tipperary, Ireland, 1954. Margaret Lannigan’s life is made up of weekly dances and spending time with the love of her life, Joseph. But when Margaret’s older sister suddenly passes away, it falls to Margaret to fulfill the family’s commitment to the church. The eldest daughter of the Lannigan family has joined the Sisters of Mercy nuns for generations. Forced to part with Joseph and take the veil, Margaret is sent to a Home for Fallen Girls to care for expectant mothers who fell pregnant outside of marriage. With no training or midwifery skills, she must fight to provide compassionate care she feels these women deserve amid the cruelty and abuse they face.
When Margaret meets a young and terrified Delia O’Rourke, the sister of her childhood best friend, she must find the strength she needs to protect this young woman and her baby in the face of a system built to ensure they disappear.
Based on true historical events, The Forgotten Midwife is a powerful and emotional story of the women lost to Ireland’s “mother and baby homes,” as well as the young women forced to join the orders that ran the establishments. Told with courage and heart, it’s a haunting, hopeful novel of feminine strength, found family, and love that transcends oppression.
New Jersey, 2023. Riley Carmichael is getting married and finally joining a huge, loving family but can’t help but feel the emptiness of her own side of the church. For most of Riley’s life it’s just been her and her wonderful grandmother, Betty, but as late-stage dementia overtakes her grandmother’s mind, Riley knows she’s losing her, too. On one of Riley’s visits to Betty’s nursing home, she encounters her grandmother in one of her increasingly rare moments of lucidity as Betty desperately hands Riley a tatty birth certificate for an unknown baby born in Ireland in the 1950s. Full of questions about her heritage, Riley embarks on a trip to Ireland to find that elusive sense of home.
Tipperary, Ireland, 1954. Margaret Lannigan’s life is made up of weekly dances and spending time with the love of her life, Joseph. But when Margaret’s older sister suddenly passes away, it falls to Margaret to fulfill the family’s commitment to the church. The eldest daughter of the Lannigan family has joined the Sisters of Mercy nuns for generations. Forced to part with Joseph and take the veil, Margaret is sent to a Home for Fallen Girls to care for expectant mothers who fell pregnant outside of marriage. With no training or midwifery skills, she must fight to provide compassionate care she feels these women deserve amid the cruelty and abuse they face.
When Margaret meets a young and terrified Delia O’Rourke, the sister of her childhood best friend, she must find the strength she needs to protect this young woman and her baby in the face of a system built to ensure they disappear.
Based on true historical events, The Forgotten Midwife is a powerful and emotional story of the women lost to Ireland’s “mother and baby homes,” as well as the young women forced to join the orders that ran the establishments. Told with courage and heart, it’s a haunting, hopeful novel of feminine strength, found family, and love that transcends oppression.
360 pages, Hardcover
Published May 12, 2026
46 people are currently reading
16072 people want to read
About the author
Laura Anthony
2 books436 followersLaura Anthony is the author of THE WOMEN ON PLATFORM TWO, and the forthcoming novel THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE (May 2026). Laura lives in Kildare, Ireland, with her husband, children, and their exceptionally fluffy dog who insists on supervising all writing sessions!
Learn more (or say hi!) at www.laura-anthony.com
Learn more (or say hi!) at www.laura-anthony.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
March 10, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Simon and Schuster Canada on NetGallery.
4.5 This was my first time reading Laura Anthony, and it definitely won’t be my last. Her previous book, The Women on Platform Two, is now firmly on my to-read list, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Inspired by real events, this novel offers a moving look at the experiences of young “fallen” women sent to convents in the past. Having recently read Small Things Like These, I loved seeing a similar story told from a completely different perspective — through the eyes of a nun who quietly struggles with the cruelty she witnesses.
It’s an emotional read and at its heart is a story about compassion, resilience, and the strength women within themselves and from other women in the most difficult of situations.
4.5 This was my first time reading Laura Anthony, and it definitely won’t be my last. Her previous book, The Women on Platform Two, is now firmly on my to-read list, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Inspired by real events, this novel offers a moving look at the experiences of young “fallen” women sent to convents in the past. Having recently read Small Things Like These, I loved seeing a similar story told from a completely different perspective — through the eyes of a nun who quietly struggles with the cruelty she witnesses.
It’s an emotional read and at its heart is a story about compassion, resilience, and the strength women within themselves and from other women in the most difficult of situations.
April 23, 2026
This is historical fiction at its finest. Knowing it’s based on a true story makes it land even harder. I devoured it in a single day, heart breaking a little more with each chapter, yet still unable to put it down, I was always hoping for some light to break through such a harrowing story.
📘 INSIDE THE PAGES
The story follows two timelines. In 2023, Riley is on the verge of marrying into Sam’s large, close-knit family, a contrast that only sharpens her own sense of having so little family around her. With her grandmother, the last remaining link to her past, slipping further into dementia, Riley is handed a revelation that upends everything she thought she knew about her heritage.
Back in 1954, Margaret lives in Tipperary, Ireland, and is preparing to marry her steady boyfriend Joseph after two years together. But her future is abruptly rewritten when her sister Sheila dies from diphtheria, forcing Margaret into the role of eldest daughter and a life shaped by duty to the church rather than her own choices.
🌟 MY THOUGHTS
This was such a shocking read, made even more striking when I read the author’s note at the end, where she reveals she left out some of the more harrowing stories she uncovered during her research. The overarching power of the Church, the suppression of women's rights, and one woman’s determination to fight against it all come together to create a story that while devastating, is utterly captivating.
I’m not sure you can read this book without becoming emotionally invested in both Riley and Margaret’s journeys, but for very different reasons. Riley is on a quest to uncover hidden family secrets while surrounded by love from her newly found family. Margaret is simply trying to survive and protect those around her from the unjust circumstances they have been forced into.
Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me another book that left me in tears.
📘 INSIDE THE PAGES
The story follows two timelines. In 2023, Riley is on the verge of marrying into Sam’s large, close-knit family, a contrast that only sharpens her own sense of having so little family around her. With her grandmother, the last remaining link to her past, slipping further into dementia, Riley is handed a revelation that upends everything she thought she knew about her heritage.
Back in 1954, Margaret lives in Tipperary, Ireland, and is preparing to marry her steady boyfriend Joseph after two years together. But her future is abruptly rewritten when her sister Sheila dies from diphtheria, forcing Margaret into the role of eldest daughter and a life shaped by duty to the church rather than her own choices.
🌟 MY THOUGHTS
This was such a shocking read, made even more striking when I read the author’s note at the end, where she reveals she left out some of the more harrowing stories she uncovered during her research. The overarching power of the Church, the suppression of women's rights, and one woman’s determination to fight against it all come together to create a story that while devastating, is utterly captivating.
I’m not sure you can read this book without becoming emotionally invested in both Riley and Margaret’s journeys, but for very different reasons. Riley is on a quest to uncover hidden family secrets while surrounded by love from her newly found family. Margaret is simply trying to survive and protect those around her from the unjust circumstances they have been forced into.
Thank you to Gallery Books for sending me another book that left me in tears.
March 15, 2026
I’d say this is a 4.5! Powerful storytelling that illustrated a time of history I did not know about. Stories like this make me realize how recently that women have not been treated fairly. However the story doesn’t feel hopeless despite the tragic things that are happening to the characters. The characters are resilient, courageous, and work together to overcome adversity. I love how the modern day chapters woven throughout help tie the story together and help teach the importance of learning about our past. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy!
April 24, 2026
This is a dual timeline story set in current day America & 1950’s Ireland. When Riley receives a birth certificate from Ireland from her grandmother suffering from dementia, Riley sets on a mission to figure out the significance of this birth certificate. Based on true facts, it appalled me to see the atrocities that took place at the hands of priests & nuns. Girls could be forced to live as nuns. There were religious abbeys where “girls of ill-repute” were sent and their babies would be sold by the church to families seeking to adopt, and in many cases against the mothers’ wishes. As penance for their sin, they were forced into hard labor doing laundry, and the nuns who oversaw them were very cruel. These girls were underfed and expected to work up until they had their babies and even a day after giving birth. This story was hard at times to read because of the cruelty at the hands of religious figures but quite an eye opener to something in history that I was unaware of.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for the invitation to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for the invitation to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
May 10, 2026
Well written historical fiction has always had the ability to draw me in and send me searching for more information about the event or period at the center of the book. THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE by Laura Anthony did both.
This dual timeline story follows Riley in the present time as she is preparing to marry in New Jersey. A rare moment of lucidity for her grandmother leaves Riley with questions after discovering a birth certificate hidden in a shoebox. The certificate bears her deceased mother’s birthdate, but was issued in Ireland.
In the second timeline we meet Margaret Lannigan, a young Irish lass who loves dancing and dreams of marrying her boyfriend. But it’s the 1950s and women don’t have much agency over their own decisions. Margaret (Maggie) is forced to enter the convent after the death of her sister who was pledged to the order.
Maggie soon discovers the ugly side of the Church when she finds herself attending to “fallen girls” as a reluctant midwife. Based on the real life Magdalene Laundries, Anthony shows readers the horrors and abuses through the eyes of a someone who bore witness to the atrocities not as a victim forced to give up her baby, but as an individual who was part of the apparatus that preyed on young women.
In Maggie we meet a woman of strength, resilience, and courage who risks everything to save the young girls and women in her care. Maggie’s story was the most compelling part of the book and blended together beautifully with Riley’s quest.
THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE shines a light on an ugly period in the not so distant past where women were stripped of their rights and lacked bodily autonomy. Women were confined to unpaid labor and their babies stolen from them and often sold to families desperate to adopt. A quick internet search shows that the laundries, operated by the Catholic Church and Irish state, were finally shut down in 1996. (That is not a typo.)
Anthony’s storytelling is spellbinding. This is a must read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
This dual timeline story follows Riley in the present time as she is preparing to marry in New Jersey. A rare moment of lucidity for her grandmother leaves Riley with questions after discovering a birth certificate hidden in a shoebox. The certificate bears her deceased mother’s birthdate, but was issued in Ireland.
In the second timeline we meet Margaret Lannigan, a young Irish lass who loves dancing and dreams of marrying her boyfriend. But it’s the 1950s and women don’t have much agency over their own decisions. Margaret (Maggie) is forced to enter the convent after the death of her sister who was pledged to the order.
Maggie soon discovers the ugly side of the Church when she finds herself attending to “fallen girls” as a reluctant midwife. Based on the real life Magdalene Laundries, Anthony shows readers the horrors and abuses through the eyes of a someone who bore witness to the atrocities not as a victim forced to give up her baby, but as an individual who was part of the apparatus that preyed on young women.
In Maggie we meet a woman of strength, resilience, and courage who risks everything to save the young girls and women in her care. Maggie’s story was the most compelling part of the book and blended together beautifully with Riley’s quest.
THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE shines a light on an ugly period in the not so distant past where women were stripped of their rights and lacked bodily autonomy. Women were confined to unpaid labor and their babies stolen from them and often sold to families desperate to adopt. A quick internet search shows that the laundries, operated by the Catholic Church and Irish state, were finally shut down in 1996. (That is not a typo.)
Anthony’s storytelling is spellbinding. This is a must read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
May 9, 2026
4.25/5 ✰ first of all, anytime i picked up this book i couldn't put it down because i NEEDED to know the connection between riley & margaret. i loved the storytelling of margaret's experience and i just wanted to protect all the girls bc they deserved better :( this story deals with grief, family history, female friendships, and romantic relationships that were meant to be more.
i could honestly read more from the present timeline about riley & sam, but i appreciated the authors's note saying that the story was meant to mostly told from margaret pov because it allows us to find things out about her past & connections alongside riley.
this book made me want to read more historical fiction because why did i care so deeply about a group of women in a convent in late 1900s ireland😭
this quote: "that's the beauty of loving someone. we often say the most in the space between words."
thank you to netgalley & the publisher (gallerybooks) for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
i could honestly read more from the present timeline about riley & sam, but i appreciated the authors's note saying that the story was meant to mostly told from margaret pov because it allows us to find things out about her past & connections alongside riley.
this book made me want to read more historical fiction because why did i care so deeply about a group of women in a convent in late 1900s ireland😭
this quote: "that's the beauty of loving someone. we often say the most in the space between words."
thank you to netgalley & the publisher (gallerybooks) for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
April 9, 2026
[I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinion]
THE WHAT
In the 1950s, we meet Margaret, a young girl forced into becoming a nun under the ruthless Father Michael’s. She is then sent to a convent where pregnant girls and women are hidden away by their families, made to work in brutal conditions, and abused by a terrifying Matron. Father Michaels and the Matron steal these babies and sell them for profit.
In the present day, we follow Riley, whose grandmother has been declining cognitively. During a visit, her grandmother gives her a mysterious birth certificate and baby booties. Riley feels there is something she needs to uncover and travels to Ireland, where she learns her mother was one of the stolen babies. The story unfolds as Riley pieces together the truth and tries to find the family she never knew existed.
THE VIBE
Historical fiction, inspired by real institutions, dual timelines, forced proximity, secrets, women supporting women, oppressive authority figure, survival, resilience.
THE HOW
The story is told from both Margaret’s and Riley’s perspectives in a dual timeline that moves between past and present. The author writes with emotional precision, grounding Margaret’s chapters in raw, unsettling reality while giving Riley’s chapters a searching and heartfelt tone. The pacing is excellent, and every shift between timelines feels meaningful and intentional.
THE HIT
Margaret’s storyline is one of the most powerful I have read in a long time. The cruelty of the institution, the stolen babies, and the violations these girls endured were difficult to read, and the author does an incredible job portraying it with sensitivity without shying away from the truth. The dual timeline is handled beautifully, and Riley’s journey adds hope, curiosity, and healing. The writing is stunning. My hatred for the Matron and Father Michael’s was so strong, and the author built it so well. This book made me feel everything. Absolutely unforgettable.
THE MISS
Honestly, nothing. This book delivered exactly what it promised and more.
THE REC:
If you love emotional historical fiction, stories rooted in truth, and books that leave you feeling long after the final page, this is a must read. It is absolutely a contender for my read of the year.
THE OVERALL: Overall, I would rate this book as follows:
⭐️Overall Rating: 5/5
THE WHAT
In the 1950s, we meet Margaret, a young girl forced into becoming a nun under the ruthless Father Michael’s. She is then sent to a convent where pregnant girls and women are hidden away by their families, made to work in brutal conditions, and abused by a terrifying Matron. Father Michaels and the Matron steal these babies and sell them for profit.
In the present day, we follow Riley, whose grandmother has been declining cognitively. During a visit, her grandmother gives her a mysterious birth certificate and baby booties. Riley feels there is something she needs to uncover and travels to Ireland, where she learns her mother was one of the stolen babies. The story unfolds as Riley pieces together the truth and tries to find the family she never knew existed.
THE VIBE
Historical fiction, inspired by real institutions, dual timelines, forced proximity, secrets, women supporting women, oppressive authority figure, survival, resilience.
THE HOW
The story is told from both Margaret’s and Riley’s perspectives in a dual timeline that moves between past and present. The author writes with emotional precision, grounding Margaret’s chapters in raw, unsettling reality while giving Riley’s chapters a searching and heartfelt tone. The pacing is excellent, and every shift between timelines feels meaningful and intentional.
THE HIT
Margaret’s storyline is one of the most powerful I have read in a long time. The cruelty of the institution, the stolen babies, and the violations these girls endured were difficult to read, and the author does an incredible job portraying it with sensitivity without shying away from the truth. The dual timeline is handled beautifully, and Riley’s journey adds hope, curiosity, and healing. The writing is stunning. My hatred for the Matron and Father Michael’s was so strong, and the author built it so well. This book made me feel everything. Absolutely unforgettable.
THE MISS
Honestly, nothing. This book delivered exactly what it promised and more.
THE REC:
If you love emotional historical fiction, stories rooted in truth, and books that leave you feeling long after the final page, this is a must read. It is absolutely a contender for my read of the year.
THE OVERALL: Overall, I would rate this book as follows:
⭐️Overall Rating: 5/5
April 5, 2026
Net galley advance digital copy
Powerful story! One that will stick with you. This would be more of a 4.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this advance copy!
Powerful story! One that will stick with you. This would be more of a 4.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this advance copy!
March 29, 2026
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.
Plot
In 1950s Ireland, Margaret Lannigan is forced to leave behind the man she loves and join a Home for Fallen Girls to care for expectant mothers who fell pregnant outside of marriage. As she witnesses the cruelty inflicted on vulnerable young women, Margaret risks everything to protect the girls.
Thoughts
An easy 5-star read for me. Very educational, powerful, emotional, and shocking. I had never heard of Magdalene Laundries, but I went down the rabbit hole to do more research. I had to double-check the timeframe because I could not believe this was happening in Ireland in the 50s and 60s. I had to pause a few times to fully process what was happening in this story. The main characters demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage as they came together to confront and overcome the horrible treatment these girls endured.
Plot
In 1950s Ireland, Margaret Lannigan is forced to leave behind the man she loves and join a Home for Fallen Girls to care for expectant mothers who fell pregnant outside of marriage. As she witnesses the cruelty inflicted on vulnerable young women, Margaret risks everything to protect the girls.
Thoughts
An easy 5-star read for me. Very educational, powerful, emotional, and shocking. I had never heard of Magdalene Laundries, but I went down the rabbit hole to do more research. I had to double-check the timeframe because I could not believe this was happening in Ireland in the 50s and 60s. I had to pause a few times to fully process what was happening in this story. The main characters demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage as they came together to confront and overcome the horrible treatment these girls endured.
May 12, 2026
Thank you @gallerybooks #partner for my free book!! 🥹🫶🏾
What do you say about a book like this one besides the fact that it’s a must read? I could NOT put this book down from the very moment that I started it! It is structured in a dual timeline and my goodness the historical chapters were completely GRIPPING!! If books make you cry, prepare tissues for this one.
This story is:
✨ gut-wrenching
✨ haunting
✨ devastating
✨ an absolute MUST READ!!
✨ historical fiction at its best!
When I finished this one, I did go down a rabbit hole after reading the authors note and was just amazed by my findings. It’s not an easy story by any means, but it’s one of those stories that leaves you with more insight and empathy for past experiences unlike your own; experiences you’ll thankfully never live through.
@lauraanthonybooks bravo girl!! bravo!! I am such a fan of your writing. I loved The Women on Platform Two, but The Forgotten Midwife completely wrecked me in the best way. Thank you for telling stories that are powerful, important and unforgettable. I’m ready for more!!
⭐️ 5 stars!!
What do you say about a book like this one besides the fact that it’s a must read? I could NOT put this book down from the very moment that I started it! It is structured in a dual timeline and my goodness the historical chapters were completely GRIPPING!! If books make you cry, prepare tissues for this one.
This story is:
✨ gut-wrenching
✨ haunting
✨ devastating
✨ an absolute MUST READ!!
✨ historical fiction at its best!
When I finished this one, I did go down a rabbit hole after reading the authors note and was just amazed by my findings. It’s not an easy story by any means, but it’s one of those stories that leaves you with more insight and empathy for past experiences unlike your own; experiences you’ll thankfully never live through.
@lauraanthonybooks bravo girl!! bravo!! I am such a fan of your writing. I loved The Women on Platform Two, but The Forgotten Midwife completely wrecked me in the best way. Thank you for telling stories that are powerful, important and unforgettable. I’m ready for more!!
⭐️ 5 stars!!
May 7, 2026
4.5/5
Thank you @simon.audio @gallerybooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!
So...it’s been a HOT minute since I picked up a dual timeline historical fiction and this one reminded me WHY I love them so much!
I absolutely LOVED this.
First things first...do NOT skip the author’s note. I always love hearing how a story comes to life and this one has such a powerful real life inspiration behind it that made the entire book hit even harder.
Now onto the book... 👇
We have two timelines:
✨ Present day — a bride navigating life after losing so much of her family, caring for her grandmother with dementia, and trying to figure out where she fits and what “home” even means anymore.
✨ Past timeline (Ireland) — where we meet Margaret…AND WOW did I love her.
Margaret is young, in love, and ready to start her life when everything is ripped away from her and she’s forced into a convent against her will. From the very beginning I was rooting for her so hard because what happened to her just felt so gut wrenching and not fair. She is strong, stubborn, determined and she really had every right to be. I adored her character.
Her journey was straight up INFURIATING at times 😤
The way women were treated, especially those deemed “fallen” (pregnant out of wedlock), was absolutely heartbreaking. History was so CRUEL to women.
But Margaret is not a wall flower. She doesn’t just accept her fate quietly. In fact, she kind of does life kicking and screaming. She ends up finding purpose in helping these women. The works she does is incredibly important! She was extremely compassionate as a midwife which is exactly what those women needed. Even when the system around her was just stacked against them. Watching her grow into that role, despite everything she lost, was very powerful.
✨ what I loved and what I think you'll love too:
💛 strong, resilient female characters
📚 dual timeline
🇮🇪 rich historical setting in Ireland
😭 real life inspiration
👏 a story of purpose, sacrifice and unexpected impact
And that ending 👀
I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a relationship that came full circle in such a satisfying way....and a plan that completely blew me away. I was sitting there like…PLEASE tell me this really happened because it was fascinating.
Once again the audiobook narration pulled me right into both timelines! The Irish accent helped place me directly into the story and I loved it!
This was truly such a beautiful and powerful story that will stay with me for a long time!
Thank you @simon.audio @gallerybooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!
So...it’s been a HOT minute since I picked up a dual timeline historical fiction and this one reminded me WHY I love them so much!
I absolutely LOVED this.
First things first...do NOT skip the author’s note. I always love hearing how a story comes to life and this one has such a powerful real life inspiration behind it that made the entire book hit even harder.
Now onto the book... 👇
We have two timelines:
✨ Present day — a bride navigating life after losing so much of her family, caring for her grandmother with dementia, and trying to figure out where she fits and what “home” even means anymore.
✨ Past timeline (Ireland) — where we meet Margaret…AND WOW did I love her.
Margaret is young, in love, and ready to start her life when everything is ripped away from her and she’s forced into a convent against her will. From the very beginning I was rooting for her so hard because what happened to her just felt so gut wrenching and not fair. She is strong, stubborn, determined and she really had every right to be. I adored her character.
Her journey was straight up INFURIATING at times 😤
The way women were treated, especially those deemed “fallen” (pregnant out of wedlock), was absolutely heartbreaking. History was so CRUEL to women.
But Margaret is not a wall flower. She doesn’t just accept her fate quietly. In fact, she kind of does life kicking and screaming. She ends up finding purpose in helping these women. The works she does is incredibly important! She was extremely compassionate as a midwife which is exactly what those women needed. Even when the system around her was just stacked against them. Watching her grow into that role, despite everything she lost, was very powerful.
✨ what I loved and what I think you'll love too:
💛 strong, resilient female characters
📚 dual timeline
🇮🇪 rich historical setting in Ireland
😭 real life inspiration
👏 a story of purpose, sacrifice and unexpected impact
And that ending 👀
I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a relationship that came full circle in such a satisfying way....and a plan that completely blew me away. I was sitting there like…PLEASE tell me this really happened because it was fascinating.
Once again the audiobook narration pulled me right into both timelines! The Irish accent helped place me directly into the story and I loved it!
This was truly such a beautiful and powerful story that will stay with me for a long time!
May 10, 2026
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony is an engaging dual timeline historical fiction novel, set in Ireland in the 1950’s and in the present day, surrounding events related to a home for unmarried pregnant women. In the 1950’s Margaret is sent to a convent against her wishes and becomes an unlikely midwife at the Ballyvale Home for Fallen Girls. “…good people cannot comprehend Ballyvale. It’s a place of horrors greater than anywhere their imagination could take them.” And in the present timeline, Riley is investigating the truth behind a secret Irish birth certificate her grandmother with progressive dementia gives her. The storylines eventually intersect in an uplifting but not entirely unexpected way.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially stories that shine a light on forgotten female heroes. This novel, based on actual events, quickly drew me in and held me captive. The writing is excellent, especially the character development and vivid depictions of the home and the treatment of the young women there. I liked Margaret’s perspective best and enjoyed that it made up most of the story. I thought focusing on her point of view, rather than one of the young mother's, was unique. I was fully invested in Margaret’s story, her bravery, and ultimately her happy ending. This polished, page-turning story is perfect for historical fiction lovers. Don’t miss the author’s note with her fascinating inspiration for this novel 4.5/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Galley Books for the #gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially stories that shine a light on forgotten female heroes. This novel, based on actual events, quickly drew me in and held me captive. The writing is excellent, especially the character development and vivid depictions of the home and the treatment of the young women there. I liked Margaret’s perspective best and enjoyed that it made up most of the story. I thought focusing on her point of view, rather than one of the young mother's, was unique. I was fully invested in Margaret’s story, her bravery, and ultimately her happy ending. This polished, page-turning story is perfect for historical fiction lovers. Don’t miss the author’s note with her fascinating inspiration for this novel 4.5/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Galley Books for the #gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 28, 2026
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony is a heartbreaking and hopeful novel. Based on a true story, it tells the stories of two women.
The first, Margaret Lannigan, is forced by her family to join a nunnery and then provide midwifery services in 1950s Ireland.
The second, Riley Carmichael, is searching for her family roots after receiving a mysterious birth certificate from her grandfather, which leads her to present day Ireland.
I loved this book. The writing was fantastic and the storyline was captivating from beginning to end. This was my first novel by this author but will surely not be my last.
The first, Margaret Lannigan, is forced by her family to join a nunnery and then provide midwifery services in 1950s Ireland.
The second, Riley Carmichael, is searching for her family roots after receiving a mysterious birth certificate from her grandfather, which leads her to present day Ireland.
I loved this book. The writing was fantastic and the storyline was captivating from beginning to end. This was my first novel by this author but will surely not be my last.
May 4, 2026
This book got me right out of a reading slump. It is dark and will break your heart a million times, but it was great storytelling. Reads fast! Available 5/12. Add to your TBR!
My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC provided for my thoughts.
My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC provided for my thoughts.
April 28, 2026
I have a real problem with injustice and this book lit that fire in me. I buddy read it with a group and while everyone else was crying, I was simmering with rage. The Forgotten Midwife made me genuinely angry at the world and its blatant dismissal, disrespect, and abuse toward women.
Margaret was such an incredible character. Strong and defiant, but in a quiet, intentional way so she wouldn’t make things worse for the young girls she was trying to protect. Her compassion and those small, careful acts of resistance felt enormous given the circumstances.
This story weaves heavy, real life history with the grounded intimate relationships of the characters. With that said, it didn't feel historical, it felt personal and immersive as it shined a light on a lesser known chapter of history.
If you’re in the mood for something powerful and thought provoking, The Forgotten Midwife is one to pick up.
Margaret was such an incredible character. Strong and defiant, but in a quiet, intentional way so she wouldn’t make things worse for the young girls she was trying to protect. Her compassion and those small, careful acts of resistance felt enormous given the circumstances.
This story weaves heavy, real life history with the grounded intimate relationships of the characters. With that said, it didn't feel historical, it felt personal and immersive as it shined a light on a lesser known chapter of history.
If you’re in the mood for something powerful and thought provoking, The Forgotten Midwife is one to pick up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Laura Anthony’s The Forgotten Midwife absolutely wrecked me—like full emotional shutdown, stare-at-the-wall-for-a-minute kind of wrecked—and somehow still stitched me back together with the quietest thread of hope. Published by Gallery Books, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.
This is not a light read. This is the kind of story that sits heavy on your chest, the kind you carry around with you long after you’ve closed the book, like a truth you didn’t know you needed to witness. Told through dual timelines, we meet Riley Carmichael in present-day New Jersey—on the brink of marriage, surrounded by love, yet quietly aching for a sense of belonging she’s never fully had. Her world begins to unravel when her grandmother, slipping in and out of memory, hands her a single, fragile clue: a birth certificate tied to 1950s Ireland. And just like that, Riley’s story becomes a doorway into something far deeper, far more devastating.
Because this book? It belongs to Margaret Lannigan.
Margaret’s life in 1950s Ireland begins with love, promise, and the kind of ordinary dreams that feel almost sacred in hindsight. But when tragedy strikes, she’s forced—without choice, without voice—into a convent, fulfilling a family obligation that was never meant to be hers. And from there, everything shifts. What follows is not just her story, but the story of countless young women sent to the Magdalene Laundries and mother-and-baby homes—places that claimed to offer refuge but instead operated in silence, control, and cruelty.
Reading Margaret’s journey felt like watching a slow, controlled burn. There’s no dramatic explosion—just this steady unraveling of autonomy, dignity, and truth. And yet, in the middle of all that darkness, Margaret becomes something extraordinary. Not loud, not reckless—but resolute. Her compassion becomes resistance. Her kindness becomes rebellion. And the way she cares for the girls—especially Delia O’Rourke, who arrives broken, terrified, and completely alone—will absolutely gut you.
“These girls weren’t sinners. They were daughters. They were mothers. They were human.”
Tell me why that line hit like a punch to the soul.
Because that’s what this book does—it forces you to feel everything. The anger. The grief. The helplessness. The quiet, desperate hope that maybe, somehow, someone will choose to do the right thing even when the system is designed to crush them for it. And knowing that this story is rooted in real historical events? It adds a layer of weight that you can’t shake. I had to pause more than once—not because the writing wasn’t compelling, but because it was too compelling. Too real. Too much.
And yet… I couldn’t stop reading.
Laura Anthony has this way of writing that feels both intimate and unflinching. She doesn’t sensationalize the horror, but she doesn’t soften it either. She trusts the reader to sit in the discomfort, to bear witness, and to come out the other side changed. The dual timeline is beautifully handled, though I’ll be honest—Riley’s chapters feel more like gentle anchors, guiding us toward answers, while Margaret’s story is where the emotional gravity lives. And when those timelines finally connect? It lands. Quietly, powerfully, and with just enough light to let you breathe again.
This is for readers who don’t just want a story—they want meaning. It’s for those who love historical fiction that teaches while it breaks your heart. It’s for anyone drawn to themes of sisterhood, resilience, found family, and the complicated, often painful legacy of where we come from. If you’ve ever read a book and thought, this mattered, this is that book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I mean that wholeheartedly. This isn’t just a five-star read—it’s the kind that lingers, that reshapes your perspective, that quietly demands you remember the women who were never meant to be remembered.
So I have to ask… when history tries to bury stories like this, do we owe it to the past to dig them back up—and what do we do once we do?
#TheForgottenMidwife #LauraAnthony #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction #BookReview #NetGalleyReads #Bookstagram #EmotionalReads #BasedOnTrueEvents #MagdaleneLaundries #Bookstagrammer #FiveStarRead #BooksThatStayWithYou #StoriesThatMatter #MustReadBooks
This is not a light read. This is the kind of story that sits heavy on your chest, the kind you carry around with you long after you’ve closed the book, like a truth you didn’t know you needed to witness. Told through dual timelines, we meet Riley Carmichael in present-day New Jersey—on the brink of marriage, surrounded by love, yet quietly aching for a sense of belonging she’s never fully had. Her world begins to unravel when her grandmother, slipping in and out of memory, hands her a single, fragile clue: a birth certificate tied to 1950s Ireland. And just like that, Riley’s story becomes a doorway into something far deeper, far more devastating.
Because this book? It belongs to Margaret Lannigan.
Margaret’s life in 1950s Ireland begins with love, promise, and the kind of ordinary dreams that feel almost sacred in hindsight. But when tragedy strikes, she’s forced—without choice, without voice—into a convent, fulfilling a family obligation that was never meant to be hers. And from there, everything shifts. What follows is not just her story, but the story of countless young women sent to the Magdalene Laundries and mother-and-baby homes—places that claimed to offer refuge but instead operated in silence, control, and cruelty.
Reading Margaret’s journey felt like watching a slow, controlled burn. There’s no dramatic explosion—just this steady unraveling of autonomy, dignity, and truth. And yet, in the middle of all that darkness, Margaret becomes something extraordinary. Not loud, not reckless—but resolute. Her compassion becomes resistance. Her kindness becomes rebellion. And the way she cares for the girls—especially Delia O’Rourke, who arrives broken, terrified, and completely alone—will absolutely gut you.
“These girls weren’t sinners. They were daughters. They were mothers. They were human.”
Tell me why that line hit like a punch to the soul.
Because that’s what this book does—it forces you to feel everything. The anger. The grief. The helplessness. The quiet, desperate hope that maybe, somehow, someone will choose to do the right thing even when the system is designed to crush them for it. And knowing that this story is rooted in real historical events? It adds a layer of weight that you can’t shake. I had to pause more than once—not because the writing wasn’t compelling, but because it was too compelling. Too real. Too much.
And yet… I couldn’t stop reading.
Laura Anthony has this way of writing that feels both intimate and unflinching. She doesn’t sensationalize the horror, but she doesn’t soften it either. She trusts the reader to sit in the discomfort, to bear witness, and to come out the other side changed. The dual timeline is beautifully handled, though I’ll be honest—Riley’s chapters feel more like gentle anchors, guiding us toward answers, while Margaret’s story is where the emotional gravity lives. And when those timelines finally connect? It lands. Quietly, powerfully, and with just enough light to let you breathe again.
This is for readers who don’t just want a story—they want meaning. It’s for those who love historical fiction that teaches while it breaks your heart. It’s for anyone drawn to themes of sisterhood, resilience, found family, and the complicated, often painful legacy of where we come from. If you’ve ever read a book and thought, this mattered, this is that book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I mean that wholeheartedly. This isn’t just a five-star read—it’s the kind that lingers, that reshapes your perspective, that quietly demands you remember the women who were never meant to be remembered.
So I have to ask… when history tries to bury stories like this, do we owe it to the past to dig them back up—and what do we do once we do?
#TheForgottenMidwife #LauraAnthony #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction #BookReview #NetGalleyReads #Bookstagram #EmotionalReads #BasedOnTrueEvents #MagdaleneLaundries #Bookstagrammer #FiveStarRead #BooksThatStayWithYou #StoriesThatMatter #MustReadBooks
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE by Laura Anthony is a sweeping, dual-timeline historical mystery that bridges WWII-era Ireland and the present day. When a hidden diary surfaces, it reveals a midwife’s dangerous bravery in the face of war. It’s a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the quiet heroes of history. Having read Anthony’s previous book, The Women on Platform Two, this feels like her most emotionally resonant work yet.
Intro:
A dual-timeline journey moving between New Jersey in 2023 and Tipperary, Ireland in 1954. When Riley’s grandmother, Betty, has a rare moment of lucidity in her dementia, she hands Riley a tattered Irish birth certificate for an unknown baby. Riley travels to Ireland to uncover her heritage, leading her to the story of Margaret Lannigan, a young woman forced to take the veil and serve as a midwife in a home for "fallen girls".
Setting:
~Contrast between modern-day New Jersey and the stark, repressive atmosphere of 1950s Tipperary, Ireland.
~The Ballyvale Home for Fallen Girls is a vividly captured setting that highlights the chilling reality of Ireland's Magdalene laundries.
Vibe:
~"Hauntingly beautiful" and deeply atmospheric. Heart-wrenching and meticulously researched.
~It carries the heavy, misty weight of Irish history while remaining "intensely engaging" and impossible to put down.
Themes:
~Intergenerational legacy; the quiet heroism of women; the echo of wartime choices
~Feminist Resilience
~Identity & Belonging
~Life-Saving Friendship
Character Highlight:
~Margaret Lannigan: A powerhouse protagonist who evolves from a grieving daughter forced into a convent to a courageous rebel risking everything to protect vulnerable women.
~Riley Carmichael: A modern-day seeker whose quest for identity provides a "poignant" emotional anchor to the historical horrors.
Author Writing
~Anthony’s prose is "poignant and powerful," grounded in meticulous research into real historical atrocities.
~She masterfully balances the "agonizing moral dilemmas" of the past with a fast-paced, tense narrative.
Standout
~The historical authenticity. Based on real events, the book lands "harder" because the horrors Margaret witnesses—like the systemic cruelty of the laundries—were a true reality for thousands of women.
Metaphor:
The story is a "quietly stitched thread of hope" running through a fabric of institutional darkness, proving that even the most "forgotten" lives can be reclaimed
Takeaway:
The truth may be buried by systems of power, but the enduring bond of sisterhood and the courage of one individual can bridge even the widest generational gaps.
Why You Should Read
~This is a "must-read" for fans of emotional historical fiction that doesn't shy away from difficult truths.
~It is "heartbreaking yet hopeful," providing a visceral educational experience about a dark chapter of Irish history while still being an inspiring story of survival.
Recs.
~The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
~Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
~Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs
~The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
~Historical fiction by Patti Callahan Henry
Audio Standout: 🎧
I look forward to listening to the audiobook performed by the talented duo, Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth, who are known for delivering a captivating performance that breathes life into the characters while capturing the raw emotion that makes listeners feel and ponder.
Special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 12, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
May Newsletter
May 2026 Must-Read Books
Intro:
A dual-timeline journey moving between New Jersey in 2023 and Tipperary, Ireland in 1954. When Riley’s grandmother, Betty, has a rare moment of lucidity in her dementia, she hands Riley a tattered Irish birth certificate for an unknown baby. Riley travels to Ireland to uncover her heritage, leading her to the story of Margaret Lannigan, a young woman forced to take the veil and serve as a midwife in a home for "fallen girls".
Setting:
~Contrast between modern-day New Jersey and the stark, repressive atmosphere of 1950s Tipperary, Ireland.
~The Ballyvale Home for Fallen Girls is a vividly captured setting that highlights the chilling reality of Ireland's Magdalene laundries.
Vibe:
~"Hauntingly beautiful" and deeply atmospheric. Heart-wrenching and meticulously researched.
~It carries the heavy, misty weight of Irish history while remaining "intensely engaging" and impossible to put down.
Themes:
~Intergenerational legacy; the quiet heroism of women; the echo of wartime choices
~Feminist Resilience
~Identity & Belonging
~Life-Saving Friendship
Character Highlight:
~Margaret Lannigan: A powerhouse protagonist who evolves from a grieving daughter forced into a convent to a courageous rebel risking everything to protect vulnerable women.
~Riley Carmichael: A modern-day seeker whose quest for identity provides a "poignant" emotional anchor to the historical horrors.
Author Writing
~Anthony’s prose is "poignant and powerful," grounded in meticulous research into real historical atrocities.
~She masterfully balances the "agonizing moral dilemmas" of the past with a fast-paced, tense narrative.
Standout
~The historical authenticity. Based on real events, the book lands "harder" because the horrors Margaret witnesses—like the systemic cruelty of the laundries—were a true reality for thousands of women.
Metaphor:
The story is a "quietly stitched thread of hope" running through a fabric of institutional darkness, proving that even the most "forgotten" lives can be reclaimed
Takeaway:
The truth may be buried by systems of power, but the enduring bond of sisterhood and the courage of one individual can bridge even the widest generational gaps.
Why You Should Read
~This is a "must-read" for fans of emotional historical fiction that doesn't shy away from difficult truths.
~It is "heartbreaking yet hopeful," providing a visceral educational experience about a dark chapter of Irish history while still being an inspiring story of survival.
Recs.
~The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
~Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
~Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs
~The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
~Historical fiction by Patti Callahan Henry
Audio Standout: 🎧
I look forward to listening to the audiobook performed by the talented duo, Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth, who are known for delivering a captivating performance that breathes life into the characters while capturing the raw emotion that makes listeners feel and ponder.
Special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 12, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
May Newsletter
May 2026 Must-Read Books
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I didn't know what to expect with this book. I was invited to read it because I read and enjoyed The Lion Women of Tehran, I believe, and since I did love that book, I read the description of this one, and it sounded really interesting. It did not disappoint. I told my sister that I hated this book, but it's one of the best books I've ever read, which was still true by the time I finished it. I cried a lot reading this book, but it was worth the emotional toll because of the connection to the characters.
I used to watch the TV show Long Lost Family with my parents, so I knew about the homes for fallen women and how the young, pregnant girls were forced into "homes" run by nuns to wait until they gave birth and then were forced to give up their babies, usually not even allowed to hold them. Then, they were just let back into the world after almost a year, expected to act like nothing ever happened and to move on. And I know from watching the show that these women never let go of their first babies or their experiences and how painful and emotional the experiences still were for them, even as they (mostly) got married and had other children. So, that part of this book, about a home for fallen women, wasn't surprising to me. It was still emotional to read about, but what was surprising was the treatment of the girls in these homes and what other girls were forced by their parents to do because it was what they wanted despite what their daughters dreamt of and hoped for in their own lives.
The book starts with Riley, a young woman in New Jersey about to get married and sad because both parents have passed, and her only relative, Grammy, has dementia. But when she goes to visit Grammy, she's having a lucid moment and directs Riley to a shoebox in her closet, which contains knitted baby booties and a birth certificate with Riley's mom's birthday on it but a completely different name. Riley and her fiancé, Sam, go to Ireland to find out what's going on. The story is mostly from a different perspective, though. It takes place in Ireland, from Margaret's point of view, and Margaret suffers a loss before she is forced by her parents into a closed convent.
What I love most about this book is the growth in the characters and their relationships. Riley is pretty static, but again, we don't really get her perspective a lot. She has a good arc over her few chapters, but Margaret's story is very well-developed, taking place over years, and going into detail about her family, her love life, her experiences in the convent and the home for fallen women, along with the people she meets and the changes she makes in and outside of herself.
What made this story even better and worse is the Author's Note, in which Anthony explains what inspired the story and what she learned in her research. It astounds me that she says she withheld some of the worst stories she encountered because the events in the book are horrific enough. One aspect of the story, though, that's positive is one I'm happy to hear was based on a true story. It lifts my heart with joy and hope.
Overall, I strongly recommend this novel. It's not easy to read, and it will likely make you angry and sad, but it's worth it to meet these characters and see how their story plays out. If you enjoy realistic books about human rights and the power of the soul to overcome, you will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy for a review.
I used to watch the TV show Long Lost Family with my parents, so I knew about the homes for fallen women and how the young, pregnant girls were forced into "homes" run by nuns to wait until they gave birth and then were forced to give up their babies, usually not even allowed to hold them. Then, they were just let back into the world after almost a year, expected to act like nothing ever happened and to move on. And I know from watching the show that these women never let go of their first babies or their experiences and how painful and emotional the experiences still were for them, even as they (mostly) got married and had other children. So, that part of this book, about a home for fallen women, wasn't surprising to me. It was still emotional to read about, but what was surprising was the treatment of the girls in these homes and what other girls were forced by their parents to do because it was what they wanted despite what their daughters dreamt of and hoped for in their own lives.
The book starts with Riley, a young woman in New Jersey about to get married and sad because both parents have passed, and her only relative, Grammy, has dementia. But when she goes to visit Grammy, she's having a lucid moment and directs Riley to a shoebox in her closet, which contains knitted baby booties and a birth certificate with Riley's mom's birthday on it but a completely different name. Riley and her fiancé, Sam, go to Ireland to find out what's going on. The story is mostly from a different perspective, though. It takes place in Ireland, from Margaret's point of view, and Margaret suffers a loss before she is forced by her parents into a closed convent.
What I love most about this book is the growth in the characters and their relationships. Riley is pretty static, but again, we don't really get her perspective a lot. She has a good arc over her few chapters, but Margaret's story is very well-developed, taking place over years, and going into detail about her family, her love life, her experiences in the convent and the home for fallen women, along with the people she meets and the changes she makes in and outside of herself.
What made this story even better and worse is the Author's Note, in which Anthony explains what inspired the story and what she learned in her research. It astounds me that she says she withheld some of the worst stories she encountered because the events in the book are horrific enough. One aspect of the story, though, that's positive is one I'm happy to hear was based on a true story. It lifts my heart with joy and hope.
Overall, I strongly recommend this novel. It's not easy to read, and it will likely make you angry and sad, but it's worth it to meet these characters and see how their story plays out. If you enjoy realistic books about human rights and the power of the soul to overcome, you will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy for a review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a historical fiction based on real life events.
It is 2023 and Riley is about to marry Sam. Sam comes from a very large, close knit family. Riley only has her grandmother, who raised her after her parents died when she was 13. Her grandmother is now in a home with dementia. Riley is struggling because of the impending loss of her grandmother. As she visits her one day, her grandmother gives her a box. In the box is a birth certificate for a woman with the same name as Riley's mother,
Margaret lives in Tipperary Ireland. She has just been proposed to by Joseph, and her father has approved the betrothal. Margaret has an older sister and 3 brothers at home. Her father is very involved with the church. Her sister becomes sick and eventually dies. As Margaret is morning the loss of her beloved sister, her life is about to be turned upside down. Her sister had been promised to the church by her father, as many oldest daughters and sons in Ireland were. Now that her sister has died, her father forces Margaret to take her place.
This was a powerful story. It really is Margaret's story, as she becomes one of the nuns that works at the "Laundry". The Laundry was actually the place where pregnant young girls and women were brought to have their baby. Then the babies were sold to wealthy couples, with the church and the priests profiting. The shocking part is that the pregnant girls were forced to do the hard, physical work in the "laundry" with despicable conditions, and much physical and mental abuse from the nuns that ran the place. It was very difficult and heartbreaking to read about this.
Margaret becomes known as "Sister Maggie-Pie". She learns how to work it so that she can help the girls. She eventually learns how to birth babies, and as she continues to witness abuse by the nun, and the visiting priest, she becomes determined to help get the girls out. The girls were allowed to leave the "laundry" after giving birth, but only if an above 18 male from their family came to sign them out. Many families did not want to be embarrassed socially, so there were many girls that were left there.
Maggie-Pie realizes that all the letters that she and the girls have written have NEVER been mailed. She becomes even more determined to help these girls, and with the help of Mr. Dolan who is the caretaker of the nunnery, they make a wonderful plan.
This book is hard. I was unaware of this practice and the "laundries". The author's note at the end of the story is very eye opening. And yet...
Although heartbreaking, this was also a book about courage and resilience. Maggie was able to do what she did because she had grown in her faith, and became a champion for the pushed aside. She saw beauty in all the girls. She helped these girls to find self-worth and hope. While reading this I felt anger, real burning anger, helplessness, sadness, that fleeting hope that something might change and the bravery to at least try. There are also some moments of humor.
And though it is not an easy read, I could not put it down. The author wrote these characters so vividly I felt I was sitting in the laundry with them.
Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
It is 2023 and Riley is about to marry Sam. Sam comes from a very large, close knit family. Riley only has her grandmother, who raised her after her parents died when she was 13. Her grandmother is now in a home with dementia. Riley is struggling because of the impending loss of her grandmother. As she visits her one day, her grandmother gives her a box. In the box is a birth certificate for a woman with the same name as Riley's mother,
Margaret lives in Tipperary Ireland. She has just been proposed to by Joseph, and her father has approved the betrothal. Margaret has an older sister and 3 brothers at home. Her father is very involved with the church. Her sister becomes sick and eventually dies. As Margaret is morning the loss of her beloved sister, her life is about to be turned upside down. Her sister had been promised to the church by her father, as many oldest daughters and sons in Ireland were. Now that her sister has died, her father forces Margaret to take her place.
This was a powerful story. It really is Margaret's story, as she becomes one of the nuns that works at the "Laundry". The Laundry was actually the place where pregnant young girls and women were brought to have their baby. Then the babies were sold to wealthy couples, with the church and the priests profiting. The shocking part is that the pregnant girls were forced to do the hard, physical work in the "laundry" with despicable conditions, and much physical and mental abuse from the nuns that ran the place. It was very difficult and heartbreaking to read about this.
Margaret becomes known as "Sister Maggie-Pie". She learns how to work it so that she can help the girls. She eventually learns how to birth babies, and as she continues to witness abuse by the nun, and the visiting priest, she becomes determined to help get the girls out. The girls were allowed to leave the "laundry" after giving birth, but only if an above 18 male from their family came to sign them out. Many families did not want to be embarrassed socially, so there were many girls that were left there.
Maggie-Pie realizes that all the letters that she and the girls have written have NEVER been mailed. She becomes even more determined to help these girls, and with the help of Mr. Dolan who is the caretaker of the nunnery, they make a wonderful plan.
This book is hard. I was unaware of this practice and the "laundries". The author's note at the end of the story is very eye opening. And yet...
Although heartbreaking, this was also a book about courage and resilience. Maggie was able to do what she did because she had grown in her faith, and became a champion for the pushed aside. She saw beauty in all the girls. She helped these girls to find self-worth and hope. While reading this I felt anger, real burning anger, helplessness, sadness, that fleeting hope that something might change and the bravery to at least try. There are also some moments of humor.
And though it is not an easy read, I could not put it down. The author wrote these characters so vividly I felt I was sitting in the laundry with them.
Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Forgotten Midwife
Laura Anthony
Publication Date: May 12th, 2026
Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books
368 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
This book will break your heart. We have two timelines, and both are sad for different reasons. Riley is getting married and dealing with her grandma's dementia. During a rare moment of clarity, her grandma hands her a birth certificate from the 1950s in Ireland. Riley decides to go there to investigate.
In the second timeline, it is 1954 and Margaret has to leave her boyfriend, Joseph, to become a nun because her sister has passed away. She is sent to a home for "fallen" girls and sees just how terribly these girls are treated. While there, Margaret runs into Delia, her friend's sister, and decides to become her protector.
I have read a lot of books and have seen a lot of movies based on these unwed homes of the past. What makes this one so different is that we get to see the point of view of the women who help run these homes. These girls were so resilient, and Margaret was so brave in trying to help them. Why is it always the female who has to take this situation on? Why are the males never shouldering any blame?
Another way this story was different was the two timelines. Riley is in 2023, and she travels to Ireland to find out about her past and her family's history. I loved the way the past revealed itself and met up with the present. It is handled very well, and the writing style is as captivating as the subject matter; it felt very personal. I know this topic has been done to death, but I can't get enough of it, and the heart of this book makes the usual tropes easy to overlook. The characters were flawed and brave and very realistic and human. I cheered them on, especially when they triumphed.
If you're a fan of historical fiction, I would recommend this for sure; it is very well researched and is filled with raw emotion. I have The Women on Platform Two by this author on my shelf, and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Forgotten Midwife
Laura Anthony
Publication Date: May 12th, 2026
Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books
368 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
This book will break your heart. We have two timelines, and both are sad for different reasons. Riley is getting married and dealing with her grandma's dementia. During a rare moment of clarity, her grandma hands her a birth certificate from the 1950s in Ireland. Riley decides to go there to investigate.
In the second timeline, it is 1954 and Margaret has to leave her boyfriend, Joseph, to become a nun because her sister has passed away. She is sent to a home for "fallen" girls and sees just how terribly these girls are treated. While there, Margaret runs into Delia, her friend's sister, and decides to become her protector.
I have read a lot of books and have seen a lot of movies based on these unwed homes of the past. What makes this one so different is that we get to see the point of view of the women who help run these homes. These girls were so resilient, and Margaret was so brave in trying to help them. Why is it always the female who has to take this situation on? Why are the males never shouldering any blame?
Another way this story was different was the two timelines. Riley is in 2023, and she travels to Ireland to find out about her past and her family's history. I loved the way the past revealed itself and met up with the present. It is handled very well, and the writing style is as captivating as the subject matter; it felt very personal. I know this topic has been done to death, but I can't get enough of it, and the heart of this book makes the usual tropes easy to overlook. The characters were flawed and brave and very realistic and human. I cheered them on, especially when they triumphed.
If you're a fan of historical fiction, I would recommend this for sure; it is very well researched and is filled with raw emotion. I have The Women on Platform Two by this author on my shelf, and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In "The Forgotten Midwife", author Laura Anthony tells a dual timeline story from the perspectives of two different women that are unexpectedly connected.
In present day New Jersey, Riley Carmichael is preparing to get married and the upcoming event encourages her to visit her grandmother Betty, who raised her after her parents passed away. Betty has been diagnosed with dementia however, but during one of the brief moments of lucidity she has, she shares with Riley a pair of infant booties and a birth certificate from Ireland from the 1950s - with a name that Riley has never heard of before but with a birthdate that's identical to her mother's. Determined to find answers, Riley flies to Dublin with her fiance on a journey to understand her mother's true identity - and her own, as well.
In 1954, Margaret is prepared to marry her childhood sweetheart until her oldest sister suddenly passes away after contracting diphtheria and her devout father forces her into the Sisters of Mercy convent to take on the service her sister should have. For Margaret, it's a shattering change, but she soon adjusts to life as a nun, finding solace in friendships with some of the other sisters and the Mother Superior. However, when she's forced to work in the Home for Fallen Girls, a shelter that doubles as a laundry, she's confronted with the truth of what happens to these young girls after they become pregnant, and how poorly treated they are by those that oversee them. Despite the dismal environment and the stringent rules, Margaret quickly teaches herself how to take care of the others during childbirth and crafts a risky plan to try and save them.
I've read a number of novels of late that actually center on these types of homes for young women (The Sunflower House, Where the Girls Were), so appreciated a look in how these had been in Ireland during that time. The novel spends the bulk of the time with Margaret, which I appreciated, and through her storyline, really honed on her spirit and love for others, as well as her sense of justice. On the flipside, I'm not really sure Riley's storyline really contributed much to the novel as she felt like more a surface-level character. The treatment that some of the pregnant girls faced was inhumane and despicable; I'm not sure how much was fictionalized, but might be difficult for some readers. I found the plot to flow well though at times I struggled with the limited sentence structure and prose, and found some of the antagonists and protagonists a little too like caricatures - there was simply "good" or "bad", and very little in-between.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and think many others will as well when "The Forgotten Midwife" is published in May 2026!
In present day New Jersey, Riley Carmichael is preparing to get married and the upcoming event encourages her to visit her grandmother Betty, who raised her after her parents passed away. Betty has been diagnosed with dementia however, but during one of the brief moments of lucidity she has, she shares with Riley a pair of infant booties and a birth certificate from Ireland from the 1950s - with a name that Riley has never heard of before but with a birthdate that's identical to her mother's. Determined to find answers, Riley flies to Dublin with her fiance on a journey to understand her mother's true identity - and her own, as well.
In 1954, Margaret is prepared to marry her childhood sweetheart until her oldest sister suddenly passes away after contracting diphtheria and her devout father forces her into the Sisters of Mercy convent to take on the service her sister should have. For Margaret, it's a shattering change, but she soon adjusts to life as a nun, finding solace in friendships with some of the other sisters and the Mother Superior. However, when she's forced to work in the Home for Fallen Girls, a shelter that doubles as a laundry, she's confronted with the truth of what happens to these young girls after they become pregnant, and how poorly treated they are by those that oversee them. Despite the dismal environment and the stringent rules, Margaret quickly teaches herself how to take care of the others during childbirth and crafts a risky plan to try and save them.
I've read a number of novels of late that actually center on these types of homes for young women (The Sunflower House, Where the Girls Were), so appreciated a look in how these had been in Ireland during that time. The novel spends the bulk of the time with Margaret, which I appreciated, and through her storyline, really honed on her spirit and love for others, as well as her sense of justice. On the flipside, I'm not really sure Riley's storyline really contributed much to the novel as she felt like more a surface-level character. The treatment that some of the pregnant girls faced was inhumane and despicable; I'm not sure how much was fictionalized, but might be difficult for some readers. I found the plot to flow well though at times I struggled with the limited sentence structure and prose, and found some of the antagonists and protagonists a little too like caricatures - there was simply "good" or "bad", and very little in-between.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and think many others will as well when "The Forgotten Midwife" is published in May 2026!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the present-day, Riley is preparing for her wedding to Sam. While he has a large family, her only family member is her grandmother, Betty, who suffers from dementia. During a period of clarity, Betty reveals clues about Riley's long-deceased mother's true heritage. Following this shocking discovery, she and Sam travel from New Jersey to Tipperary, Ireland. The story shifts to 1956. Margaret Lannigan is in love and eagerly awaits marrying Joseph. Her sister Sheila had always known that one day she would uphold the family tradition of the eldest Lannigan daughter devoting herself to the Catholic Church. When Sheila falls ill and dies, Margaret has no choice but to enter the Ballyvale Convent, leaving Joseph and her previous life behind. She discovers that the church runs a home for unwed mothers and is sent there to assist in the care of the "fallen young women" and help with the births. To the community, the building is simply a place where laundry is done. Arrangements are made with mostly American couples who are desperate for a child. In the present, one of the items Riley brought with her is a birth certificate from 1959, which leads her to the family of a woman who had given birth at Ballyvale.
Having loved Laura Anthony's debut novel, The Women on Platform Two, I was prepared for another emotional journey set in Ireland with The Forgotten Midwife. It is a heartbreaking story based on the Magdalene laundries and similar institutions which operated in Ireland, where pregnant, unmarried Catholic girls were sent and hidden to avoid bringing shame to their families. It might not have been known that the girls worked in the laundries right up to giving birth, under terrible conditions. Tragically, some of these young women, mostly teenagers, and their babies did not survive. While this story highlights a horrible chapter in history, it is ultimately a tale of hope and resilience. The mark of good historical fiction is when it leaves you with the desire to learn more. This book will surely encourage delving deeper into this somber part of Irish history, which has inspired numerous books and movies such as the film Philomena.
Many thanks to Gallery Books for the advance of this powerful book.
4.5 stars.
Review to be posted on MicheleReader.com.
Having loved Laura Anthony's debut novel, The Women on Platform Two, I was prepared for another emotional journey set in Ireland with The Forgotten Midwife. It is a heartbreaking story based on the Magdalene laundries and similar institutions which operated in Ireland, where pregnant, unmarried Catholic girls were sent and hidden to avoid bringing shame to their families. It might not have been known that the girls worked in the laundries right up to giving birth, under terrible conditions. Tragically, some of these young women, mostly teenagers, and their babies did not survive. While this story highlights a horrible chapter in history, it is ultimately a tale of hope and resilience. The mark of good historical fiction is when it leaves you with the desire to learn more. This book will surely encourage delving deeper into this somber part of Irish history, which has inspired numerous books and movies such as the film Philomena.
Many thanks to Gallery Books for the advance of this powerful book.
4.5 stars.
Review to be posted on MicheleReader.com.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This beautifully written emotional novel is the second novel by Laura Anthony that I have loved. Her first was The Women on Platform Two. These two novels have put her on automatic buy list and I'm already looking forward to what she writes next.
2023 - Riley's grandmother, Betty, has dementia and on most days she doesn't recognize her granddaughter. Riley had been raised by her grandmother and it's very difficult to deal with her disease. On one of her trips to visit her grandmother, Betty knows who Riley is and gives her a old birth certificate for an unknown baby born in Ireland in the 1950s. Since Riley knew so little about her ancestors, she and her fiancé travel to Ireland to try to find out why Betty had the birth certificate and if there is a connection to Riley.
1954 - Margaret loves life and she loves her boyfriend Joseph and plans to marry him. When her oldest sister dies, she is forced to become a nun because her father had promised the parish priest that his oldest daughter would be dedicated to the church and once the oldest daughter dies, it is Margaret who is forced to replace her. As a nun, she is sent to a home for girls who have gotten pregnant outside of marriage. The church considered this a major sin and the girls are treated terribly. Once their babies are born, the babies are given/sold to couples. The home for girls is a Magdalene Laundry where the girls are forced to work long hours under cruel conditions laundering clothes for local businesses. Margaret is appalled at the treatment that is given to the young pregnant girls and does what she can to help them. However, her hands are tied by the woman who cruelly runs the laundry and the parish priest both of whom feel that the girls should be severely punished for getting pregnant.
Based on true historical events this is an emotional look at the homes where girls were sent to have their babies. I have read other books about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and the US and this one is different because it's told from a nun's point of view - an empathetic nun who wanted to help the girls instead of punishing them. I will admit to some tears while I was reading this book but overall it's a story about the strength of woman even in the worst of circumstances.
2023 - Riley's grandmother, Betty, has dementia and on most days she doesn't recognize her granddaughter. Riley had been raised by her grandmother and it's very difficult to deal with her disease. On one of her trips to visit her grandmother, Betty knows who Riley is and gives her a old birth certificate for an unknown baby born in Ireland in the 1950s. Since Riley knew so little about her ancestors, she and her fiancé travel to Ireland to try to find out why Betty had the birth certificate and if there is a connection to Riley.
1954 - Margaret loves life and she loves her boyfriend Joseph and plans to marry him. When her oldest sister dies, she is forced to become a nun because her father had promised the parish priest that his oldest daughter would be dedicated to the church and once the oldest daughter dies, it is Margaret who is forced to replace her. As a nun, she is sent to a home for girls who have gotten pregnant outside of marriage. The church considered this a major sin and the girls are treated terribly. Once their babies are born, the babies are given/sold to couples. The home for girls is a Magdalene Laundry where the girls are forced to work long hours under cruel conditions laundering clothes for local businesses. Margaret is appalled at the treatment that is given to the young pregnant girls and does what she can to help them. However, her hands are tied by the woman who cruelly runs the laundry and the parish priest both of whom feel that the girls should be severely punished for getting pregnant.
Based on true historical events this is an emotional look at the homes where girls were sent to have their babies. I have read other books about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and the US and this one is different because it's told from a nun's point of view - an empathetic nun who wanted to help the girls instead of punishing them. I will admit to some tears while I was reading this book but overall it's a story about the strength of woman even in the worst of circumstances.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony
📌 Pub Date May 12/26
This is an infuriating book, in the best possible way. Set in 1950’s Ireland it depicts the lack of agency afforded to girls and women, and the devastating reality that they could be forced into closed order convents or “fallen women” homes, essentially being held prisoner.
Margaret is forced by her father and the parish priest to give up her engagement and fulfill a family obligation to become a nun. She is sent to a closed order where her mail is intercepted and all contact with the outside world is forbidden. After taking her vows, she is assigned to serve at a nearby “fallen girls” home. Horrified by the punitive treatment of the girls, recognition that they are not consenting to the adoptions and learning that most will be unable to leave, she sets out to protect them with only her wits, compassion and fierce determination.
The novel also includes a present day timeline involving a birth certificate that Riley’s grandmother gives to her, but due to her dementia, is unable to fully explain.
I was fully invested in Margaret’s story. I was completely unaware of closed orders or that young woman could be forced into religious life. The novel powerfully illustrates the church’s immense control over communities, with families expected to send a quota of children into the priesthood and convents. Anthony vividly portrays how attendance, volunteering, tithing, and shame were used to maintain that control.
While the existence of fallen women homes wasn’t new to me, I was shocked to learn how adoptions became a source of income. Anthony writes compellingly about the brutal conditions and treatment endured by these young women.
This is such a well researched and emotionally compelling novel. The pain of the women will haunt you, lingering long after you put the book down. Anthony balances the heartbreaking injustice with moments of compassion, courage and rebellion through the characters of Margaret, Mr. Dolan and Delia. The present day storyline provides much needed closure and ties the timelines beautifully together, offering hope amid the tragedy experienced by so many girls and babies of that era.
📌 Pub Date May 12/26
This is an infuriating book, in the best possible way. Set in 1950’s Ireland it depicts the lack of agency afforded to girls and women, and the devastating reality that they could be forced into closed order convents or “fallen women” homes, essentially being held prisoner.
Margaret is forced by her father and the parish priest to give up her engagement and fulfill a family obligation to become a nun. She is sent to a closed order where her mail is intercepted and all contact with the outside world is forbidden. After taking her vows, she is assigned to serve at a nearby “fallen girls” home. Horrified by the punitive treatment of the girls, recognition that they are not consenting to the adoptions and learning that most will be unable to leave, she sets out to protect them with only her wits, compassion and fierce determination.
The novel also includes a present day timeline involving a birth certificate that Riley’s grandmother gives to her, but due to her dementia, is unable to fully explain.
I was fully invested in Margaret’s story. I was completely unaware of closed orders or that young woman could be forced into religious life. The novel powerfully illustrates the church’s immense control over communities, with families expected to send a quota of children into the priesthood and convents. Anthony vividly portrays how attendance, volunteering, tithing, and shame were used to maintain that control.
While the existence of fallen women homes wasn’t new to me, I was shocked to learn how adoptions became a source of income. Anthony writes compellingly about the brutal conditions and treatment endured by these young women.
This is such a well researched and emotionally compelling novel. The pain of the women will haunt you, lingering long after you put the book down. Anthony balances the heartbreaking injustice with moments of compassion, courage and rebellion through the characters of Margaret, Mr. Dolan and Delia. The present day storyline provides much needed closure and ties the timelines beautifully together, offering hope amid the tragedy experienced by so many girls and babies of that era.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
History cannot be erased.
This is a story based on true events in Ireland. In 1956, Margaret was grieving after her 21-year-old sister suddenly died. If that wasn’t enough distress, the night after the funeral, she was told by Father Michaels that it was now her duty as the eldest to become a nun and represent the family in the church. Pa agreed with this arrangement and she was rushed away even though he had said yes when Joseph asked if he could marry Margaret. Those dreams were now gone.
There were two timelines. In 2025, Riley and Sam in New Jersey were enthusiastically getting ready for their wedding. Sam had a huge family but Riley’s parents passed and she was raised by her grandmother who now had dementia. However, on a rare afternoon where Grammy was thinking clearly, Riley was given a box with baby booties that belonged to her mother who died when she was young. Attached was a note with an unfamiliar name. Was her mother adopted? Sam and Riley decided to find out if she had a family in Ireland.
Parts are highly disturbing as Margaret discovered that they were admitting teenage pregnant girls and allowing adoptions to families in America in exchange for funds. The girls were forced to work hard as they were also selling laundry services. The most upsetting part was that many people knew this was happening and did nothing about it.
It’s a huge takeaway with situations: when alarming things happen and we do nothing to stop it allowing for corrupt people in power to control the system. It’s happened in history and it’s taking place now. It’s keeps repeating in various forms.
There have been other versions of this story and it’s always shocking to read about this heart-wrenching part of history. Even though there are two timelines, it’s almost all about the past in Ireland as it relates to the manipulation with the Catholic Church. Most we can guess what will occur. It’s well written with the records from the past and memorable with strong character developments. This is a good book for discussions.
My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC with an expected release date of May 12, 2026. The views I share are my own.
This is a story based on true events in Ireland. In 1956, Margaret was grieving after her 21-year-old sister suddenly died. If that wasn’t enough distress, the night after the funeral, she was told by Father Michaels that it was now her duty as the eldest to become a nun and represent the family in the church. Pa agreed with this arrangement and she was rushed away even though he had said yes when Joseph asked if he could marry Margaret. Those dreams were now gone.
There were two timelines. In 2025, Riley and Sam in New Jersey were enthusiastically getting ready for their wedding. Sam had a huge family but Riley’s parents passed and she was raised by her grandmother who now had dementia. However, on a rare afternoon where Grammy was thinking clearly, Riley was given a box with baby booties that belonged to her mother who died when she was young. Attached was a note with an unfamiliar name. Was her mother adopted? Sam and Riley decided to find out if she had a family in Ireland.
Parts are highly disturbing as Margaret discovered that they were admitting teenage pregnant girls and allowing adoptions to families in America in exchange for funds. The girls were forced to work hard as they were also selling laundry services. The most upsetting part was that many people knew this was happening and did nothing about it.
It’s a huge takeaway with situations: when alarming things happen and we do nothing to stop it allowing for corrupt people in power to control the system. It’s happened in history and it’s taking place now. It’s keeps repeating in various forms.
There have been other versions of this story and it’s always shocking to read about this heart-wrenching part of history. Even though there are two timelines, it’s almost all about the past in Ireland as it relates to the manipulation with the Catholic Church. Most we can guess what will occur. It’s well written with the records from the past and memorable with strong character developments. This is a good book for discussions.
My thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC with an expected release date of May 12, 2026. The views I share are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
absolutely phenomenal! laura anthony’s second work under this pseudonym is gripping.
riley is preparing for marriage and she’s mourning the fact that she has no family on her side. the grandmother who raised her is losing her battle with dementia and riley knows that the visits where she is lucid are very far, few, and in between now. in a rare moment of clarity, grandma gives riley a shoe box which contains items that will change her life moving forward. she’s trapped inside her mind again before riley can ask her more questions about the contents.
we meet margaret, a young woman who endures so much hardship in her late teens. now at 20, after the loss of her older sister, she’s forced into a local convent to take the vow of sisterhood. never mind the fact that she doesn’t want to go and is basically engaged to her sweetheart, joseph…she’s forcefully separated from joseph and her family. the life she had been planning is nothing but a distant dream now. the horrors that await her in the convent, and later in the laundry, are astounding.
as the reader, we know this is a work of fiction but, as laura did in her first work, she is telling the true stories of the women of ireland. it’s bad enough that young, unwed mothers were forced to live, work, and give birth in these conditions, but many of the sisters who worked in these homes were forced there, as well. in the closed orders, they were prohibited from leaving the grounds, meaning that their families and friends could be just down the street going about their regular routines while their daughters were experiencing such horrors only a few blocks (or miles) away. folks were told that the young women “ran away” and it was enough to stop the questions from continuing.
the camaraderie between the young mothers and the “good” nuns is so heartwarming. on the other side of the coin, the behaviors inflicted upon the young mothers by the “bad” nuns are atrocious. it was not an easy read but your hearts will both ache and swell for the young women the whole way through.
thank you to gallery books for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.
riley is preparing for marriage and she’s mourning the fact that she has no family on her side. the grandmother who raised her is losing her battle with dementia and riley knows that the visits where she is lucid are very far, few, and in between now. in a rare moment of clarity, grandma gives riley a shoe box which contains items that will change her life moving forward. she’s trapped inside her mind again before riley can ask her more questions about the contents.
we meet margaret, a young woman who endures so much hardship in her late teens. now at 20, after the loss of her older sister, she’s forced into a local convent to take the vow of sisterhood. never mind the fact that she doesn’t want to go and is basically engaged to her sweetheart, joseph…she’s forcefully separated from joseph and her family. the life she had been planning is nothing but a distant dream now. the horrors that await her in the convent, and later in the laundry, are astounding.
as the reader, we know this is a work of fiction but, as laura did in her first work, she is telling the true stories of the women of ireland. it’s bad enough that young, unwed mothers were forced to live, work, and give birth in these conditions, but many of the sisters who worked in these homes were forced there, as well. in the closed orders, they were prohibited from leaving the grounds, meaning that their families and friends could be just down the street going about their regular routines while their daughters were experiencing such horrors only a few blocks (or miles) away. folks were told that the young women “ran away” and it was enough to stop the questions from continuing.
the camaraderie between the young mothers and the “good” nuns is so heartwarming. on the other side of the coin, the behaviors inflicted upon the young mothers by the “bad” nuns are atrocious. it was not an easy read but your hearts will both ache and swell for the young women the whole way through.
thank you to gallery books for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience that follows the life of a young woman consigned to work in a home for “fallen girls” who quickly realizes she must risk everything to protect them.
✦POV: Dual
Riley (2025) wants family. Her Grammy is her last living relative and in a lucid moment, drops the bomb of a mystery birth certificate and pair of knit booties before falling back into her dementia state. She and her fiancé take off to Ireland to get to the bottom of it and the plot gets oh so thick.
Margaret (1956) is happy and planning to marry when her sister dies suddenly. Now the eldest daughter, she’s forced to join the Sisters of Penance in the middle of the night without being able to say goodbye to anyone except her parents.
» Most of the story is about Maggie's experience and god- I was vibrating with anger at everything she endured. I wanted to scream and cry at so many points and pump my fist for her in others. I loved how she made the best of her appalling situation and courageously took opportunities to engage in small acts defiance. My kinda gal 😘
✩ Margaret makes unlikely friends and proves herself invaluable to vulnerable people. Loved her arc and growth!
» I was expecting a bigger ending. It felt like it was building up to something wild but all’s well that ends well, to be fair. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the story overall.
♡ Laura Anthony is gifted at taking historical events and weaving a tale through them that educates and produces visceral emotion. The story is compelling, a bit mysterious, devastating yet hopeful. I was emotionally invested in both their journeys. A solid read!
✨ Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC to review via NetGalley.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ rounded up!
→ Connect with me on Instagram!
✦POV: Dual
Riley (2025) wants family. Her Grammy is her last living relative and in a lucid moment, drops the bomb of a mystery birth certificate and pair of knit booties before falling back into her dementia state. She and her fiancé take off to Ireland to get to the bottom of it and the plot gets oh so thick.
Margaret (1956) is happy and planning to marry when her sister dies suddenly. Now the eldest daughter, she’s forced to join the Sisters of Penance in the middle of the night without being able to say goodbye to anyone except her parents.
» Most of the story is about Maggie's experience and god- I was vibrating with anger at everything she endured. I wanted to scream and cry at so many points and pump my fist for her in others. I loved how she made the best of her appalling situation and courageously took opportunities to engage in small acts defiance. My kinda gal 😘
✩ Margaret makes unlikely friends and proves herself invaluable to vulnerable people. Loved her arc and growth!
» I was expecting a bigger ending. It felt like it was building up to something wild but all’s well that ends well, to be fair. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the story overall.
♡ Laura Anthony is gifted at taking historical events and weaving a tale through them that educates and produces visceral emotion. The story is compelling, a bit mysterious, devastating yet hopeful. I was emotionally invested in both their journeys. A solid read!
❝One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for sorrow, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told.❞
✨ Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC to review via NetGalley.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ rounded up!
→ Connect with me on Instagram!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a richly told tender and evocative story of broken dreams and broken lives. Yet through it all, there remains a glimmer of hope and the goodness of amazing women who care.
Told in a dual timeline, we meet soon to be wed Riley Carmichael in New Jersey, 2023. Orphaned some time ago, she has only her grandmother left, who is quickly slipping away. In a rare lucid moment, grandmother hands Riley a tattered birth certificate from Tipperary, Ireland. Riley is urged to uncover the whereabout of this person and who they may be to her. Looking back to the mid 1950s, we observe the life of Margaret Lannigan, a young woman of a small Irish village, soon to move forward with her life and beau. Her faithful Catholic father is pressured into delivering other plans for Margaret and he promises her to the church. She is eventually assigned to the Home for Fallen Girls where she quickly learns the art of midwifery. Told separately, the lives of Riley and Margaret will eventually entwine. Yet getting there is quite the journey which the reader gets to share.
Author Laura Anthony has woven these two lives into an exquisite and tender story across several decades. It reminds us that it wasn't so long ago that the Catholic church bore a tremendous reach into the private lives of its congregants. The reader is left with so much food for thought.
Although this book is fiction, it is actually based on historical fact regarding the Irish workhouses and homes for unwed mothers. As for the writing, it is good and solid. The scene settings are cinematic in scope and the characters are all well developed. Ms. Anthony's taking of two separate stories and gradually folding them in together is deftly done and beautifully rendered - certainly not an easy feat. All in all, this was a most interesting and informative read.
I am grateful to author Laura Anthony and her publisher Gallery Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: May 12, 2026
Number of Pages: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-1668047415
Told in a dual timeline, we meet soon to be wed Riley Carmichael in New Jersey, 2023. Orphaned some time ago, she has only her grandmother left, who is quickly slipping away. In a rare lucid moment, grandmother hands Riley a tattered birth certificate from Tipperary, Ireland. Riley is urged to uncover the whereabout of this person and who they may be to her. Looking back to the mid 1950s, we observe the life of Margaret Lannigan, a young woman of a small Irish village, soon to move forward with her life and beau. Her faithful Catholic father is pressured into delivering other plans for Margaret and he promises her to the church. She is eventually assigned to the Home for Fallen Girls where she quickly learns the art of midwifery. Told separately, the lives of Riley and Margaret will eventually entwine. Yet getting there is quite the journey which the reader gets to share.
Author Laura Anthony has woven these two lives into an exquisite and tender story across several decades. It reminds us that it wasn't so long ago that the Catholic church bore a tremendous reach into the private lives of its congregants. The reader is left with so much food for thought.
Although this book is fiction, it is actually based on historical fact regarding the Irish workhouses and homes for unwed mothers. As for the writing, it is good and solid. The scene settings are cinematic in scope and the characters are all well developed. Ms. Anthony's taking of two separate stories and gradually folding them in together is deftly done and beautifully rendered - certainly not an easy feat. All in all, this was a most interesting and informative read.
I am grateful to author Laura Anthony and her publisher Gallery Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: May 12, 2026
Number of Pages: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-1668047415
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reading emotional books that tug at your heartstrings can be tough, but when they’re well-crafted and based on real-life events, they can be incredibly important.
I’ve read a few stories about the Magdalene laundries, but this one stands out because it includes the additional story of young women forced into becoming nuns by their families. “The Forgotten Midwife” is a “just one more chapter” kind of book. It tells the story of Margaret, a woman sent to an Irish abbey where her father expects her to join the sisterhood. Margaret is a strong woman, and I really loved her character in this story. She’s not one to shy away from making things right. When she’s eventually sent to the laundry next door to the abbey as a midwife (which she’s completely unprepared for), she soon realizes the horrors that occur there. “Fallen Women,” those who have become pregnant before marriage, are sent there to “take care of the problem.” Essentially, the pregnant young women (some who are only teenagers) are forced to endure forced labor, poor nutrition, and conditions that are harsh and appalling. Once they give birth, their babies are sold without the mother’s consent.
The author paints a very clear picture of the difficult circumstances of the laundry, and the characters come alive. She also weaves a story seamlessly through the main one. A young American woman, Riley, who gets news from her elderly Grandmother that changes her life as she knows it. It brings her to Ireland, and by the end, the two stories easily merge into one.
Reading about these women, as well as Margaret’s own story, broke my heart. Her life was completely different from what she wanted, yet she did what she could to care for these women.
The author’s note at the end is important. It explains why she wrote the story and how she brought real pieces of history into it.
This author is new to me, but I hope she continues to tell such great stories. I really enjoyed reading this and will look for others she has written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
I’ve read a few stories about the Magdalene laundries, but this one stands out because it includes the additional story of young women forced into becoming nuns by their families. “The Forgotten Midwife” is a “just one more chapter” kind of book. It tells the story of Margaret, a woman sent to an Irish abbey where her father expects her to join the sisterhood. Margaret is a strong woman, and I really loved her character in this story. She’s not one to shy away from making things right. When she’s eventually sent to the laundry next door to the abbey as a midwife (which she’s completely unprepared for), she soon realizes the horrors that occur there. “Fallen Women,” those who have become pregnant before marriage, are sent there to “take care of the problem.” Essentially, the pregnant young women (some who are only teenagers) are forced to endure forced labor, poor nutrition, and conditions that are harsh and appalling. Once they give birth, their babies are sold without the mother’s consent.
The author paints a very clear picture of the difficult circumstances of the laundry, and the characters come alive. She also weaves a story seamlessly through the main one. A young American woman, Riley, who gets news from her elderly Grandmother that changes her life as she knows it. It brings her to Ireland, and by the end, the two stories easily merge into one.
Reading about these women, as well as Margaret’s own story, broke my heart. Her life was completely different from what she wanted, yet she did what she could to care for these women.
The author’s note at the end is important. It explains why she wrote the story and how she brought real pieces of history into it.
This author is new to me, but I hope she continues to tell such great stories. I really enjoyed reading this and will look for others she has written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
March 27, 2026
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony
Publishing by Simon and Schuster Canada and Simon and Schuster on May 12th, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Forgotten Midwife is exactly the type of book I’m always searching for. This seems to be the Historical Fiction sub-genre that I love best. Ireland has such a long, interesting and troubling history and I love to learn more about it. Reading about power and radical religion suppressing women’s rights is not easy, but I love hearing about the ways women fought back in any way they could and the camaraderie they create in doing so. It’s always so shocking to read the date that laws in Ireland changed in favour for Women’s Rights and how behind they were from North American (and even Northern Ireland!). Laura Anthony does an excellent job of striking the balance of horror and hope, abuse of power and camaraderie.
This is Laura Anthony’s 2nd historical fiction novel and both have been 5 stars from me. I can’t wait to read what she writes next. This was well written and researched and evokes a lot of emotion. It’s a quick and engrossing read. The Author’s Note is also well worth reading.
📖 Margaret spends her days dreaming of her boyfriend Joseph, and her nights sneaking out to go dancing with him, when tragedy strikes her family and her father and their Priest force her to go to a convent and become a nun, stealing away the life she saw for herself. After angering the Priest years later, she is sent to serve across the street at what she believes to be a laundry, but proves to be a sweatshop for fathers to send their unwed and pregnant young daughters, in exchange for their babies adoption.
I’ve read several books that highlight the houses of horrors, or what’s better known as Homes for Unwed Mothers and Babies and this is one I highly recommend along with Looking for Jane, Only the Beautiful, The Christie Affair, Keeper of Lost Children. House of Eve is high up on my tbr in this subgenre as well.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for my copy of The Forgotten Midwife in exchange for an honest review.
Publishing by Simon and Schuster Canada and Simon and Schuster on May 12th, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Forgotten Midwife is exactly the type of book I’m always searching for. This seems to be the Historical Fiction sub-genre that I love best. Ireland has such a long, interesting and troubling history and I love to learn more about it. Reading about power and radical religion suppressing women’s rights is not easy, but I love hearing about the ways women fought back in any way they could and the camaraderie they create in doing so. It’s always so shocking to read the date that laws in Ireland changed in favour for Women’s Rights and how behind they were from North American (and even Northern Ireland!). Laura Anthony does an excellent job of striking the balance of horror and hope, abuse of power and camaraderie.
This is Laura Anthony’s 2nd historical fiction novel and both have been 5 stars from me. I can’t wait to read what she writes next. This was well written and researched and evokes a lot of emotion. It’s a quick and engrossing read. The Author’s Note is also well worth reading.
📖 Margaret spends her days dreaming of her boyfriend Joseph, and her nights sneaking out to go dancing with him, when tragedy strikes her family and her father and their Priest force her to go to a convent and become a nun, stealing away the life she saw for herself. After angering the Priest years later, she is sent to serve across the street at what she believes to be a laundry, but proves to be a sweatshop for fathers to send their unwed and pregnant young daughters, in exchange for their babies adoption.
I’ve read several books that highlight the houses of horrors, or what’s better known as Homes for Unwed Mothers and Babies and this is one I highly recommend along with Looking for Jane, Only the Beautiful, The Christie Affair, Keeper of Lost Children. House of Eve is high up on my tbr in this subgenre as well.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for my copy of The Forgotten Midwife in exchange for an honest review.
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