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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
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Laura Anthony
2 books534 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 518 reviews
May 21, 2026
The story starts in current time. A woman, about to get married, visits her granny in a home. She discovers a pair of booties and a birth certificate. And so begins her search on what happened to this infant.
Flashback to 1956. Margaret’s sister dies of diphtheria. With this death, Margaret becomes the first born daughter: which meant, in Ireland, you are chosen to become a nun. This upturns Margaret’s life plan of having her own family with the boy she has come to love.
But Margaret finds purpose to her new life. She becomes a midwife at the home for fallen girls. She tries her best to protect these disgraced girls from the evil matron and father.
This is a story that will enrage you against the Catholic church and its unchecked policies. First born sons becoming priests; first born daughters to become nuns. The abuse that took place in these homes for these unwed girls as well as the illegal sale of their babies.
Margaret, a rebellious woman, was defiant of the ways although stuck because of them. But she never gave up in being a comfort to these girls.
The most frightening aspect of this story was these places even existed.
Themes of family, religion, abuse.
5⭐️
I will need to check out Anthony's The Women on Platform Two
Flashback to 1956. Margaret’s sister dies of diphtheria. With this death, Margaret becomes the first born daughter: which meant, in Ireland, you are chosen to become a nun. This upturns Margaret’s life plan of having her own family with the boy she has come to love.
But Margaret finds purpose to her new life. She becomes a midwife at the home for fallen girls. She tries her best to protect these disgraced girls from the evil matron and father.
This is a story that will enrage you against the Catholic church and its unchecked policies. First born sons becoming priests; first born daughters to become nuns. The abuse that took place in these homes for these unwed girls as well as the illegal sale of their babies.
Margaret, a rebellious woman, was defiant of the ways although stuck because of them. But she never gave up in being a comfort to these girls.
The most frightening aspect of this story was these places even existed.
Themes of family, religion, abuse.
5⭐️
I will need to check out Anthony's The Women on Platform Two
May 23, 2026
4.5 stars
***This book does not put the Catholic Church in a good light.***
This was a dual timeline story set mostly in Ireland, as a young woman, Riley Carmichael through a birth certificate found with her beloved grammy, sets in motion a search for identity and family. Unfortunately, grammy is suffering from Alheimer's and only has short periods of lucidity and can't explain the certificate or the green booties.
This sets Riley on a quest to Ireland to find her roots.
In 1954, we met Margaret Lannigan whose is engaged to the love of her life, and surely enjoys the life she has. When Margaret's older sister dies, Margaret becomes the oldest sister and is forced by her strict Catholic father and the local priest (who I came to despise), to enter the convent, because all the oldest Lannigan girls did.
Margaret is sent to a home for pregnant girls where these young girls were not married and a disgrace to both the families and the church. Margaret does her best to nurture these poor girls who were treated deplorably by both the sister matron and the priest who sent Margaret away, while still pining for her Joseph.
It was such an amazing book relating historically based facts that these women were forced to live under. It made me shudder often as descriptions of treatment and birth were given funded by cruelty harsh treatment.
Margaret does what she can becoming a midwife and both a confident and consoler to the girls and eventually aided by an unlikely person.
Truly an eye opening story and one that was in our time now, to understand. Yet this happened in many places in Ireland and many adoptions there were because the babies were taken from their mothers.
This was a book that I definitely recommend and one that will leave you with a sense of thank God, we live in the times we do.
***This book does not put the Catholic Church in a good light.***
This was a dual timeline story set mostly in Ireland, as a young woman, Riley Carmichael through a birth certificate found with her beloved grammy, sets in motion a search for identity and family. Unfortunately, grammy is suffering from Alheimer's and only has short periods of lucidity and can't explain the certificate or the green booties.
This sets Riley on a quest to Ireland to find her roots.
In 1954, we met Margaret Lannigan whose is engaged to the love of her life, and surely enjoys the life she has. When Margaret's older sister dies, Margaret becomes the oldest sister and is forced by her strict Catholic father and the local priest (who I came to despise), to enter the convent, because all the oldest Lannigan girls did.
Margaret is sent to a home for pregnant girls where these young girls were not married and a disgrace to both the families and the church. Margaret does her best to nurture these poor girls who were treated deplorably by both the sister matron and the priest who sent Margaret away, while still pining for her Joseph.
It was such an amazing book relating historically based facts that these women were forced to live under. It made me shudder often as descriptions of treatment and birth were given funded by cruelty harsh treatment.
Margaret does what she can becoming a midwife and both a confident and consoler to the girls and eventually aided by an unlikely person.
Truly an eye opening story and one that was in our time now, to understand. Yet this happened in many places in Ireland and many adoptions there were because the babies were taken from their mothers.
This was a book that I definitely recommend and one that will leave you with a sense of thank God, we live in the times we do.
June 6, 2026
The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony is a moving and thought-provoking historical novel that uses a dual timeline to explore the enduring impact of women’s healthcare struggles across generations. The story seamlessly connects past and present, following characters who face difficult choices, social pressures, and personal sacrifices while fighting for the right to provide and receive compassionate care. Anthony’s vivid writing and well-developed characters bring emotional depth to the narrative, making their challenges feel both authentic and relatable. Richly researched and emotionally engaging, the novel sheds light on an overlooked chapter of history while highlighting themes of resilience, courage, and the power of women supporting one another. An absorbing and memorable read, it will appeal to fans of historical fiction with strong female characters and meaningful social themes.
Thank you to Gallery Books for allowing me to read the digital version of The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Gallery Books for allowing me to read the digital version of The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I highly recommend this book.
May 29, 2026
Really lovely story!
The middle was pretty slow, but the ending made up for it!
The middle was pretty slow, but the ending made up for it!
May 18, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | 4.5 stars rounded up
WHEWWW what a devastating and important book.
I was deeply impacted by both Riley's and Margaret's stories, but I fell in love with Margaret. Her refusal to surrender in the face of injustice, whether it was inflicted upon her or someone else, was depicted so well that I felt like I was in the book alongside her. I loved how the author injected moments, which offered a quick gulp of air in a world that was suffocating to read about in the very best way.
I had NO idea about the Madgelene Laundries and how girls/young women would essentially be kidnapped and sent to closed covents before I read this, and Laura Anthony did a truly phenomenal job presenting the horrors of what so many girls and young women went throughout while honoring them and their resilience. I really appreciated how Anthony offered a scathing critique of the instiutions responsible for these heinous acts without condemning the Catholic religion altogether - a difficult line to talk.
I do wish that we got just a bit more of Riley's story. Because the book is about 75% Margaret, as Riley felt just a bit shallow in comparison.
Overall, what a phenomenal and heartbreaking story. So grateful that I've read it.
Thank you so much to Gallery to the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
WHEWWW what a devastating and important book.
I was deeply impacted by both Riley's and Margaret's stories, but I fell in love with Margaret. Her refusal to surrender in the face of injustice, whether it was inflicted upon her or someone else, was depicted so well that I felt like I was in the book alongside her. I loved how the author injected moments, which offered a quick gulp of air in a world that was suffocating to read about in the very best way.
I had NO idea about the Madgelene Laundries and how girls/young women would essentially be kidnapped and sent to closed covents before I read this, and Laura Anthony did a truly phenomenal job presenting the horrors of what so many girls and young women went throughout while honoring them and their resilience. I really appreciated how Anthony offered a scathing critique of the instiutions responsible for these heinous acts without condemning the Catholic religion altogether - a difficult line to talk.
I do wish that we got just a bit more of Riley's story. Because the book is about 75% Margaret, as Riley felt just a bit shallow in comparison.
Overall, what a phenomenal and heartbreaking story. So grateful that I've read it.
Thank you so much to Gallery to the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
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.
June 7, 2026
THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE
By Laura Anthony
Narrated by Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth
A Heartbreaking Chapter of Irish History
THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE is a dual-timeline historical novel set in present-day New Jersey and 1950s Ireland. As Riley searches for answers about a mysterious birth certificate discovered among her grandmother’s belongings, she uncovers a hidden family connection to Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes. In the past, Margaret is forced into convent life and witnesses the harsh treatment of unmarried pregnant women, leading her to risk everything to protect a vulnerable young mother and child. Inspired by real events, this is a moving story of family secrets, resilience, friendship, and the enduring strength of women.
I found the present-day chapters featuring Riley less compelling than Margaret’s story, which begins in 1956. Margaret’s storyline is the emotional heart of the novel, and it is impossible not to feel for her and the many young women who were forced into convent life or sent to the Magdalene Laundries—institutions for so-called “fallen women.”
This is another tragic chapter in history that never should have happened. What is especially shocking is that the last Magdalene Laundry in Ireland did not close until 1996. Many readers may already be familiar with these institutions through other books, but each time I read about them, I am reminded of the suffering endured by these women and children and the failures of the systems that allowed it to continue.
Anthony’s writing is warm, compassionate, and highly readable. While the novel tackles painful historical events, it balances heartbreak with hope, creating an emotionally engaging story that shines a light on the strength and resilience of women.
The audiobook narration is character-driven and heartfelt rather than theatrical. Maeve Smyth’s Irish accent and character voices add authenticity and emotional depth to the 1950s timeline, while Helen Laser effectively captures Riley’s modern-day perspective. Together, they bring Margaret’s and Riley’s stories to life and make for an engaging listening experience.
By Laura Anthony
Narrated by Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth
A Heartbreaking Chapter of Irish History
THE FORGOTTEN MIDWIFE is a dual-timeline historical novel set in present-day New Jersey and 1950s Ireland. As Riley searches for answers about a mysterious birth certificate discovered among her grandmother’s belongings, she uncovers a hidden family connection to Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes. In the past, Margaret is forced into convent life and witnesses the harsh treatment of unmarried pregnant women, leading her to risk everything to protect a vulnerable young mother and child. Inspired by real events, this is a moving story of family secrets, resilience, friendship, and the enduring strength of women.
I found the present-day chapters featuring Riley less compelling than Margaret’s story, which begins in 1956. Margaret’s storyline is the emotional heart of the novel, and it is impossible not to feel for her and the many young women who were forced into convent life or sent to the Magdalene Laundries—institutions for so-called “fallen women.”
This is another tragic chapter in history that never should have happened. What is especially shocking is that the last Magdalene Laundry in Ireland did not close until 1996. Many readers may already be familiar with these institutions through other books, but each time I read about them, I am reminded of the suffering endured by these women and children and the failures of the systems that allowed it to continue.
Anthony’s writing is warm, compassionate, and highly readable. While the novel tackles painful historical events, it balances heartbreak with hope, creating an emotionally engaging story that shines a light on the strength and resilience of women.
The audiobook narration is character-driven and heartfelt rather than theatrical. Maeve Smyth’s Irish accent and character voices add authenticity and emotional depth to the 1950s timeline, while Helen Laser effectively captures Riley’s modern-day perspective. Together, they bring Margaret’s and Riley’s stories to life and make for an engaging listening experience.
May 21, 2026
4 stars Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC and Netgalley for the download. Published May 12, 2026.
This is a dual timeline story - Margaret in 1954 Ireland and Riley in New Jersey in 2023. Both story lines are good and when they converge the explanation is solid. This is based on real life historical events. This story will remind you of Ireland's Magdalene laundries, where young girls were shipped and used as slave labor in their laundries. Riley is looking for answers in Ireland - thanks to her Granny and Margaret is sent to the Sisters of Mercy nuns - a closed cloister - against her will.
Anthony's writing style is easy to read and this story pulls you in very quickly. What I liked about this dual story line was that it does not go back and forth at each chapter. You read about one of the women for a length of time, then switch to the other woman. For only the second novel that Anthony has written she did really good job of wrapping up the story.
I recommend this book.
This is a dual timeline story - Margaret in 1954 Ireland and Riley in New Jersey in 2023. Both story lines are good and when they converge the explanation is solid. This is based on real life historical events. This story will remind you of Ireland's Magdalene laundries, where young girls were shipped and used as slave labor in their laundries. Riley is looking for answers in Ireland - thanks to her Granny and Margaret is sent to the Sisters of Mercy nuns - a closed cloister - against her will.
Anthony's writing style is easy to read and this story pulls you in very quickly. What I liked about this dual story line was that it does not go back and forth at each chapter. You read about one of the women for a length of time, then switch to the other woman. For only the second novel that Anthony has written she did really good job of wrapping up the story.
I recommend this book.
June 15, 2026
The Forgotten Midwife is a historical fiction novel set in dual timelines: 1950s Ireland and present-day New Jersey. It is based on the true history of Ireland's Magdalene laundries. A young woman is forced into a convent and becomes a midwife for unwed mothers, even though she is untrained for the job.
This book explores themes of sisterhood, family secrets, resilience, friendship, found family, and the fight against oppressive authority.
This book was so well-written and so bone chilling, especially when you go down the rabbit hole and discover some of horrors that the women who lived in the Magdalene laundries actually endured.
This book explores themes of sisterhood, family secrets, resilience, friendship, found family, and the fight against oppressive authority.
This book was so well-written and so bone chilling, especially when you go down the rabbit hole and discover some of horrors that the women who lived in the Magdalene laundries actually endured.
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.
May 15, 2026
A truly breathtaking and heart wrenching tale of women imprisoned by a system that took their dignity.
A duel timeline story, we follow Riley in present day. Her beloved Grammy has dementia and is in her last days. She is about to be wed to a wonderful man with a big loving family. Because Riley’s parents died when she was a child, her Grammy raised her. Then Grammy gives her a birth certificate of Mary Kate O’Rourke who was born in Ireland on the exact date of her mother’s birth.
This is where Ireland in the 1950’s takes over the story; of Margaret who comes from a large Irish Catholic family and is thrilled when her beau John asks her father for his blessing to marry her. Things fall apart when her older sister Sylvia dies of Diphtheria having missed the vaccine. Now Margaret must enter the nunnery in her sister’s place.
This is just the first of a plethora of injustices. The nuns have a Magdalene laundry. They have teenage “wayward girls” who stay during pregnancy. The girls are forced to labor and then their work is sold to commercial businesses. The babies are sold to rich people and the girls have no say whatsoever. The violations over the women’s agency are truly horrifying. It’s amazing that this happened not so long ago.
I really loved Margaret;’she was a very compelling main character. I found her to be charming, smart and adaptable. I loved how the women came together to save each other and how Margaret made this her holy discontent and, ultimately, her calling. This is one of those stories of historical fiction that reminds us why we read historical fiction. To remember and know that these are stories that deserve to be told.
A duel timeline story, we follow Riley in present day. Her beloved Grammy has dementia and is in her last days. She is about to be wed to a wonderful man with a big loving family. Because Riley’s parents died when she was a child, her Grammy raised her. Then Grammy gives her a birth certificate of Mary Kate O’Rourke who was born in Ireland on the exact date of her mother’s birth.
This is where Ireland in the 1950’s takes over the story; of Margaret who comes from a large Irish Catholic family and is thrilled when her beau John asks her father for his blessing to marry her. Things fall apart when her older sister Sylvia dies of Diphtheria having missed the vaccine. Now Margaret must enter the nunnery in her sister’s place.
This is just the first of a plethora of injustices. The nuns have a Magdalene laundry. They have teenage “wayward girls” who stay during pregnancy. The girls are forced to labor and then their work is sold to commercial businesses. The babies are sold to rich people and the girls have no say whatsoever. The violations over the women’s agency are truly horrifying. It’s amazing that this happened not so long ago.
I really loved Margaret;’she was a very compelling main character. I found her to be charming, smart and adaptable. I loved how the women came together to save each other and how Margaret made this her holy discontent and, ultimately, her calling. This is one of those stories of historical fiction that reminds us why we read historical fiction. To remember and know that these are stories that deserve to be told.
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!
May 20, 2026
4.5/5 stars
This book is an excellent example of what I enjoy most about historical fiction. It has a basis in true events, which sparked the idea of the story for the author.
It’s a dual timeline book set in present day New Jersey and 1950s Ireland. I have to say that the 1950s timeline which is predominant in the book was the most compelling for me, yet I loved the way that the two tied together.
Due to a profoundly sad family situation that no one had expected, Margaret is forced to become a nun. Her hopes and dreams of marriage and a family are dashed. She misses her family deeply and the life she had envisioned. She ends up working as a birthing specialist in a home for ‘fallen women’.
Some aspects of the book are reminiscent of The Magdalen Laundries, where young girls in Ireland were forced to work under difficult and often cruel conditions. Some parts of the story here were absolutely heartbreaking. 💔
I loved the Irish accent as narrated by Maeve Smyth and I would highly recommend the audio. It was a stark contrast from the modern day timeline narration. Laser is a wonderful narrator though.
The author does a beautiful job creating a picture in your mind of this place and time. And although some parts are hard to read, and some will likely make you angry, it is also hopeful, with examples of the strength of women and endurance of the human spirit. I would highly recommend this impactful book. It is a new favorite.
This book is an excellent example of what I enjoy most about historical fiction. It has a basis in true events, which sparked the idea of the story for the author.
It’s a dual timeline book set in present day New Jersey and 1950s Ireland. I have to say that the 1950s timeline which is predominant in the book was the most compelling for me, yet I loved the way that the two tied together.
Due to a profoundly sad family situation that no one had expected, Margaret is forced to become a nun. Her hopes and dreams of marriage and a family are dashed. She misses her family deeply and the life she had envisioned. She ends up working as a birthing specialist in a home for ‘fallen women’.
Some aspects of the book are reminiscent of The Magdalen Laundries, where young girls in Ireland were forced to work under difficult and often cruel conditions. Some parts of the story here were absolutely heartbreaking. 💔
I loved the Irish accent as narrated by Maeve Smyth and I would highly recommend the audio. It was a stark contrast from the modern day timeline narration. Laser is a wonderful narrator though.
The author does a beautiful job creating a picture in your mind of this place and time. And although some parts are hard to read, and some will likely make you angry, it is also hopeful, with examples of the strength of women and endurance of the human spirit. I would highly recommend this impactful book. It is a new favorite.
May 15, 2026
Laura Anthony delivers another powerful historical fiction novel shedding light on a little known part of Ireland's dark history. I loved The women on platform 2 about Irish unwed mothers and this latest dual timeline novel focuses on the lives of women forced to join the convent, in this case Margaret Lannigan, a young woman who is torn from her family and the man she wanted to marry to live in a closed Convent that sells the babies of unwed mothers to couples in America.
Told in alternating timelines, we follow Riley Carmichael, a New Jersey woman planning her wedding whose grandmother with Alzheimer's shares that her dead mother was adopted and came from Ireland. With little to go on besides her mother's birth date and name, Riley travels to Ireland to find out just what happened.
Riveting and unputdownable, I loved how the author sucks you into this story right away and I had to find out how Margaret's sad story ended. Great on audio and sure to be one of the standout reads for me this year! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
Told in alternating timelines, we follow Riley Carmichael, a New Jersey woman planning her wedding whose grandmother with Alzheimer's shares that her dead mother was adopted and came from Ireland. With little to go on besides her mother's birth date and name, Riley travels to Ireland to find out just what happened.
Riveting and unputdownable, I loved how the author sucks you into this story right away and I had to find out how Margaret's sad story ended. Great on audio and sure to be one of the standout reads for me this year! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 17, 2026
4.5 stars. Excellent. Audio was fantastic. 🎧
June 16, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
What an emotional and powerful historical fiction novel.
I had to sit with my thoughts for a while before writing this review because this story left a lasting impression on me.
Told through dual timelines, the novel follows Riley in 2023 as she uncovers long-buried family secrets while caring for her grandmother, secrets that connect her to a painful chapter of Irish history. In 1950s Ireland, Margaret is forced to join a convent and work in a Mother and Baby Home, where she witnesses firsthand the cruelty and injustice inflicted upon vulnerable women.
The beautiful writing pulled me in completely from the very first page. This is a fascinating, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful novel that shines a light on a dark period in Ireland's history that I admittedly knew nothing about. Through the Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries, the author explores the devastating consequences of a system that controlled and punished women while hiding corruption behind religious institutions. Keep in mind that the book includes discussions of corruption within the Catholic Church.
I admired Margaret's strength, determination, and unwavering compassion as she fought to help women who had been silenced and mistreated by an oppressive and cruel system. Her courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles was inspiring and gave the novel its hopeful heart.
The book explores family secrets, love and loss, friendship, resilience, courage, and the enduring strength of women who refused to give up despite unimaginable circumstances. At times it was devastating to read, especially knowing that much of the history that inspired it is real, but it was also deeply moving and impactful.
Compelling, unforgettable, and emotionally powerful, The Forgotten Midwife is the kind of historical fiction that educates as much as it entertains. It broke my heart, opened my eyes, and reminded me of the power of courage and hope even in the darkest of times.
What an emotional and powerful historical fiction novel.
I had to sit with my thoughts for a while before writing this review because this story left a lasting impression on me.
Told through dual timelines, the novel follows Riley in 2023 as she uncovers long-buried family secrets while caring for her grandmother, secrets that connect her to a painful chapter of Irish history. In 1950s Ireland, Margaret is forced to join a convent and work in a Mother and Baby Home, where she witnesses firsthand the cruelty and injustice inflicted upon vulnerable women.
The beautiful writing pulled me in completely from the very first page. This is a fascinating, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful novel that shines a light on a dark period in Ireland's history that I admittedly knew nothing about. Through the Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries, the author explores the devastating consequences of a system that controlled and punished women while hiding corruption behind religious institutions. Keep in mind that the book includes discussions of corruption within the Catholic Church.
I admired Margaret's strength, determination, and unwavering compassion as she fought to help women who had been silenced and mistreated by an oppressive and cruel system. Her courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles was inspiring and gave the novel its hopeful heart.
The book explores family secrets, love and loss, friendship, resilience, courage, and the enduring strength of women who refused to give up despite unimaginable circumstances. At times it was devastating to read, especially knowing that much of the history that inspired it is real, but it was also deeply moving and impactful.
Compelling, unforgettable, and emotionally powerful, The Forgotten Midwife is the kind of historical fiction that educates as much as it entertains. It broke my heart, opened my eyes, and reminded me of the power of courage and hope even in the darkest of times.
May 30, 2026
This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking novel that I couldn’t put down. It is the second novel by Laura Anthony that I have loved. Her first was The Women on Platform Two. Based on true historical events this is an emotional look at the horrors of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland where young, unmarried pregnant girls were sent. While the existence of these “homes” wasn’t new to me, I was shocked to learn how adoptions became a source of income for the Church. The author writes compellingly about the brutal conditions and the treatment endured by these young women. The physical and emotional pain they experienced will haunt you, lingering long after you put the book down. Laura Anthony balances the heartbreaking injustice with wonderful moments of compassion, courage and rebellion through the characters of Margaret, Mr. Dolan and Delia.Told in dual timelines, the present day storyline provides the perfect closure and offers hope amid the tragedy experienced. 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. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Jen for another fabulous recommendation!
June 1, 2026
4.5⭐️
Another win for “Bookstagram made me do it!” I have been craving a compelling historical fiction novel, and this one satisfied that craving.
🥰This will be on my list of favorite historical fiction books of 2026. I love learning about little-known pieces of the past, and I was wholly unaware of the homes for “fallen girls” in Ireland.
This was my first book by Anthony (a pseudonym, by the way), and I really enjoyed her writing and storytelling. The Women on Platform Two is on my TBR!
🤷♀️Why not five stars?
I’m nitpicking, but a couple of the characters were very one-dimensional. I prefer antagonists to be complex.
🤔Bottom line: If you love historical fiction set in Ireland, stories with a strong female protagonist, or books exploring themes of corruption and justice for vulnerable women, this is for you.
✝️A note for Catholic readers: Corruption in the Catholic Church is a central plot line. If you’re sensitive to that topic, this might not be for you.
🎧While I primarily read this in print, I did listen to a few chapters on Spotify, and the audio narration was phenomenal.
⚠️Profanity: 1/5 (one f-word and a few other instances of mild profanity)
Sexual: none
Other: Instances of extreme cruelty, death of an infant and death of a mother in childbirth
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.
June 6, 2026
3.5⭐️
This was equal parts infuriating and heartbreaking. Told with a past/present timeline with Riley in the present "discovering" the past, where Margaret was living in rural Ireland and then a convent. Riley's part was honestly sort of redundant? Like it was so minimal it didn't even need to be included in my opinion. It's like it was only there so that the author could show us what happened in Margaret's future, which honestly felt a little unrealistic.
This was equal parts infuriating and heartbreaking. Told with a past/present timeline with Riley in the present "discovering" the past, where Margaret was living in rural Ireland and then a convent. Riley's part was honestly sort of redundant? Like it was so minimal it didn't even need to be included in my opinion. It's like it was only there so that the author could show us what happened in Margaret's future, which honestly felt a little unrealistic.
June 20, 2026
4.75 🌟 The HF story about The Forgotten Maggie’s and the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.
I feel ashamed to be Catholic and that this abuse went on till 1996. The Church in Ireland had a lot of power and learning what the priests and nuns did to abuse that power, is sickening.
I also didn’t know about the pressure from your own parents to become priests and nuns and the 1st born rule.
I didn’t care for Riley’s character in the book and that’s what is preventing me for rating it 5 stars. I loved Margaret.
I feel ashamed to be Catholic and that this abuse went on till 1996. The Church in Ireland had a lot of power and learning what the priests and nuns did to abuse that power, is sickening.
I also didn’t know about the pressure from your own parents to become priests and nuns and the 1st born rule.
I didn’t care for Riley’s character in the book and that’s what is preventing me for rating it 5 stars. I loved Margaret.
May 15, 2026
~This book was SO GOOD! It grabbed me right from the first page and I was invested the whole way through. I loved her previous book, The Women on Platform Two, just as much. Both of them are a definite five stars for me. We get dual timelines. The current timeline in the US, and the 1950’s Ireland. It's very evident that the author has definitely done her research. The cruelty that went on at these churches at the hands of Nuns was appalling and infuriating. A hard book to read , but so worth it. When I read historical fiction books this good, it just makes me want to pick up more of them. This will be a fav for me this year. It was excellent on audio. The narrator's performance was expressive and engaging.
Thank you to the publisher, Libro fm and netgalley for the gifted copy.
Thank you to the publisher, Libro fm and netgalley for the gifted copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2026
4.25⭐️
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZz9bM2kbGq/
.☘︎ ݁˖ Thank you @abqlibrary @libbyapp for the loan of this book ♡
I loved the author's prior book, The Women on Platform 2 so was eager to read The Forgotten Midwife.
I spent most of the book enraged for the “fallen girls” (unwed pregnant young women and girls), and the horrors that befell them in 1950-60s Ireland. This is not so different from the rest of the world, and I've read other books that highlight these traumas, to include Witchcraft for Wayward Girls from Grady Hendrix, which focuses on similar temporary "homes" within the US.
As expected, Laura Anthony is a strong storyteller, and doesn't fail to jerk the heartstrings.
One small grievance: it should be noted there are no actual midwives in the book. The nuns catch babies without any training whatsoever other than "on the job" trial and error. Of course this resulted in inadequate care and many avoidable deaths of both mother and baby.
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။|• 🎧 I always love Helen Laser, but Maeve Smyth’s voice shines here as Maggie’s POV. I would recommend this on audio format, very easy listening (other than the horrors that befell all these women).
https://www.instagram.com/p/DZz9bM2kbGq/
.☘︎ ݁˖ Thank you @abqlibrary @libbyapp for the loan of this book ♡
I loved the author's prior book, The Women on Platform 2 so was eager to read The Forgotten Midwife.
I spent most of the book enraged for the “fallen girls” (unwed pregnant young women and girls), and the horrors that befell them in 1950-60s Ireland. This is not so different from the rest of the world, and I've read other books that highlight these traumas, to include Witchcraft for Wayward Girls from Grady Hendrix, which focuses on similar temporary "homes" within the US.
As expected, Laura Anthony is a strong storyteller, and doesn't fail to jerk the heartstrings.
One small grievance: it should be noted there are no actual midwives in the book. The nuns catch babies without any training whatsoever other than "on the job" trial and error. Of course this resulted in inadequate care and many avoidable deaths of both mother and baby.
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။|• 🎧 I always love Helen Laser, but Maeve Smyth’s voice shines here as Maggie’s POV. I would recommend this on audio format, very easy listening (other than the horrors that befell all these women).
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 17, 2026
I continue to pick up books about Ireland’s mother and baby homes and the treatment of unwed mothers during that time period, and every single one makes me furious all over again. I can’t seem to stop reading them though, especially when they’re done well.
This follows a dual timeline, but Margaret’s story in 1950s Ireland was easily the one I was most invested in. She was such a smart, compassionate, deeply lovable character, and I loved watching her step into being a protector and caretaker for these young women when so many people around them failed them.
That was easily my favorite part of this book. Margaret was incredibly easy to root for, and her character development really made this story work for me.
I blew through the audiobook in one day because I couldn’t stop listening. It was fantastic, and Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth did such a great job with the narration.
And then I got to the author’s note and realized Laura Anthony also wrote The Women on Platform Two, which I also loved, and it made perfect sense. She’s officially an auto-read author for me now.
This follows a dual timeline, but Margaret’s story in 1950s Ireland was easily the one I was most invested in. She was such a smart, compassionate, deeply lovable character, and I loved watching her step into being a protector and caretaker for these young women when so many people around them failed them.
That was easily my favorite part of this book. Margaret was incredibly easy to root for, and her character development really made this story work for me.
I blew through the audiobook in one day because I couldn’t stop listening. It was fantastic, and Helen Laser and Maeve Smyth did such a great job with the narration.
And then I got to the author’s note and realized Laura Anthony also wrote The Women on Platform Two, which I also loved, and it made perfect sense. She’s officially an auto-read author for me now.
May 22, 2026
This was such an absorbing story. It brought out many thought-provoking feelings of how women were treated in years past by getting pregnant with no promise of marriage. I particularly liked the manner in which the girls imprisoned in the Home for Fallen Girls supported one another and within their capacity to still believe in a brighter future.
May 29, 2026
Written by the author of The Women on Platform Two, this is another historical fiction about Ireland. It is the story of the Magdalene Laundries and the absolutely horrific Catholic church’s dealings with pregnant women in Ireland - and not all that long ago. It is deeply disturbing but important that the history is recognized, acknowledged and never forgotten. I listened to audio version on Libby
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 20, 2026
I loved The Women on Platform Two by this author, it was one of my favorite reads of last year. So I had high hopes for this new historical fiction release. While this story was solid, I wasn’t as invested as I was the previous book from the author, so overall this one wasn’t everything I hoped it would be.
This is a historical fiction that focuses on the Magdalene Laundries, and the atrocities that went on with the mother and baby homes in Ireland (specifically in 1950s for this book). We get dual timeline (sorta, definitely wanted more back and forth). Riley is in New Jersey and getting ready for her marriage in present day. She goes to visit her beloved grandmother Betty, her only living relative who also has late-stage dementia. While visiting, Betty has a moment of being in the present with Riley and is sharing a box of old memories with her, which is where Riley finds an old birth certificate from Ireland. It prompts her to travel to Ireland and find out what she can about the name on it. From there we travel back in time and follow Margaret in 1956 Ireland. After her family passes from diphtheria, she’s sent (against her will) to become a nun and starts to work at a mother & baby home.
I never really felt connected to Riley or Margaret so while we spend a lot of the story in Margaret’s timeline/POV I was just along for the ride instead of getting good a sense of her as a character. There are definitely horrible things she experiences, learns, and sees as the years go by. I think having knowledge of these homes and history ahead of time didn’t have the plot land as much for me. Obviously a horrible part of history and the author’s note was fantastic, I think for this one I just didn’t connect to the character we follow as much as I had in the author’s previous book that hit so much for me. Overall this was solid, just not a favorite for me.
This is a historical fiction that focuses on the Magdalene Laundries, and the atrocities that went on with the mother and baby homes in Ireland (specifically in 1950s for this book). We get dual timeline (sorta, definitely wanted more back and forth). Riley is in New Jersey and getting ready for her marriage in present day. She goes to visit her beloved grandmother Betty, her only living relative who also has late-stage dementia. While visiting, Betty has a moment of being in the present with Riley and is sharing a box of old memories with her, which is where Riley finds an old birth certificate from Ireland. It prompts her to travel to Ireland and find out what she can about the name on it. From there we travel back in time and follow Margaret in 1956 Ireland. After her family passes from diphtheria, she’s sent (against her will) to become a nun and starts to work at a mother & baby home.
I never really felt connected to Riley or Margaret so while we spend a lot of the story in Margaret’s timeline/POV I was just along for the ride instead of getting good a sense of her as a character. There are definitely horrible things she experiences, learns, and sees as the years go by. I think having knowledge of these homes and history ahead of time didn’t have the plot land as much for me. Obviously a horrible part of history and the author’s note was fantastic, I think for this one I just didn’t connect to the character we follow as much as I had in the author’s previous book that hit so much for me. Overall this was solid, just not a favorite for me.
June 14, 2026
4.5*s. It’s been a long time since I felt such anger and hatred for characters in books, but boy did I for Fr. Micheals and the Matron! This was a heartbreaking account of fallen girls (girls who became pregnant out of wedlock and were cast out of society often times by their own families) in old days Catholic-ruled Ireland, based on true events of the Magdalene laundries. Every page broke my heart for them. Disgusting people who wore the cloth of the church, but were more abusive and judgmental than most common people, and created places of suffering. Such hypocrisy.
But then there were the angels, in this book personified by Margaret and Mr. Dolan , that were also forced to live lives that they didn’t want to, but yet still found the ability to help others and truly live out the teachings of the cross.
I am sooo happy there was redemption and happiness in the end, and that the world has become less antiquated ! A worthwhile and engaging read! Very educational like all good historical fiction.
But then there were the angels, in this book personified by Margaret and Mr. Dolan , that were also forced to live lives that they didn’t want to, but yet still found the ability to help others and truly live out the teachings of the cross.
I am sooo happy there was redemption and happiness in the end, and that the world has become less antiquated ! A worthwhile and engaging read! Very educational like all good historical fiction.
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