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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 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 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.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Laura Anthony
2 books465 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 271 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
May 20, 2026
5 big stars. A tour de force historical novel that grips your heart, rips it out and slowly pieces it back together. This is not an easy read especially for one raised in the Catholic faith.
Just a note on triggers: this novel covers dementia, mental health, death, and physical abuse.
I was familiar with the Magdalene laundries prior to this novel, having read Claire Keegan’s Small Thjngs Like These. I was not however familiar with the “conscription” of young girls (and men) into the religious order by their families.
This is a dual timeline novel. The current day timeline serves as the jumping off point to go back in time to find Riley’s Irish relatives. This is precipitated when Riley’s Grammy in a lucid moment gives her a box that contains a birth certificate and baby booties.
From this point on the narrative mostly follows Maggie who, after the death of her older sister, is sent by her family into the nunnery at Ballyvale Convent. Maggie is eventually sent in punishment to the Home for Fallen Girls to help deliver and care for young pregnant girls. Here Maggie finds her true calling as a safe harbor and glimmer of hope & comfort to the young women. There are difficult scenes and the brutality is hard to read, however the resilience of Maggie and the girls is simply amazing. There is quiet resistance to the Matron who presides over the Home and I grew to love the character of Mr. Dolan.
The novel explores family and maternal bonds both genetic and “found” due to circumstances. Other themes include systemic oppression, corrupted faith and the power of friendship. Incredibly well written and with well developed characters this novel is a gem!
I received this ARC compliments of the publisher Simon & Shuster, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Just a note on triggers: this novel covers dementia, mental health, death, and physical abuse.
I was familiar with the Magdalene laundries prior to this novel, having read Claire Keegan’s Small Thjngs Like These. I was not however familiar with the “conscription” of young girls (and men) into the religious order by their families.
This is a dual timeline novel. The current day timeline serves as the jumping off point to go back in time to find Riley’s Irish relatives. This is precipitated when Riley’s Grammy in a lucid moment gives her a box that contains a birth certificate and baby booties.
From this point on the narrative mostly follows Maggie who, after the death of her older sister, is sent by her family into the nunnery at Ballyvale Convent. Maggie is eventually sent in punishment to the Home for Fallen Girls to help deliver and care for young pregnant girls. Here Maggie finds her true calling as a safe harbor and glimmer of hope & comfort to the young women. There are difficult scenes and the brutality is hard to read, however the resilience of Maggie and the girls is simply amazing. There is quiet resistance to the Matron who presides over the Home and I grew to love the character of Mr. Dolan.
The novel explores family and maternal bonds both genetic and “found” due to circumstances. Other themes include systemic oppression, corrupted faith and the power of friendship. Incredibly well written and with well developed characters this novel is a gem!
I received this ARC compliments of the publisher Simon & Shuster, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2026
4.5 rounded up!
This was one of those compelling historical fiction novels that completely pulled me in. I especially loved learning about a piece of history I knew almost nothing about- the Magdalene laundries. The story was heartbreaking and, at times, made me so angry about the conditions the girls had to endure. I later learned from the author’s note that the fictionalized version was actually lighter than reality, which somehow made it even more devastating.
That said, a few of the storylines felt slightly underdeveloped, and I found myself wishing for more actual midwifery content, especially given the title. I wanted to spend a little more time in that world.
Still, absolutely worth the read. And definitely stick around for the author’s note, it adds so much important context and made the story hit even harder.
This was one of those compelling historical fiction novels that completely pulled me in. I especially loved learning about a piece of history I knew almost nothing about- the Magdalene laundries. The story was heartbreaking and, at times, made me so angry about the conditions the girls had to endure. I later learned from the author’s note that the fictionalized version was actually lighter than reality, which somehow made it even more devastating.
That said, a few of the storylines felt slightly underdeveloped, and I found myself wishing for more actual midwifery content, especially given the title. I wanted to spend a little more time in that world.
Still, absolutely worth the read. And definitely stick around for the author’s note, it adds so much important context and made the story hit even harder.
May 26, 2026
[4.5]
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, NetGalley, and the author for the arc of this novel.
Following Sister Margaret, a barely twenty year old who is forced into joining a Cloistered Religion order due to familial obligations, the story tells the all too realistic story of expectant mothers sent to Mother and Baby homes to deliver their children in secret.
While I was vaguely aware of these homes due to reading others books when I was younger, this one was eye opening. These homes were cruel, and I think the author does a good job at showing readers these cruelties while also making sure not to overly dramatise or romanticise.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, NetGalley, and the author for the arc of this novel.
Following Sister Margaret, a barely twenty year old who is forced into joining a Cloistered Religion order due to familial obligations, the story tells the all too realistic story of expectant mothers sent to Mother and Baby homes to deliver their children in secret.
While I was vaguely aware of these homes due to reading others books when I was younger, this one was eye opening. These homes were cruel, and I think the author does a good job at showing readers these cruelties while also making sure not to overly dramatise or romanticise.
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!
May 22, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
May 25, 2026
4.5⭐️ rounded up
May 15, 2026
I’ve read a few books about “fallen” or wayward girls this past year, and I must say this one, maybe because it is fresh in my mind, has had the most affect on me. Set in present day New Jersey and late 1950’s Ireland it tells the story of Riley who finds something in her grandmother’s keepsake box that has her questioning her heritage. This was a beautiful yet very disturbing account of the Magdalean laundries and their treatment of not only young women who got in “trouble”, but also young women who were forced by their families and the church to become nuns. This is a book that will stay with me for sure. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end. Sincere thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this eye opening advanced 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.
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