Women of a Promiscuous Nature

by Donna Everhart, Lisa Larsen (Narrator)

Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.

The day Ruth Foster’s life changes begins the same way as many others—with a walk through her North Carolina hometown toward the diner where she works. But on this day, Ruth is stopped by the local sheriff, who insists that she accompany him to a health clinic. Women like Ruth—young, unmarried, living alone—must undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.

Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some, like 15-year-old Stella Temple, are brought in at their family’s request. For Stella, even the Colony’s hardships seem like a respite from her nightmarish home life.

Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she’s transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker’s rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.

But some refuse to be cowed. Against Mrs. Baker’s dogged efforts and the punishing weight of authority, Ruth and other inmates find ways to fight back, resolved to regain their freedom at any cost . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Feminism, Audiobook, Thriller, Literary Fiction

15 pages, Audiobook

First published January 27, 2026

About the author

Donna Everhart is a USA Today bestselling author known for vividly evoking the challenges of the heart and the complex heritage of the American South in her acclaimed novels When the Jessamine Grows, The Saints of Swallow Hill, The Moonshiner’s Daughter, The Forgiving Kind, The Road to Bittersweet, and The Education of Dixie Dupree.

She is the recipient of the prestigious SELA Outstanding Southeastern Author Award from the Southeastern Library Association and her novels have received a SIBA Okra Pick, an Indie Next Pick, and two Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books selections.

Born and raised in Raleigh, she has stayed close to her hometown for much of her life and now lives just an hour away in Dunn, North Carolina. Please visit Donna Everhart online at DonnaEverhart.com.

Reviews

[Rosh (will be MiA for a fortnight!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A historical fiction based on true events. Excellent character and plot development. Fabulous atmosphere and research. Graphic abuse, though it’s never sensationalised. Compelling but also highly disturbing. Definitely recommended, but only when you are in a strong headspace.

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Plot Preview:

1941. Twenty-four-year-old Ruth Foster and fifteen-year-old Stella Temple find themselves enrolled at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women in Kinston, North Carolina. Stella views it as a kind of escape while Ruth considers it a prison. Stella believes she did something wrong and hence needs to be redeemed during her stay at the Farm; Ruth is clear that she doesn’t deserve to be in the institution and wants to get out asap.
Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she is transforming degenerates and ”mental defectives” into morally worthy citizens, oversees all the training and treatment at the farm. If anyone dares break one of Mrs. Baker’s umpteen behavioural guidelines, the punishment is severe and in direct proportion to the breach of rule. But some of the residents simply refuse to be cowed down.
The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of these three women.

Bookish Yays:
🎀 The three quotes at the beginning of the novel - infuriating!

🎀 The plot concept, highlighting the relatively unknown “American Plan” and all the injustices done to women under its name.

🎀 The 1936 prologue that offers the perfect background to Dorothy Baker’s current situation.

🎀 The plot development: gripping from the start. I love the choice of presenting the story from three perspectives, with one of them being a high-ranking employee of the institution. Though written in third person, the story still captures the characters’ thought process and emotions convincingly. I like how Ruth and Stella’s chapters came under their first name but Dorothy Baker’s chapters were titled ‘Baker’, as if distancing us from her deliberately.

🎀 The depiction of two institutions (one briefly, one in detail) and of all that happened within their walls – so aggravating! It’s upsetting to know that these were actual institutions that incarcerated women against their will for all sorts of stupid reasons. The “land of the free” certainly wasn’t (and isn't) free for all of its citizens.

🎀 The three main characters: so different from each other. I loved how intricately their three personalities were sketched. Their thoughts and dialogues reflected their age and mindset. Ruth was my absolute favourite.

🎀 The characters other than the main trio. Varied in age and behaviour and even in importance for the plotline, yet their character development is such that we understand them intimately. Some of them (especially Lucy, Frances, and Nurse Crawford) left me wanting to know them more.

🎀 The writing. Though it gets a tad too lyrical at times, it is still impressive in its imagery and its impact. The brutal scenes are penned without feeling sensationalised. (They are still horrifying!)

🎀 The author's note at the end, clarifying the factual basis of the content. Gosh! I can't believe this used to happen not even a century ago.


Bookish Okays:
💄 The pacing is on the slower side, which is justified as the writing is character-oriented and it also helps heighten the dreary atmosphere. But given the anxiety and anger the plot generated, I found it very tough to read this novel at a stretch and the slow tempo didn’t help.

💄 Minor spoiler: No closure. My head knows that this ending suits the story because a HEA would have been too farfetched to accept. Plus, given that the book is based on true events and the women in real life too received no justice for going through this trauma, the ending better reflects reality. But the heart wants what it wants, and my heart wanted the satisfaction of knowing that people ultimately got what they deserved; they didn’t.


Bookish Nays:
🔥 The similarity in the names of the two doctors in the Kinston institution. It’s so easy to confuse Dr. Greene and Dr. Graham! I wish they had been given more distinct-sounding names.


Overall, I found myself simultaneously repelled by the events and captivated by the characters and the storytelling. It took me ages to finish this book because it was too harrowing, but at no point did I lose my interest in it.

This is my second book by Donna Everhart, the first being ‘The Saints of Swallow Hill’ back in 2022. Both books were equally powerful in their historical content, but this novel shows me how much further the author has developed in character development within 3-4 years. I shall keep an eye out for all further historical offerings from this writer’s pen.

Definitely recommended to those interested in historical fiction based on true events. The content is tough on the head and the heart, so prioritise your mental health before picking this up.

4.25 stars.


My thanks to Kensington Books for providing the DRC of “Women of a Promiscuous Nature” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


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I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.

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Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“That the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy are hereby authorized and directed to adopt measures for the purpose of assisting the various States in caring for civilian persons whose detention, isolation, quarantine, or commitment to institutions may be found necessary for the protection of the military and naval forces of the United States against venereal diseases. “ - -From the Chamberlain-Kahn Act of 1918

The civilian persons referred to were women and course, no such program existed for men. Women victimized at institutions, in some cases sent by their own families, others being taken off the streets by the government established American Plan in 1940’s North Carolina , and held against their will at The State Industrisl Farm Colony for Women in North Carolina . Donna Everhart in this eye opening and chilling story tells us about this plan through the experiences of two main characters . Stella , 15 abused by her father and pregnant, sent there under the guise of being a bad girl . Sent to this place where abortion and sterilization were common place . Ruth , 24 on her way to work stopped by the sheriff on the suspicion of being promiscuous because she lived on her own and wasn’t married and taken in to make sure she “don’t get others sick”. Ruth has never been with a man sexually, yet she is held and treated with harsh medications for a venereal disease she doesn’t have.

Alternating with these points of view is that of Mrs. Baker , the superintendent of the institution who believes she’s doing right by the inmates . I found the cruel treatment difficult to read about and my heart was broken and I felt sickened at times for Stella and Ruth and other inmates who suffered at the hands of doctors and administrators. A fictionalized account of a real place , well researched as are all of Everhart’s novels reflecting on North Carolina history. Chilling because I could see shades of this dominance over women’s freedoms even today. This is the sixth novel by Donna Everhart I’ve read and I keep reading them because they are gripping and moving and well written and I couldn’t wait to know the fate of these characters I came to care for.


I received a copy of this book from Kensington through Edelweiss.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

North Carolina, 1940’s. Ruth Foster is twenty four and walking to work one February morning when a police car stops and the sheriff insists she goes with him. Ruth has no choice but to get in the car, she’s sure he’s made a terrible mistake and it will be quickly sorted out. Ruth has done nothing wrong, she’s targeted because she’s pretty and lives alone and is not married.

Stella Temple is fifteen, she attends school because it gets her out of the house, she’s young and has no real idea of what's happening to her and but she knows it’s wrong and hates her father and lazy mother.

Both are sent to the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women run by Superintendent Dorothy Baker, here she’s transforming them into upstanding members of society, she oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Miss Baker has her own rule book, which inmates must abide by and if they don’t they have to face the consequences, including harder work assignments or meditation which is a fancy term for solitary confinement and kept in a tiny room and given the minimum food and water to keep a person alive.

Ruth and others including Frances, Josephine, Opal and eventually Stella take part in small acts of defiance and are determined to regain their freedom and health.

Based on true facts Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart is a story that will stun you, based around the American Plan, forced examinations, detention, and incarceration of women suspected of carrying sexually transmitted diseases, and in some cases sterilization.

These ladies were often in the wrong place at the wrong time, accused of being promiscuous and many had no idea what that meant, couldn’t defend themselves and victims of a government program that ran for almost three decades.

I received a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss+ and Kensington Publishing, Ms Everhart shares a shocking time in American history, one I wasn’t aware of prior to reading, she’s an advocating for the victims and many would no longer be alive. Five stars from me and I highly recommend.

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just take a minute to imagine this… you’re minding your own business walking down the street heading to a job you enjoy. You have a nice apartment that you were able to afford on your own with no help from your family or a man. You’ve done well, you’re proud of yourself. All of a sudden there’s a sheriff pulled over and questioning you about what you’re doing out and about by yourself and then promptly throws you in his vehicle, takes you to a doctor who says you’re contaminated and promiscuous. Only now to find yourself in a reformatory for women who don’t fit society’s “standards”. It’s infuriating isn’t it?

While the accounts in this story told between three women are historical fiction, it is based on The American Plan. This so-called plan would detain women who were thought to be promiscuous in order to prevent STD transmission. I don’t recall ever learning about this in any of my history classes. It should definitely be a topic!

As mentioned, this is told between three different POVs. Baker, the superintendent, Ruth, who is an independent woman, and Stella, who was assaulted and impregnated. How each of these three women view and are treated in the reformatory are shown in great detail. Three different perspectives in one awful establishment.

This is definitely a must-read, but it is not a happy read.

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Started off stronger than it ended.

North Carolina, 1940’s.

The government aims to stop the rise of STI’s and “protect” service men. Laws are created that demand any woman considered to be “promiscuous” is to be held in reform facilities where they undergo various treatments to “cure” them. Unwed pregnant women. Single women walking down the street “flaunting” their looks. Wayward women. Prostitutes. It is deemed best to imprison them at treatment facilities for the safety of society. This book focuses on one treatment facility, The Colony.

The first third of this novel was an eye-opening look into how society treated women and faulted them for the spread of STI’s. Women were forced to endure inhumane medical treatment and procedures against their will and often against their own knowledge and understanding. It shocked and sickened me to see how women could be detained without proper proof of cause.

Fellow patients within these reform facilities were forced to be part of giving “consequences” to the patients who break rules. It was interesting to get some perspective from the leaders of these reform facilities. Equal parts villain and victim themselves. Many of the facility leaders were brainwashed into thinking they were doing the right thing and sometimes were previous patients themselves.

After reading the Acknowledgements, I understand the author wanted to focus on the ways women were held against their will and how they lacked a voice throughout the whole process. The various treatments and medical procedures were alluded to, but not fully fleshed out and focused on. I would have liked more detail and storyline in this regard. I understand the author didn’t want to focus on the state-mandated sterilization but that is a big piece of what the government plan was at this time. I was expecting this book to be more along the lines of Diane Chamberlain’s Necessary Lies. It definitely had similar themes but this wasn’t as powerful of a read for me (I highly recommend that book if you haven’t read it).

As this novel progressed, it shifted from serious to cutesy and predictable which took away from the connection and investment that I had. I found the novel dragged on and lost its intensity and grit. For much of the second half, my attention wavered and I found myself bored.

This had potential, but was just an “ok” read for me overall. It was informative and intriguing, but the plot failed to hold my interest. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Susan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I read one of Donna Everhart’s books, I’m always in awe of her insight and research, no matter what she is writing about. In the past, she’s written about some difficult subjects: sexual abuse, bigotry, eating disorders, hardscrabble lives, the Civil War; and this book, which explores the plight of young women who are unjustly incarcerated by the government’s plan to regulate women’s bodies and their sexuality. In Women of a Promiscuous Nature, we hear the grim story of life at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women from the points of view of two of the women being held in the facility, Stella and Ruth, as well as that of the colony’s supervisor, Mrs. Baker. Hearing the stories from their very different perspectives, formed by their own families, by the things they’ve endured, by the circumstances and cruelty that brought them to this place, gave me insight and compassion for all of them. I didn’t have to approve of what they did—a lot of it was abhorrent—especially in the case of Mrs. Baker and the staff, but those insights provide important layers to the story. While I was reading, I kept thinking about POWER, as if it were lit up in lights. The power of the government to implement the American Plan; the power of the doctors, housemothers, and supervisors over the women who found themselves at the colony; the power of one person, then two, maybe more, to fight back and speak up. My heart broke for young Stella, whose home life was so repugnant that life at the Colony represented stability and safety and a way out of her old life. I wept for Ruth, whose life was upended in a way she’d never expected, and I cheered for her and worried for her when she bravely took a stand against the conditions at the Colony. I had just a modicum of sympathy toward Mrs. Baker, whose beginnings had their own share of tragedy, shaping her feelings toward the women and her own misguided ambitions. Once again I thank author Donna Everhart for giving her readers an intriguing, heart wrenching story; for giving us characters with layers upon layers; and for providing us the chance to view different perspectives from a very grave moment in our history. I received an advance reader copy of this book.

[Ten Cats Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5

Pre-Read Notes:

Couldn't resist that title and I'm not even a little bit embarrassed about it!😂

"“Tell me what you know.” “If I knew anything, I’d say so.” “You’ve been a difficult one, Miss Foster.” “Maybe. But I’ve always told the truth.”" p302

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) The material is harrowing and triggering but the plot is weak, which makes the text feel punishing. As though all this suffering is pointless from a literary standpoint. While this might have been the actual condition of these women's lives -- pointlessness -- it makes for a miserable read.

Having experienced forced institutionalization at more than one point in my life, I can say the author is quite accurate with the shape of violence these sorts of institutions perpetrate, and the characters' reactions to said violence. Trigger warnings are needed here.

For me, it would have been more engaging if there was a stronger spine of plot to hold up the moral and emotional weight of the content. But no one in this book seems to want anything. They're all just reacting to each other and the circumstances they share. This may be historically accurate in the sense that life was pretty much arrested during these women's confinements, but it's dreadful to read.

I recommend this one to fans of historical fiction, history of women in the US, and books about equity and social justice.

A Few Things:

✔️ "Mrs. Maynard, of the crooked spine, sorts through papers, signs something, and hands them to Mrs. Baker. Stella would like to read what’s been written about her, but maybe it’s best she doesn’t. She’ll have a good idea based on how they treat her anyway. That’s what official papers created by those in charge tend to do, make people treat you this way or that. Mrs. Baker scans the first few pages." p30 I think making this character disabled is fine and not morally significant. I think making this character capable of overcoming her disabilities during acts of violence is terribly ableist, as are descriptions like this: "The housemother’s curved stature gives the impression of a child sitting at a grownup’s desk." p302

✔️ Well how very racist of them both. "She’s kept her hair as it was back then too, the cut as precise as a paper’s edge, the color like glossy black paint. It’s a standout trait, the same as her father’s. He said they had Cherokee blood in them somewhere down the line." p81 I wish the author had made something more of this as she has with other issues of this story's day.

✔️ *trigger warning SA* "“Decorum? What does decorum have to do with rape?”" p303. Too much unfortunately, and that hasn't improved in the last 75 years.

Content Notes: confinement, isolation, misogyny, emotional and psychological abuse, public shaming, group punishment, beatings of adults with a switch, welts, eugenics/forced sterilization, infertility, child SA, incest, forced surgery

Thank you to Donna Everhart, Kensington Publishing Corp., and NetGalley for an accessible digital copy of WOMEN OF A PROMISCUOUS NATURE. All views are mine.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing yet sad historical fiction story about the 1940’s when women were imprisoned under the charge of being “promiscuous.” If you’re paying attention, this book should make you angry and concerned for the way things are going.

Stella was sent to the detention center by her parents at the age of 15, Ruth was taken off the street on her way to her job at a diner. Despite not having any sexual experience beyond a chaste kiss at the end of a date, Ruth is tested and treated for all manner of sexually transmitted diseases and imprisoned.

There are no such detention centers for men.

The narrative allows for secrets to be revealed and things get worse before they get better. The positive aspect of a book like this is that there are many strong female characters. This would be a compelling book to choose for a book club as there are sure to be great conversations.

Some books with similar themes
The Girls Who Grew Big
Wayward Girls

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. Book to be published January 26, 2026.

[Desirae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into Women of a Promiscuous Nature expecting something incendiary—a furious, emotionally charged story about the policing of women’s bodies in the American South. With the novel set around the real historical policy known as the American Plan, which allowed authorities to detain women suspected of spreading venereal disease, the premise alone promised a timely exploration of gender, power, and injustice. In a moment like 2026—when debates around reproductive rights and bodily autonomy dominate public conversation—I was ready for a novel that would channel historical injustice into something raw and powerful.

Instead, I found myself bored.

That’s perhaps the most surprising thing about this book: the subject matter is so outrageous and infuriating that it practically demands emotional engagement. Yet the writing rarely rises to the level of its premise. The novel follows several women—including Ruth Foster, a single woman arrested simply for walking to work, and Stella, a teenage victim of sexual abuse—who are imprisoned in North Carolina’s State Industrial Farm Colony for Women after being accused of “promiscuity.” Once there, they face invasive medical testing, forced treatments, and a rigid system of punishment designed to reform them into socially acceptable women.

Historically, the material is fascinating. The American Plan allowed authorities to detain women with little to no due process, often based on suspicion alone. Women could be arrested for living independently, speaking with soldiers, or simply being perceived as “loose.”
In theory, this should create a story overflowing with outrage. The entire system was built on misogyny—on the idea that women’s sexuality was a public threat to be controlled while men’s behavior remained largely unquestioned.

But the novel never fully taps into that fury.

Instead, the narrative feels strangely lifeless. The prose is flat and methodical, often reading more like a procedural recounting of institutional life than a story fueled by anger or urgency. Scene after scene documents the colony’s rules, punishments, and medical procedures. While this may demonstrate the depth of Everhart’s research—and it’s clear she did extensive historical work—the result is a story that often feels bogged down in detail rather than propelled by emotion.

Characterization is another major issue. We move between multiple points of view, including detainees and the colony’s superintendent, Dorothy Baker. Yet despite the horrific circumstances these women face—forced medical treatment, imprisonment without trial, and social condemnation—I never truly connected with them. I should have felt devastated for Stella. I should have felt righteous anger on Ruth’s behalf. Instead, the characters remained distant and oddly muted.

This lack of emotional connection undermines the book’s central themes about women’s rights. The colony is essentially a carceral system designed to control female sexuality. Women who defy traditional roles—working, living alone, or asserting independence—are labeled immoral and forcibly corrected.
That’s an incredibly potent framework for exploring how societies punish women who step outside prescribed boundaries.

Yet the narrative rarely interrogates this system with the depth or ferocity it deserves.

There are moments when the book gestures toward larger questions—why are only women punished for sexually transmitted disease? Why are victims treated as criminals?—but these moments pass quickly. The novel seems more interested in documenting the system than dismantling it.

By the end, I felt a deep sense of missed opportunity. The history behind this story is shocking and relevant, and Everhart clearly took great care in researching it. But research alone doesn’t create a compelling novel. What this story needed was rage—moral clarity, emotional intensity, and characters whose resistance felt urgent and alive.

Given its premise, Women of a Promiscuous Nature should have been unforgettable.

Instead, it was simply dull.

[kim baccellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, disturbing yet riveting historical tale of women deemed promiscuous or 'loose' in the 1940s. This story is based on the Chamberlain-Kahn Act or the American Plan. That alone makes this story frightening. This cautionary tale is more like a 1930-1940s Handmaid's Tale when the government decides to 'treat' those it thinks are spreading sexual infections to servicemen.

Told in three different POVs, readers meet Dorothy Baker, who is passionate about reform but hides her own secret. Teen Stella Temple, who is sexually abused by her father, and sent to the colony by her parents to get 'better.' Ruth Foster, who lives independently and is picked up by the sheriff and taken to the colony.

Baker's story is one of a woman who has her own tragic past and finds some redemption in her part of the colony. Her zeal to try to find good in what she does is overshadowed by the thought that some don't agree and that she might lose the only quest she believes in.

Stella's story is beyond tragic, but is realistic because no one spoke out loud about sexual abuse at that time. If anything, it was the young girl's and sometimes the young boy's fault. Some people were thought of as fallen and worse. Stella tries to be the 'good' girl. Anything to not be sent back home.

Ruth's story is one of those who are threatened by women who refused to fit the role society had for them. Add to that those young women who were attractive and confident. I really felt for Ruth as she struggles to find sense in why she's being held. She's strong even when others in the farm colony beat her down.

This story had me glued. What's horrifying is the justifications the government at the time used to round up and send these women to the colony. The treatments were before penicillin and were mercury and materials likened to today's chemotherapies. The side effects are shown in graphic details. What's beyond horrific is that most of those subjected to these inhumane treatments didn't have venereal diseases.

At the end, there is a mention of how the government's stand on eugenics was used to separate the so-called less than from the others in the population.

Haunting historical where women are rounded up and deemed a threat to those men who fight the war, but in reality is a chilling case of the overextension of power and control. This is one story that will stay with me for some time.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sad story in American history. A subject that I knew little about. Did you ever hear about the American Plan? This was a government run program where women were forced off the streets and arrested for suspicion of venereal disease, just walking down the street minding their own business.
Ruth Foster, lived alone in her own apartment wanted to be an independent woman. She was apprehended and sent to “the colony” where all kinds of strange things happened to these women who were incarcerated there. . They were given drugs and surgeries that were not wanted. Ruth is among many who were forced to live in this horrific place. It was called The State Industrial Farm Colony For Woman. It was in existence from 1927 until 1945. I think prison would have been a nicer place for these women.
This is a dark story, how these young women lived under the direction of Dorothy Baker, who was in charge of cruel punishment. I found this book very hard to read at times. The writing was very good. It just drew you in to this time in history. Highly recommended, but it is a sad story a must read for all women.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. This takes place during World War ll in North Carolina, 1941—and follows three women and their experiences within a U.S. government eugenics program. The program involved placing teen girls/women in state run reform academy’s or a “Colony” that would perform sterilizations in order to “cleanse” them. They were established to protect American servicemen from promiscuous women/venereal disease. Back then promiscuity could mean something as simple as a woman not wanting marriage as most were not prostitutes. Parental placement, being poor, talking to a serviceman, or just being pretty and unmarried could also land you in the program.
It’s utterly heartbreaking to learn this is based on true life with these facilities existing all around the U.S. I can’t imagine the trauma caused. And to be left barren is incomprehensible—their choice taken/their lives changed forever.
Ms. Everhart tells of a raw, unjust, and emotionally crippling situation that our main characters Ruth and Stella were placed in.. as for superintendent Dorothy Baker, she believed what she was doing, forcibly—was for the greater good, and that I’ll never understand. A remarkable story. Pub. 1/27/26

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing via NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely heartbreaking, I can’t believe this book is based on a true story.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and disturbing book that I wish was hard to believe happened, but really was not. Blaming women and holding men to no account for their actions was/is common. Enjoyed Donna Everhart’s story of women taken and treated for sexual abuse, venereal diseases, and just being suspicious. This was well researched and based on actual events.

Although hard to read at points, I was engaged with the characters and wanted to know the outcome. At times the pacing was a little slow, but overall I really am glad I was introduced to the Actual American Plan, with it's misogyny with it's goal of curing wayward women and fixing their venereal diseases, independence, mental instability, and promiscuous acts, Whether, they actually even done any of this, didn't seem to matter. Ruth, the main character was doing nothing more than going to work, yet was taken away. It is frightening but if the women fought back their life could get worse, being told they suffered from hysteria and could go from this "Helping Center" to a Full On Asylum to help even more. This was another eye opening glimpse into completely wrong practices toward women. Definitely, glad I read this book.

Harder to read was that mostly women were in charge of these places. Some of the girls did come from abusive homes and suffered sexual abuse. So, those girls liked being free from their homes and also desperately wanted love and acceptance. They were more likely to look up the Employees who thought they were doing god's work and keeping the country safe. That the criminal activity was not investigated gives me chills.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of this book.

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I wish I could have loved this book as it is certainly an interesting (and incredibly sad) time in our history where the government felt that women needed to be put in places to protect the men from STI’s. Yes this is real! And God forbid a woman was living alone - she must be promiscuous indeed! She also was herded up and put into a place to “reform” their ways in the hopes they could be released back into the “wild” and be reformed. Really wanted to love this book but I just didn’t.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Women of a Promiscuous Nature is historical fiction set in the 1940s about three woman. This novel had a Girl Interrupted meets The Handmaid’s Tale feel to it. Yikes!

Ruth was locked up in a “reform school”, The State Industrial Farm Colony For Women, for being independent enough to have a job and live alone. She was stopped by the local police who had her checked for an STD and even though she’d never been with a man, was deemed promiscuous and taken away.

Stella was being visited by her evil father every night beginning at age 12 and when she became pregnant at 15, her parents allowed her to be taken away to the Colony to end the pregnancy and then to be reformed.

Mrs. Baker was the strict Superintendent of the Colony who believed in what they were doing was actually working to reform these women and girls.

This reads as dystopian fiction, and was so disturbing! This story is not dystopian fiction but based on true events that really happened in our history between the 1920’s and 1940’s.

Many of the women taken away all across the nation during this time period were actually tortured, some even sterilized as Eugenics was also being practiced.

Our nation’s dirty little secret was long buried and Donna Everhart’s immaculate research brings it all to light in her amazing novel.

*Thanks so much to the author, Kensington Books, and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted ARC and wonderful PR box, and for including me on the book tour.*

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Alerts:
– Sexual content
– Social stigma
– Domestic conflict
– Emotional manipulation

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart is a historical Southern fiction novel set in North Carolina, spanning the mid-20th century (primarily the 1960s–1970s). The story centers on women whose reputations define and often confine them in a small Southern town where judgment travels fast and forgiveness doesn’t. What stood out to me is the hypocrisy in society as the book explores shame, double standards, and how differently men and women are treated for the same behavior. The small-town setting really amplifies that tension. It’s character-driven and leans more into emotional fallout than plot twists. There’s drama, but it feels amplified in double standards and unfair treatments.

[summer⁎ ˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆]

dnf 32%

i feel bad giving up on this because it's exactly the type of scope of history that i love learning about. (love might be a strong term, given how much it FRUSTRATES me to learn about it). but unfortunately the storytelling in the book in general, while good, is just boring. i found myself avoiding reading it because i just didn't care enough to want to pick it up. like i do care--and even did some supplemental research--but with the research i did, i didn't feel it necessary to continue with the underwhelming story.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Plan. This sounds so patriotic, a direction that all in the US should follow beginning in 1918, in post War years. If only…
With the idea to protect US Soldiers from venereal disease which the services found at high rates they decided to curtail the spread in their home towns by passing this plan. Independent women, ‘unruly’ young girls and a few prostitutes were pulled from their local communities and placed in rehabilitation centers. With no due process and with questionable results, they were brutally treated for STD’s and many times, if pregnant, they would be given hysterectomies without consent.
This historical fiction read brings to light the unjust and unbearable abuse they were subjected to so that they could return in a new and respectable direction of social order to what was expected of a woman. The stories are upsetting, but deserve to be told. It is the history that speaks and that every woman should know about.
Book club with the author was absolutely amazing. As many had not yet finished the book, it was such a delight as Donna provided us her research for the book with such genuine insight and deep knowledge. The pain we all felt, even anger from some. Highly recommended.

[Stephanielikesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was horrified to learn how the American Plan in 1920-1940s America was used to institutionalize “women of a promiscuous nature” to protect the US military from prostitution and STIs, or so it was claimed. In fact, men used this legislation to lock away women who didn’t fit the conventional societal expectations of a “demure, proper woman.” Housed in farm-type settings with the aim of being “retrained”, the women were treated horrifically with both physical and mental abuse, with the knowing participation of female staff who believed in reforming these wayward women. This novel explores one such facility and several characters housed there.

While the premise was interesting and I was glad that the author shone light on this disturbing period of US history, unfortunately, for me, the execution was off. The writing was dry and emotionless and I never felt involved in the lives of the characters. It was like I was looking at them from a distance and while the details of how these women were treated was appalling, I never felt emotionally invested in their stories. I also found parts of it repetitive.

Others have really enjoyed this one so please take my thoughts as just one of many.

[Claire Switzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just felt like rage bait for women. I’m annoyed at the ending and wish there was more vindication. Also to find out that this is based on a true story just further makes me embarrassed for the US and how women have been treated since the beginning of time.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Donna Everhart and I was completely into this story. A historical fiction taking place during the 20’s- 40’s. Women who lived alone, dined alone and were seen having conversations with men, were picked up by the government and sent to be tested for venereal disease at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. These independent women were seen as being promiscuous. Men were experiencing STD’s at a higher rate than usual and of course they'd blame the women for this. Our main character Ruth is picked up and taken to the clinic because she lives on her own, and works to support herself. She tests positive even though she's never been with a man and is forced to stay there until she tests negative. Reading the things that women endured while at these facilities, was so disturbing to say the least. You gotta read this one. Donna has definitely done her research about this and reading about it was so fascinating yet infuriating at the same time. Truly unreal. This is quite a thought provoking novel.

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and Suzy approved book tours for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A somewhat disturbing book that really drags.

[Kelley]

wtf. I thought this was a dystopian novel but it's historical fiction from 1918. I hate it here.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being wrongfully accused of being promiscuous, Ruth Baker is sent to the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. "The Colony" is designed to transform the women into upstanding members of society that abide by societal rules - marriage, children, submission. The Colony, however, is a place of rules and severe consequences, where women are punished for asking questions, and where deviance can lead to disaster.

Donna Everhart did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life. The Colony's women - Ruth, Stella, Josephine, Lucy, Frances, Opal - are so endearing. My heart broke for all they endured. Even Dorothy Baker, the superintendent of the Colony, while a hated character throughout the novel, inspired some empathy for her role in "educating" these women.

I really liked how the story was told in multiple voices. Sometimes for me, this format doesn't work as well, but in this case it was brilliant. It's really three very different tellings of the same story; Ruth who pushes back on the requirements of the Colony, Stella, the 14 year old girl who sees the Colony as a respite from her terrible home life, and Baker, who honestly thinks the Colony, and her role in it, are benefitting society. I think doing it this way allows the reader to see the complex emotions that these women faced, especially relating to some of the more questionable rules and punishments.

My one complaint about this book was that the ending felt very rushed. While I was not expecting a perfectly happy ending, I did feel like there could have been more resolution for some of the characters. The book is 368 pages, and it was only in the last 30 pages or so that the author starts resolving some of the story line. I would have liked to see the final outcome of the Colony, what happened to Frances, what happened to the other women who left the Colony.

The author did a ton of research for this novel. Regrettably, places like the Colony existed between WWI and WWII. The America Plan was passed by the federal government as a way to control the spread of syphillis through the military. These institutions, however, became places of shame and horror as women and girls were subjected to abhorrent treatment, forced sterilization, and incarceration for not abiding by societal standards. I had never heard of these places, and the links the author provides in the afterward provided fascinating, though depressing, additional information.

Overall, 4.5 ⭐s rounded up. If you like historical fiction based on actual events, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy of this novel. It's scheduled to be published on January 27, 2026.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is dark, unsettling and hard to believe this ever happened. In 1927 to the 1940’s all around the United States had State Industrial farm colonies or reform schools. Everyday women were stalked, pursued, and the local Sheriff sees a local woman walking down the street, stop and question her, haul her to jail, and end up in a reform school. These women would be degraded to humiliating exams, undergo painful treatments for STI’s. The tests were sent out for testing, come back positive even though the girl never had sex.
Sexually transmitted diseases started in Europe in the 1870’s and then United States became involved to control or eliminate STI’s. It was WWI, WWII servicemen were getting infected in their own communities. Women of all backgrounds were being checked, their lifestyles and accused of promiscuity.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening in the worst way. The things women are forced to endure in the name of “good government” over the millennia are insane to this modern day woman.

[Kailyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For such a heavy and timely topic, I wish there was a bit more oomph to this book. There was a lot of *how* this happened to (white!) women, but for me, not enough *why* this particular story was told. It started to feel repetitive, and the ending just felt flat and hopeless. Kind of felt like an historical trauma/info dump without any passion or hope.

[Candace Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary story base around the real-life "American Plan" which was a government initiative from the early 1940's used to detain women suspected of "promiscuity" or having a sexual transmitted disease such as syphillus. Everhart cleverly retales what happened to some of these women who were plucked from the streets and made to get tested and then placed into a "reformatory" womens camp for treatment. Expertly done!

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Donna Everhart has written an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and unique Historical Fiction Novel. The Genres for this well written and extraordinary are : Historical Fiction, Thriller, Feminism, Adult Fiction, Eugenics, Suspense, and Psychological Thriller. The timeline for this story is 1940-ish in North Carolina. It seems like the Twilight Zone, or Science Fiction to believe that a single woman walking to work, could be stopped by the sheriff and accused of “promiscuity” and" sent to The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women and “subjected to involuntary medical treatment”. This was based on the “American Plan”, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half if the 20th century.”(from the Goodreads Blurb)

Donna Everhart vividly describes the depressing and dark environment, and the dramatic, complex, and complicated characters. Ruth is one of the women who was walking to work, and found herself imprisoned. Another one of the women was raped and impregnated by her stepfather, and finds herself blamed and imprisoned. There are other “difficult” or impoverished girls sent there as well.

Some of the staff is unbalanced and believe that they are doing society and the girls a favor. If the girls break the rules there are sadistic and cruel consequences. If any of the girls try to run away. there is severe punishment. There is involuntary sterilization, and medications that make the girls sick. I found it difficult to believe practices could exist in this country that allowed for such torture. There is betrayal, twists and turns, surprises, and danger.

My heart goes out to many of those girls, and I found them to be courageous, and determined. When some of the girls work out a plan together, I was on pins and needles. This is a book that should be read, and that I highly recommend. I appreciate that Donna Everhart brings these historical events to our attention, so they can permanently be stopped forever.