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The Magdalen Girls
Dublin, 1962. Within the gated grounds of the convent of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption lies one of the city's Magdalen Laundries. Once places of refuge, the laundries have evolved into grim workhouses. Some inmates are fallen women unwed mothers, prostitutes, or petty criminals. Most are ordinary girls whose only sin lies in being too pretty, too independent, or tempting the wrong man. Among them is sixteen-year-old Teagan Tiernan, sent by her family when her beauty provokes a lustful revelation from a young priest.
Teagan soon befriends Nora Craven, a new arrival who thought nothing could be worse than living in a squalid tenement flat. Stripped of their freedom and dignity, the girls are given new names and denied contact with the outside world. The Mother Superior, Sister Anne, who has secrets of her own, inflicts cruel, dehumanizing punishments but always in the name of love. Finally, Nora and Teagan find an ally in the reclusive Lea, who helps them endure and plot an escape. But as they will discover, the outside world has dangers too, especially for young women with soiled reputations.
Told with candor, compassion, and vivid historical detail, The Magdalen Girls is a masterfully written novel of life within the era's notorious institutions and an inspiring story of friendship, hope, and unyielding courage.
Teagan soon befriends Nora Craven, a new arrival who thought nothing could be worse than living in a squalid tenement flat. Stripped of their freedom and dignity, the girls are given new names and denied contact with the outside world. The Mother Superior, Sister Anne, who has secrets of her own, inflicts cruel, dehumanizing punishments but always in the name of love. Finally, Nora and Teagan find an ally in the reclusive Lea, who helps them endure and plot an escape. But as they will discover, the outside world has dangers too, especially for young women with soiled reputations.
Told with candor, compassion, and vivid historical detail, The Magdalen Girls is a masterfully written novel of life within the era's notorious institutions and an inspiring story of friendship, hope, and unyielding courage.
294 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2016
1621 people are currently reading
10603 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Alexander
11 books833 followersAlso see Michael Meeske
I'm happy to share my historical women's fiction with you thanks to Kensington Publishing. My novels feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.
My writings include: The Magdalen Girls (2017), The Taster (2018), The Irishman's Daughter (2019), The Traitor (2020), and The Sculptress (2021). Two more novels are scheduled for the coming years. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
Thank you, and happy reading!
I'm happy to share my historical women's fiction with you thanks to Kensington Publishing. My novels feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.
My writings include: The Magdalen Girls (2017), The Taster (2018), The Irishman's Daughter (2019), The Traitor (2020), and The Sculptress (2021). Two more novels are scheduled for the coming years. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
Thank you, and happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 989 reviews
March 6, 2018
An informative and enlightening novel about the existence and misuse of the Magdalene laundries. Magdalene laundries were used as a rehabilitation tactic for girls that 'have fallen' or that have been lead down the wrong path in life. The crimes that could land a woman in these laundries are numerous, including, prostitution and unwed mothers. In this book, Nora's crime, if you can even call it that, had been that she was making out with her boyfriend and that she was too forward. Teagan's offense? Leaving her jumper in the basement of her church and calling the priest to retrieve it. She was worried her mother would be angry if she misplaced it, considering the expense. When the priest confessed to his superior that he had been having unholy thoughts about Teagan, Teagan was immediately sent away to the convent, accused of seducing a holy man. Once Teagan and Nora both realized their situations were hopeless, they developed a friendship and vowed they would escape by any means possible. Day in and day out, they worked in the laundry, ate tasteless meals, and were chastised for the smallest of offenses. When they needed to seek 'penance' they were sent to the 'penitent's room' where they would sit for hours upon hours, sometimes days, in a closet, with no light. These were the conditions at the convent.
Before I even read this book, I was aware of the existence of Magdalene Laundries. I had even seen the movie 'The Magdalene Girls'. However, this book was so rich in historic detail, that I ended up learning so much more. This was most certainly a heartbreaking and bleak story, but it also preaches the importance of friendship, hope, and resilience. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction lush with detail and authenticity.
Before I even read this book, I was aware of the existence of Magdalene Laundries. I had even seen the movie 'The Magdalene Girls'. However, this book was so rich in historic detail, that I ended up learning so much more. This was most certainly a heartbreaking and bleak story, but it also preaches the importance of friendship, hope, and resilience. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction lush with detail and authenticity.
May 5, 2023
Genre: Historical Reading
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publ. Date: Dec. 27, 2017
The first time I ever heard the idiom Magdalene Girls was when, in horror, I watched the 2002 film entitled “The Magdalene Sisters” based on the Magdalene Asylums also called the Magdalene Laundries. This is when I learned that teenage girls who were labeled “fallen” by their families (usually meaning they were unwed pregnant girls or girls that were discovered to have had sex before marriage) were sent to these asylums based mostly in Ireland. These asylums were run like prisons and the young girls were forced to hard labor in the laundries with Roman Catholic nuns from the order of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption as the prison guards and the Mother Superior as the warden.
I was then introduced to the song by Joni Mitchelle “Magdalene Laundries” with lyrics such as: “Most girls come here pregnant, some by their own fathers’, Bridget got that belly from her parish priest.” So, when I was given an Advanced Review Copy of “Magdalene Girls” I knew what to expect. I would not be reading the sweet story like "The Trouble with Angels." This would be a very difficult read based on true stories.
In V. S. Alexander’s historical novel the reader will find themselves in Dublin during 1962. The story centers around two 16-year old girls. One is from an upper-class family while the other is from the slums. Both girls were virgins, one (for lack of better words) could have been called a “fast girl,” while the other could have been called a “good girl.” The latter girl was woken up in the middle of the night to be dragged away by strangers to the asylum. Her crime was the parish priest was tempted to break his vows with her. Her sin, according to her alcoholic father, was that she went into the wine cellar with this priest which was proof of her wantonness. Throughout the beginning of her stay at the workhouse, she kept waiting for her supposedly loving parents to come get her, beyond heartbreaking. The “fast girl” was betrayed by her boyfriend. She also was taken at night, but she didn’t fight for she had non-caring parents and she was glad to get away from them, not realizing that her new home would be far worse.
In the novel’s plot, there were lots of visions of the Virgin Mary, usually after the girls’ had begun to lose their minds in the asylum. There were also scenes about failed escape attempts. Once caught, the girls were put in isolation (which was the common means of punishment), or the sadness of reading about the unmarked graves of the girls and/or their babies who had died there. Even the visual picture of the shaving off the girls' hair upon arrival was hard to read. Personally, reminding me of the lyrics by Leonard Cohen “she tied you down in her kitchen chair…she cut your hair.”
This novel does a good job of explaining the agonizing living conditions that went on in these institutions, all in the name of God. It is an excellent history of such an atrocity. In the author’s endnotes we learn that the first Magdalene asylums were opened in 1758 and they were not restricted to only Ireland. Named after Mary Magdalene the prisons were filled with prostitutes and unwed mothers with the theory that a lifetime of hard work on earth would free their souls in heaven. I guess for the 18th century that is understandable. What is impossible to understand is that the last of Ireland’s Magdalene Asylums did not close until September 25, 1996 (I googled the exact date), simply shocking. Alexander wrote a good historical fiction. Yet, I was disappointed that I didn’t learn more on how this corruption of faith lasted till such recent times. One cannot miss the parallel of the long hidden of abuse of children by priests that did not become public until recent years. Just as the scandals with the priests, there has been a culture of secrecy surrounding the laundries. How did the church keep such dirty secrets for so long? I guess I will need to do some of my own research in non-fiction books that have been written by Magdalene survivors. I know that there are a few out there. But first, I need to do some light reading to recover.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Leave Me Alone I am Reading & Reviewing: https://books6259.wordpress.com/
Twitter: Martie's Book Reviews: https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publ. Date: Dec. 27, 2017
The first time I ever heard the idiom Magdalene Girls was when, in horror, I watched the 2002 film entitled “The Magdalene Sisters” based on the Magdalene Asylums also called the Magdalene Laundries. This is when I learned that teenage girls who were labeled “fallen” by their families (usually meaning they were unwed pregnant girls or girls that were discovered to have had sex before marriage) were sent to these asylums based mostly in Ireland. These asylums were run like prisons and the young girls were forced to hard labor in the laundries with Roman Catholic nuns from the order of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption as the prison guards and the Mother Superior as the warden.
I was then introduced to the song by Joni Mitchelle “Magdalene Laundries” with lyrics such as: “Most girls come here pregnant, some by their own fathers’, Bridget got that belly from her parish priest.” So, when I was given an Advanced Review Copy of “Magdalene Girls” I knew what to expect. I would not be reading the sweet story like "The Trouble with Angels." This would be a very difficult read based on true stories.
In V. S. Alexander’s historical novel the reader will find themselves in Dublin during 1962. The story centers around two 16-year old girls. One is from an upper-class family while the other is from the slums. Both girls were virgins, one (for lack of better words) could have been called a “fast girl,” while the other could have been called a “good girl.” The latter girl was woken up in the middle of the night to be dragged away by strangers to the asylum. Her crime was the parish priest was tempted to break his vows with her. Her sin, according to her alcoholic father, was that she went into the wine cellar with this priest which was proof of her wantonness. Throughout the beginning of her stay at the workhouse, she kept waiting for her supposedly loving parents to come get her, beyond heartbreaking. The “fast girl” was betrayed by her boyfriend. She also was taken at night, but she didn’t fight for she had non-caring parents and she was glad to get away from them, not realizing that her new home would be far worse.
In the novel’s plot, there were lots of visions of the Virgin Mary, usually after the girls’ had begun to lose their minds in the asylum. There were also scenes about failed escape attempts. Once caught, the girls were put in isolation (which was the common means of punishment), or the sadness of reading about the unmarked graves of the girls and/or their babies who had died there. Even the visual picture of the shaving off the girls' hair upon arrival was hard to read. Personally, reminding me of the lyrics by Leonard Cohen “she tied you down in her kitchen chair…she cut your hair.”
This novel does a good job of explaining the agonizing living conditions that went on in these institutions, all in the name of God. It is an excellent history of such an atrocity. In the author’s endnotes we learn that the first Magdalene asylums were opened in 1758 and they were not restricted to only Ireland. Named after Mary Magdalene the prisons were filled with prostitutes and unwed mothers with the theory that a lifetime of hard work on earth would free their souls in heaven. I guess for the 18th century that is understandable. What is impossible to understand is that the last of Ireland’s Magdalene Asylums did not close until September 25, 1996 (I googled the exact date), simply shocking. Alexander wrote a good historical fiction. Yet, I was disappointed that I didn’t learn more on how this corruption of faith lasted till such recent times. One cannot miss the parallel of the long hidden of abuse of children by priests that did not become public until recent years. Just as the scandals with the priests, there has been a culture of secrecy surrounding the laundries. How did the church keep such dirty secrets for so long? I guess I will need to do some of my own research in non-fiction books that have been written by Magdalene survivors. I know that there are a few out there. But first, I need to do some light reading to recover.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Leave Me Alone I am Reading & Reviewing: https://books6259.wordpress.com/
Twitter: Martie's Book Reviews: https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
September 24, 2018
I had never heard of the Magdalen Laundries which were run by both Catholic and Protestant churches from the 18th to the late 20th Centuries. "Fallen women" in Ireland were sent to the grim Magdalen Laundries to repent under the supervision of religious communities. Prostitutes, unwed mothers, flirty teens, and girls considered so pretty that they were a temptation to men were among the girls incarcerated without a trial. They spent long hours as free labor in the laundry, working in silence, with nothing to look forward to except a meager meal and hours of prayer.
The novel, "The Magdalen Girls", follows three girls in 1962 who were placed with the Sisters of the Holy Redemption by their families. If the girls did not obey the cruel Sister Anne, they were locked in the dark Penitent Closet or receive another sadistic punishment. Some girls plotted to escape, only to find they were marked women in the outside world with no means of support. Secrets from Sister Anne's past fueled her actions against the imprisoned girls.
The book had vibrant characters and a plot that held my interest. However, Sister Anne's secrets did not add much to the story. It never ceases to amaze me what cruel things people will do in the name of morality. This interesting novel sent me online to learn more about this part of Ireland's history.
The novel, "The Magdalen Girls", follows three girls in 1962 who were placed with the Sisters of the Holy Redemption by their families. If the girls did not obey the cruel Sister Anne, they were locked in the dark Penitent Closet or receive another sadistic punishment. Some girls plotted to escape, only to find they were marked women in the outside world with no means of support. Secrets from Sister Anne's past fueled her actions against the imprisoned girls.
The book had vibrant characters and a plot that held my interest. However, Sister Anne's secrets did not add much to the story. It never ceases to amaze me what cruel things people will do in the name of morality. This interesting novel sent me online to learn more about this part of Ireland's history.
October 14, 2016
I was so disappointed in this especially when the concept is deeply fascinating about the corruption of the Magdalene Asylums or Laundries depending on the Catholic Church's interpretation of these facilities. For those unfamiliar of the true nature of these establishments, the Magdalene Laundries were mean to rehabilitate fallen women from a life of promiscuity, reckless behavior, prostitution, and unwed motherhood. They were pretty much prisons for family members to send their rebellious daughters to who refused to conform to their religious beliefs. Many of these settlements took place in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States and didn't close down until the late 90's due to the investigation of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse committed by the clergy and nuns on the inmates inside these buildings. It is an ironic twist especially after the molestations by Catholic priests came to life in the public eye in recent years, exposing the corruption and cover-up by the Vatican. The Magdalene Asylum was no exception.
In The Magdalen Girls, two Irish Catholic teenagers are sent inside one of these places during the 1960s. You have the naïve Teagen whose innocent crush on a young priest sends her into exile and the rebellious Nora whose parents commit her within the walls of the convent. Stripped of their dignity, their rights, and their names, the women are enslaved and abused by everyone until they wait for the day for each of them to escape.
If this plot sounds familiar, it was pretty much inspired by another film called The Magdalene Sisters that came out in 2002 with a very similar theme. Young rebellious girls losing their innocence and dignity in of these Magdalene facilities just like the two protagonists in V. S. Alexander's book. Now this would have been fine but my issue is the author's writing style that borders on the simplistic. It's almost a cross between a young adult novel to a Harlequin romance book. The over romanticizing of Teagan's infatuation with a young priest almost gets into a bodice ripper territory which really took any seriousness I had of the book and the subject matter into some LOL laughable moments.
Even Nora's harrowing moments are not well executed and sadly she suffers the most in the story. I really think the build-up is there but I'm still wondering why I should feel any empathy for these characters when there is not much development with these protagonists as well as the conflict.
Overall, great concept but poorly pulled together. I didn't believe any of the story even though I know real thing is true. Sadly, the book didn't do anything for me.
In The Magdalen Girls, two Irish Catholic teenagers are sent inside one of these places during the 1960s. You have the naïve Teagen whose innocent crush on a young priest sends her into exile and the rebellious Nora whose parents commit her within the walls of the convent. Stripped of their dignity, their rights, and their names, the women are enslaved and abused by everyone until they wait for the day for each of them to escape.
If this plot sounds familiar, it was pretty much inspired by another film called The Magdalene Sisters that came out in 2002 with a very similar theme. Young rebellious girls losing their innocence and dignity in of these Magdalene facilities just like the two protagonists in V. S. Alexander's book. Now this would have been fine but my issue is the author's writing style that borders on the simplistic. It's almost a cross between a young adult novel to a Harlequin romance book. The over romanticizing of Teagan's infatuation with a young priest almost gets into a bodice ripper territory which really took any seriousness I had of the book and the subject matter into some LOL laughable moments.
Even Nora's harrowing moments are not well executed and sadly she suffers the most in the story. I really think the build-up is there but I'm still wondering why I should feel any empathy for these characters when there is not much development with these protagonists as well as the conflict.
Overall, great concept but poorly pulled together. I didn't believe any of the story even though I know real thing is true. Sadly, the book didn't do anything for me.
December 27, 2016
I always hesitate when giving books one star. The truth is that it's rare for me to give a book one star. I use two and three stars all the time, but I tend to reserve one stars for books I truly hate. And I didn't hate The Magdalen Girls. But upon reflecting on it, I realize that there's nothing I remotely liked about it either. I mean, the premise was interesting, but that's about it. And seeing as how this is based on a true story, this book shouldn't get points on the premise because it's not really original. So, we go back to me not liking anything in this book.
First things first: The writing in The Magdalen Girls leaves a lot to be desired. It is extremely simplistic. Now, that's something I can overlook depending on what else the book has going for it, but it was really noticeable in this book. There's just a lot of telling and very little showing. Furthermore, the writing was clunky and awkward. For example, the reference to Sister Anne and Mother Superior was not done well at all. I didn't figure out that this was supposed to be one person until I was a ways into the book. Why refer to this character as Mother Superior AND Sister Anne? It does nothing but confuse the readers.
The character development in The Magdalen Girls wasn't any better than the writing. And by that I mean that there was very little development. You don't really get to know Teagan nor Nora nor Lea that well at all. And I saw very little growth in them. Also, my God were Teagan and Nora prone to doing stupid, stupid things all the time. Before that, I merely didn't care about them. After that, I started getting supremely annoyed by them. They kept getting caught doing this things because they were (and it really does bear repeating) really stupid. If you're going to be sneaky, again, please be smart about it.
Mother Superior/Sister Anne might be the only character that one might think had some growth, but really she's just badly developed. She comes across as one of the biggest cartoon villains known to man. She doesn't come off as a flawed character battling between good and evil, but rather comes across as someone who's an actual sociopath. It was a bit too much. I kept expecting her to start twirling a mustache. And then, after all this build up of her being the biggest villain since Dolores Umbridge, I'm supposed to believe that she's repentant? Nope. I call BS on that. It started getting a little too twee for me at that point.
In the end, I extremely disliked The Magdalen Girls. It had an interesting premise that was, unfortunately, squandered by bad writing, poorly developed characters, and just an all around bad book.
First things first: The writing in The Magdalen Girls leaves a lot to be desired. It is extremely simplistic. Now, that's something I can overlook depending on what else the book has going for it, but it was really noticeable in this book. There's just a lot of telling and very little showing. Furthermore, the writing was clunky and awkward. For example, the reference to Sister Anne and Mother Superior was not done well at all. I didn't figure out that this was supposed to be one person until I was a ways into the book. Why refer to this character as Mother Superior AND Sister Anne? It does nothing but confuse the readers.
The character development in The Magdalen Girls wasn't any better than the writing. And by that I mean that there was very little development. You don't really get to know Teagan nor Nora nor Lea that well at all. And I saw very little growth in them. Also, my God were Teagan and Nora prone to doing stupid, stupid things all the time. Before that, I merely didn't care about them. After that, I started getting supremely annoyed by them. They kept getting caught doing this things because they were (and it really does bear repeating) really stupid. If you're going to be sneaky, again, please be smart about it.
Mother Superior/Sister Anne might be the only character that one might think had some growth, but really she's just badly developed. She comes across as one of the biggest cartoon villains known to man. She doesn't come off as a flawed character battling between good and evil, but rather comes across as someone who's an actual sociopath. It was a bit too much. I kept expecting her to start twirling a mustache. And then, after all this build up of her being the biggest villain since Dolores Umbridge, I'm supposed to believe that she's repentant? Nope. I call BS on that. It started getting a little too twee for me at that point.
In the end, I extremely disliked The Magdalen Girls. It had an interesting premise that was, unfortunately, squandered by bad writing, poorly developed characters, and just an all around bad book.
August 13, 2018
This was a very informative read for me. I must admit that I had never heard of the Magdalene Laundries until I ran across a review on Goodreads. While reading this book I found myself asking, "Can these places be for real?" The cruelty of the punishments and the living and working conditions were at times difficult for me to read. The girls and women were essentially imprisoned under the guise of needing rehabilitation for being "fallen women", many unjustly accused. To think that this form of rehab existed for many years is mind boggling.
Not an easy read, but I do recommend.
Not an easy read, but I do recommend.
February 18, 2018
2.5 stars
Ireland, 1962. Based on the true facts about the Magdalene Laundries that welcomed girls and women that must repent for their sins. Story focuses on three teenage girls- Teagan, Nora, and Lea. Harsh punishments or tough love is enacted by the Mother Superior, Sister Anne. Having viewed the film "The Magadelene Sisters" years ago, I found this book was following a similiar rabbit hole. Honestly, it was a bit formulaic.
Ireland, 1962. Based on the true facts about the Magdalene Laundries that welcomed girls and women that must repent for their sins. Story focuses on three teenage girls- Teagan, Nora, and Lea. Harsh punishments or tough love is enacted by the Mother Superior, Sister Anne. Having viewed the film "The Magadelene Sisters" years ago, I found this book was following a similiar rabbit hole. Honestly, it was a bit formulaic.
July 26, 2018
Brilliant! I actually went on Amazon to buy the author's The Taster but they didn't have it as an e-book. When I saw this I couldn't resist. Based on real events, I knew the story and had seen a movie about the Magdalen laundries which was just horrifying (a box of tissues required), but I hadn't read a book about them.
This book brought all that awfulness to life, brilliant technicolour life. Set in 1962, it tells the story of two young women who are sent to the laundry for 'loose behaviour' and some of the characters they meet there. The story was so beautifully written that i felt like I knew these people and it broke my heart. In a way, this Catholic hellhole was even worse than a prison. At least in prison you know how long your sentence is and there are some creature comforts, like maybe books and the chance to commune with others. At the laundries, unless someone came to 'claim' these girls there was no getting out at all - a terrible price to pay for batting your eyelashes!
The bleakness and the horror of it all weighed me down but amongst all the misery there were rare moments of joy, love and lightheartedness. In 2018 its hard to believe that this was going on in a civilised country in my lifetime. Worked like navvies in awful conditions, underfed and punished for the slightest infraction, life in the laundries was just awful - prayer, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, more prayer and then bed. And talking was generally verboten. I am only glad these places were finally closed down.
I enjoyed this book so much, it was so richly written with very relatable characters. I will surely be reading more from this author.
This book brought all that awfulness to life, brilliant technicolour life. Set in 1962, it tells the story of two young women who are sent to the laundry for 'loose behaviour' and some of the characters they meet there. The story was so beautifully written that i felt like I knew these people and it broke my heart. In a way, this Catholic hellhole was even worse than a prison. At least in prison you know how long your sentence is and there are some creature comforts, like maybe books and the chance to commune with others. At the laundries, unless someone came to 'claim' these girls there was no getting out at all - a terrible price to pay for batting your eyelashes!
The bleakness and the horror of it all weighed me down but amongst all the misery there were rare moments of joy, love and lightheartedness. In 2018 its hard to believe that this was going on in a civilised country in my lifetime. Worked like navvies in awful conditions, underfed and punished for the slightest infraction, life in the laundries was just awful - prayer, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, more prayer and then bed. And talking was generally verboten. I am only glad these places were finally closed down.
I enjoyed this book so much, it was so richly written with very relatable characters. I will surely be reading more from this author.
September 18, 2017
4 stars
Three young girls, among many others, alienated from their families and sent to the Sisters of the Holy Redemption convent, where they were indentured into the Magdalen Laundries. Lea is content to live her life out in the convent, however Teagan and Nora both believe they have been wrongly labeled as "fallen" and plan their escapes.
These asylums, labeled as Laundries, since that is the main occupation of these convents, were basically prisons to the young women who were housed there. They were beaten, not well fed, worked overtly and pressed into the Catholic religion and all its religious accoutrements. Seldom were these girls ever released from their holding. These work house convents lasted until 1996, when a large outcry was publicly heard in England and Ireland and the Magdalens were awarded compensation for their years of toil.
Research on this book was very good. It is a book of fiction, but solidly based on true fact. Alexander did a great job in retelling the lives of the girls who lived this horror.
Three young girls, among many others, alienated from their families and sent to the Sisters of the Holy Redemption convent, where they were indentured into the Magdalen Laundries. Lea is content to live her life out in the convent, however Teagan and Nora both believe they have been wrongly labeled as "fallen" and plan their escapes.
These asylums, labeled as Laundries, since that is the main occupation of these convents, were basically prisons to the young women who were housed there. They were beaten, not well fed, worked overtly and pressed into the Catholic religion and all its religious accoutrements. Seldom were these girls ever released from their holding. These work house convents lasted until 1996, when a large outcry was publicly heard in England and Ireland and the Magdalens were awarded compensation for their years of toil.
Research on this book was very good. It is a book of fiction, but solidly based on true fact. Alexander did a great job in retelling the lives of the girls who lived this horror.
January 9, 2017
Lightning review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
From the late 18th century to 1996, the Magdalen Laundries were (In theory) a place for fallen women to be employed with godly, honest work and get off the streets and all that. The reality was that women and girls could be committed to these asylums for years with no appeal or release until such a time as the nuns running the place let them go. Records of women who disappeared into the asylums are scant and incomplete.
It’s one of the black spots in the history of the Catholic Church and, while they were not exclusive to Ireland, it’s a black spot in the history of Ireland and its treatment of women, as well.
It’s not a particularly feel-good story. There’s a happy ending for one of them, but it’s at SUCH a cost. There’s hope held out only to be snatched away (again and again and again) and – given the reasons most women and girls were sent to these places, this isn’t a surprise – there’s a child death as well, so please be aware of that.
I liked reading about this this facet of history, even as I had to struggle with the rage that this wasn’t a bygone era: this was happening in my lifetime. If we can understand the things people do to each other, maybe we can keep history from repeating itself.
-Redheadedgirl
From the late 18th century to 1996, the Magdalen Laundries were (In theory) a place for fallen women to be employed with godly, honest work and get off the streets and all that. The reality was that women and girls could be committed to these asylums for years with no appeal or release until such a time as the nuns running the place let them go. Records of women who disappeared into the asylums are scant and incomplete.
It’s one of the black spots in the history of the Catholic Church and, while they were not exclusive to Ireland, it’s a black spot in the history of Ireland and its treatment of women, as well.
It’s not a particularly feel-good story. There’s a happy ending for one of them, but it’s at SUCH a cost. There’s hope held out only to be snatched away (again and again and again) and – given the reasons most women and girls were sent to these places, this isn’t a surprise – there’s a child death as well, so please be aware of that.
I liked reading about this this facet of history, even as I had to struggle with the rage that this wasn’t a bygone era: this was happening in my lifetime. If we can understand the things people do to each other, maybe we can keep history from repeating itself.
-Redheadedgirl
January 8, 2024
Twice now I’ve read VS Alexander books, and twice now I’ve felt like the books were remarkably similar to much much better movies.
The first was The Taster and its counterpart Der Untergang (where the infamous Hitler yelling meme came from), which was also about a woman who worked in the inner circle of Hitler and his cronies. The second is of course this book and the 2002 movie The Magdalene Sisters.
The movie did an excellent job creating the sense of despair and hopelessness that permeated those laundries; this book…not so much. The plot beats were almost identical but with exponentially less emotion. Oddly the main thing I heard about the movie is that real women who’d lived in the laundries had said everything was so so much worse, so it was odd that this book chose to be even MORE watered down than the movie. There was also a supernatural element that was…odd and pointless.
Alexander picks interesting topics but does not seem to be able to execute them in a way that I find compelling.
1.5 stars
The first was The Taster and its counterpart Der Untergang (where the infamous Hitler yelling meme came from), which was also about a woman who worked in the inner circle of Hitler and his cronies. The second is of course this book and the 2002 movie The Magdalene Sisters.
The movie did an excellent job creating the sense of despair and hopelessness that permeated those laundries; this book…not so much. The plot beats were almost identical but with exponentially less emotion. Oddly the main thing I heard about the movie is that real women who’d lived in the laundries had said everything was so so much worse, so it was odd that this book chose to be even MORE watered down than the movie. There was also a supernatural element that was…odd and pointless.
Alexander picks interesting topics but does not seem to be able to execute them in a way that I find compelling.
1.5 stars
November 22, 2016
This story gripped me from the opening page. The research about life in Ireland in the early sixties was meticulous and made me feel like I was living the story along with the characters. The injustice of the girls being unfairly judged and shamed galled me. I shared in their outrage and sense of powerlessness. And the details of their imprisonment - without benefit of any kind of trial - were chilling. What made convent life particularly oppressive was how the mother superior claimed to love the "inmates" and want only the best for them, while at the same time we learn that most of them would never leave. Their lives are portrayed as grim, relentless, and hopeless. Yet, since the main characters are teenagers, there is always that kernel of hope to move the story onward, and each girl learns something vital about herself through her experiences. A powerful story based on real life events. I'm looking forward to more historical fiction from this author!
December 30, 2016
3.5 stars
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1962, The Magdalen Girls tells the story of two different girls sent to one of the Magdalen laundries. The girls are thought of as wanton women and their lives are signed away by their families and become prisoners of the Catholic Church. Teagan and Nora are both determined to survive the back-breaking work and the emotional torment reigned down upon them, and look for a chance to escape.
This book is based around a point in Irish history that makes me burn with anger and I definitely felt a lot of emotions while reading this book from anger to despair and now and again, hope. I think the laundry depicted in this book seemed tamer than a lot of the ones that did exist and the girls living there seemed to have a slightly easier time of it than the ones that were practically tortured daily by the nuns. However, it still managed to depict the horrors of becoming a prisoner for simply being a woman (for example, Teagan is sent because a priest had sexual feelings for her, even though she did nothing wrong) and how so many women refused to let the nuns break them down.
I wasn’t completely mad about the plot around the Mother Superior Sister Anne. She is given a back story, and a link to one of the girls, and at times it’s used as an excuse for her bad behaviour and the reader is almost suppose to feel sorry for her. While this might work for Sister Anne, it doesn’t accurately represent every other Mother Superior and priest involved in the laundries, who seemed happy to have a literal God complex and just be terrible, terrible people. I think I just hated Sister Anne’s history because I feel so emotional about the story, I wasn’t going to let her have any excuses for her behaviour. I also could have done without some of the ‘ghost stories’ that were mentioned now and again with Lea’s spirit stories and the visions of the Virgin Mary.
I was more gripped into this book than I thought it would be too and it was a good, if not challenging, read. If people don’t know too much about the Magdalene laundries and want to learn more, this fictionalised version of one of them would be a good place to start!
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1962, The Magdalen Girls tells the story of two different girls sent to one of the Magdalen laundries. The girls are thought of as wanton women and their lives are signed away by their families and become prisoners of the Catholic Church. Teagan and Nora are both determined to survive the back-breaking work and the emotional torment reigned down upon them, and look for a chance to escape.
This book is based around a point in Irish history that makes me burn with anger and I definitely felt a lot of emotions while reading this book from anger to despair and now and again, hope. I think the laundry depicted in this book seemed tamer than a lot of the ones that did exist and the girls living there seemed to have a slightly easier time of it than the ones that were practically tortured daily by the nuns. However, it still managed to depict the horrors of becoming a prisoner for simply being a woman (for example, Teagan is sent because a priest had sexual feelings for her, even though she did nothing wrong) and how so many women refused to let the nuns break them down.
I wasn’t completely mad about the plot around the Mother Superior Sister Anne. She is given a back story, and a link to one of the girls, and at times it’s used as an excuse for her bad behaviour and the reader is almost suppose to feel sorry for her. While this might work for Sister Anne, it doesn’t accurately represent every other Mother Superior and priest involved in the laundries, who seemed happy to have a literal God complex and just be terrible, terrible people. I think I just hated Sister Anne’s history because I feel so emotional about the story, I wasn’t going to let her have any excuses for her behaviour. I also could have done without some of the ‘ghost stories’ that were mentioned now and again with Lea’s spirit stories and the visions of the Virgin Mary.
I was more gripped into this book than I thought it would be too and it was a good, if not challenging, read. If people don’t know too much about the Magdalene laundries and want to learn more, this fictionalised version of one of them would be a good place to start!
July 29, 2018
This was a heart rending and poignant story about the girls sent to a Magdalen Laundry in Dublin. The first shocking thing for me was that it was set in 1962! The fact that society was so small minded even as late as that was something that I found hard to deal with. There are two main characters in the story, Teagan and Nora. They become firm friends and soon they are befriended by Lea who has been at the laundry for some time and has come to accept her situation. Both Nora and Teagan are spirited girls and do not accept the discipline in the convent without a fight. They try to escape and are regularly punished for their small acts of rebellion.
The truth is that both of the girls are entirely innocent! They have been sent to the Laundry by their own families to hide Nora's pregnancy and Teagan's alleged midemeanors and to prevent any shame being brought on the family name but they were the victims. The story relates their struggles to prove that they are not ‘bad girls’ and their fight for a better, free life. They encounter many dreadful situations during their time at the Laundry and there are some shocking moments in the book.
There is such sadness, cruelty and disregard for the feelings of the girls, but also a constant hope that things will work out for them.
It is so sad that this was actually a fact of life for some girls even this recently; I was about their age in the late 1960’s and there but for the grace of God go any of us!
The truth is that both of the girls are entirely innocent! They have been sent to the Laundry by their own families to hide Nora's pregnancy and Teagan's alleged midemeanors and to prevent any shame being brought on the family name but they were the victims. The story relates their struggles to prove that they are not ‘bad girls’ and their fight for a better, free life. They encounter many dreadful situations during their time at the Laundry and there are some shocking moments in the book.
There is such sadness, cruelty and disregard for the feelings of the girls, but also a constant hope that things will work out for them.
It is so sad that this was actually a fact of life for some girls even this recently; I was about their age in the late 1960’s and there but for the grace of God go any of us!
April 23, 2017
I have been fascinated by the dark history of the Magdalen Asylums/Laundries ever since I heard a song by Joni Mitchell and The Chieftains (The Magdalene Laundries). A couple of years later, I saw an excellent film from the UK called The Magdalene Sisters. Apparently, this author saw the film as well and attempted to turn it into a novel, because the similarities are too many to be coincidental. Unfortunately, while the subject is darkly fascinating, this book is mediocre and poorly executed and does not do justice to the lives lived and lost in those appalling places.
The characters are stereotyped and underdeveloped. For example: Mother Superior (aka “Sister Anne”, though, frustratingly, that was not obvious and thus very confusing until well into the book) is sinister, cruel and possibly psychopathic. Of course she is. But! She also has a secret. Oh no! What could it be? There is also the traditional abusive alcoholic father, the customary limp dishrag of a mother, and the token handsome, licentious priest. There are a lot of female characters in this book, and it would make sense to try to write them so they are distinguishable from each other, but all—Magdalene girls and nuns alike—are flat and one-dimensional and difficult to tell apart because they sound and act the same. There is little to no description of how they look or talk. Overall in the book, I had no sense of place or time. We are told this takes place in Dublin in 1962 (incidentally, the same year the film takes place), but there is little to show us this, save references to a transistor radio and a single Ray Charles song. It didn’t feel like 1962.
As for the plot, it is thin and predictable: there’s an ongoing plan to escape, there is cruelty, there is an unplanned pregnancy, there is unrequited love. Someone actually escapes but is naturally captured and returned. There is punishment and yet more crazy-nun behavior. On and on and on until the ending I predicted early in the story. There is a thin supernatural element in this book that I would have liked to have seen developed further. It would have at least set it apart from the film.
The writing itself lacked maturity, like some of the stuff I read in creative writing workshops as an undergrad. Not bad, necessarily, just perhaps...undeveloped? It was painfully obvious that the author was American and had probably never visited Ireland (or, possibly, ever even read a book about Ireland). For the most part, the girls in the story sound like American teenagers rather than mid-century working-class Irish. What colloquial dialogue there is comes and goes, appearing as clichéd phrases spoken mostly outside the convent and seeming to evaporate inside the gates. There is an occasional 'me' thrown in there ("I can't find me apron"), but it’s so random and inconsistent that it seems forced rather than natural and stands out like a sore thumb, serving only to make the general lack of idiomatic speech and other period details glaringly obvious.
Listen, this was not so poorly written that I couldn't finish it, which is saying something, as I have a low threshold for drivel, but it was bad enough to bother me and make me leave a two star review. I only kept reading because, as I said, I am fascinated by the subject matter and I wanted to learn more about it and I was hoping it would get better somehow. But I came away frustrated. The Magdalene asylums were very real and the conditions were horrendous. The author touched on the appalling circumstances, but lightly, timidly. There was a feeling of apprehension about the writing; it felt like she was afraid to delve further. Or perhaps it was that she didn't do sufficient research beyond watching a film and reading a Wikipedia article or two.
The characters are stereotyped and underdeveloped. For example: Mother Superior (aka “Sister Anne”, though, frustratingly, that was not obvious and thus very confusing until well into the book) is sinister, cruel and possibly psychopathic. Of course she is. But! She also has a secret. Oh no! What could it be? There is also the traditional abusive alcoholic father, the customary limp dishrag of a mother, and the token handsome, licentious priest. There are a lot of female characters in this book, and it would make sense to try to write them so they are distinguishable from each other, but all—Magdalene girls and nuns alike—are flat and one-dimensional and difficult to tell apart because they sound and act the same. There is little to no description of how they look or talk. Overall in the book, I had no sense of place or time. We are told this takes place in Dublin in 1962 (incidentally, the same year the film takes place), but there is little to show us this, save references to a transistor radio and a single Ray Charles song. It didn’t feel like 1962.
As for the plot, it is thin and predictable: there’s an ongoing plan to escape, there is cruelty, there is an unplanned pregnancy, there is unrequited love. Someone actually escapes but is naturally captured and returned. There is punishment and yet more crazy-nun behavior. On and on and on until the ending I predicted early in the story. There is a thin supernatural element in this book that I would have liked to have seen developed further. It would have at least set it apart from the film.
The writing itself lacked maturity, like some of the stuff I read in creative writing workshops as an undergrad. Not bad, necessarily, just perhaps...undeveloped? It was painfully obvious that the author was American and had probably never visited Ireland (or, possibly, ever even read a book about Ireland). For the most part, the girls in the story sound like American teenagers rather than mid-century working-class Irish. What colloquial dialogue there is comes and goes, appearing as clichéd phrases spoken mostly outside the convent and seeming to evaporate inside the gates. There is an occasional 'me' thrown in there ("I can't find me apron"), but it’s so random and inconsistent that it seems forced rather than natural and stands out like a sore thumb, serving only to make the general lack of idiomatic speech and other period details glaringly obvious.
Listen, this was not so poorly written that I couldn't finish it, which is saying something, as I have a low threshold for drivel, but it was bad enough to bother me and make me leave a two star review. I only kept reading because, as I said, I am fascinated by the subject matter and I wanted to learn more about it and I was hoping it would get better somehow. But I came away frustrated. The Magdalene asylums were very real and the conditions were horrendous. The author touched on the appalling circumstances, but lightly, timidly. There was a feeling of apprehension about the writing; it felt like she was afraid to delve further. Or perhaps it was that she didn't do sufficient research beyond watching a film and reading a Wikipedia article or two.
November 14, 2016
I have read other books similar to blurb of this one. It seems totally wrong to say I enjoy reading this type of story, as what has been done to these women truly is horrific. I do however believe that these books need to be written and read so that these awful acts are addressed publicly and officially (and loudly) apologised for. I think that there should be some form of amends made for the suffering these women underwent at the hands of those running the establishments.
The cover of the book fits the book very well. It features a young women about to become a Magdalen. We don't seethe young woman's face which represents the fact when entering the convent all the young girls are stripped of their previous identity, clothes, possessions and even their hair!
My thoughts throughout reading this book were on a continual tidal wave going up and down as the young women journeyed through their lives as best they could and their experiences were revealed. I find it a crazy concept that so many were forced to give up babies they could have supported with a little help. In comparison in this day and age young women in this situation have life a lot easier. In fact nowadays it sometimes seems that young women are being rewarded for having a child out of wedlock and with a father who has no way and no intention of supporting their offspring. As I am writing this section of my review I am only a few percent into reading this book and already I firmly believe an apology is way, way overdue for those whose lives were broken by such an horrific act of removing a woman's child so quickly after birth and for the treatment these women had to put up with in the laundries within convents and other similar establishments. Yes, its a subject I feel quite strongly about!"
I'm at around half way through the book and find myself really routing for the three main Magdalen's this book is centred on, to escape. Then again I wonder what would they or could they do if they escape. What help is there available to them if they do manage to get out of the convent. Society looks down on these women. If an escapee Magdalen is spotted, the majority of people won't help, they'll just call the guards. (Police)
I'd say that the genre this book falls into is realistic, women fiction. In a book store this book would be placed in the "romance and saga" section of the fiction department.
I guess I should give you a bit of an overview of the book. Basically we witness two different girls that though from similar backgrounds find themselves being shipped off to the nuns. To be more specific the nuns at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption. Neither of these two girls are actually pregnant, in fact they haven't even had sex at the time they are sent away. The two girls, naturally protest their innocence to their parents, and we the reader the reader know the girls are not guilty of anything but perhaps a little naivety. With each girl it is the father that is the main instigator that ensures they are sent away for good.
Teagan Tiernan is accused of "making eyes" or "attempting to seduce" the new priest visiting the parish. Sure she finds the Father Mark attractive, he is after all the youngest Priest she has ever seen. The Priest seems pretty flattered by the attention he is receiving from the women of the parish himself. Teagan has a crush on a local boy, Cullen Kirby, only her heavy drinking father does not approve of him as Cullen is Protestant and the Tiernan family are a good Catholic family.
Nora Craven is accused of "cavorting"with her boyfriend Pearse, who is somewhat older than her. Her father loses it when he catches Nora kissing Pearse in their family home.
Both girls receive a similar welcome at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption convent from the Mother Superior, Sister Anne. Sister Anne prides herself on showing the girls the error of their ways using love. Her love and the love of God. In fact Sister Anne has individual blocks with the letters LOVE on them in a prominent place in her office. Though as you read the book you quickly realise that Sister Anne's version of love is very different to that of a "normal" person.
Both girls are given new names when they enter the institution, Teagan Tiernan is told she is now called Teresa and Nora Craven is given the new name of Monica. They are also now known as Magdalen's. The girls are taken to Sister Rose in the cuttery, as all Magdalen's are given a short hair cut, apparently to avoid accidents from long hair becoming caught in any machinery. The girls are also given a grey rough fabric shift style dress to wear. A white apron completes their uniform. The young women/girls are set to work in the laundry, which means sorting the laundry,washing it, stain removal, drying and ironing as well as any mending that needs to be done. The majority of the Magdalen's work in the laundry. Other more fortunate ones can be put to work making and repairing lace.
There is other main Magadalen's we learn more about are Betty, an older woman who has long since become resigned to her montonous life of drudgery at the hands of the nuns. Then there's Patricia, a greedy, similar aged to Teagan and Nora, a petty Magdalen, who regularly snitches on her fellow Magdalen's to the nuns to gain favour. Patricia plans on becoming a nun as soon as she is able. From what we see of her character within this books pages, she would fit right in with the majority of the nuns featured in the book. The last Magdalen who plays a large important part within the book is Lea. Lea is a considered a "good magdalen" by the nuns and does not work in the laundry. She has her own task which is reproducing a copy of the "Book Of Kells".
In one scene in the book Teresa, Monica and Lea are being punished made to lay as if on the cross like Jesus. they are instructed they may not eat, drink nor soil themselves and will stay there until Sister Anne deems them to have learnt their lesson. The girls react different during the punishment. Teresa is silent, Lea mutters a prayer and the still confident at this stage Monica spits on Sister Anne!
Another more favoured punishment is being put in the penitent's room. Which from the description is more like a cupboard, with a small stool in it and nothing else. Once the door is closed and locked the penitent is left in the dark to think on their sin. Whilst in the room, Sister Mary-Elizabeth sneaks the "guilty party" a drink, a slice of toast or for a visit to the jacks (toilets).
Sister Anne, the Mother Superior comes across as a very nasty piece of work who actually seems to almost enjoy the punishments she doles out! Though later in the book we learn that she has her own inner demons and her own family history to deal with. In fact that very family history that pains her literally once again lands on the doorstep of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption for her to deal with!
Though I really loved all the characters of Teagan/Teresa, Nora/Monica and Lea, I found Lea fascinating. She seems to exist in her own little world in her head. She wants everyone to be happy and be nice to each other, and that's her wish for the Magdalen's and the Nun's. So sadly it is something that is unlikely to happen within the book. I guess you could say one of the three girls is vindicated and eventually escapes The Sisters of the Holy Redemption for a new life. Though I doubt her memories of her time with the Nun's is something she will ever forget, nor be able to fully forgive. Another of the three girls escapes briefly, but seems doomed to stay at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption forever, and seems to have lost all hope of ever having any kind of "normal" existence. The last girl of the three does a selfless act, that sadly fails having a tragic end outcome for more than one of the Magdalen's.
I did enjoy reading the book, and think the circumstances covered in the book that actually really did happen to many girls, needs to be something told and retold and passed down the generations. I was both surprised and shocked to read that institutions such as the one featured in this book where still in existence and operational in 1996!
The subject of babies being taken away from their mother and put up for adoption is touched upon in this book, though is not the main theme. I think there are many people, in fact I'd probably go as far as saying, many more people than we may realise that were affected by all the different aspects that this book touches on. It is imperative that these displaced children and parents be reunited if they wish.
It is truly truly horrific when you think about the families that have been torn apart. That sure this actual book is fiction but I feel I should stress it is based on real events!
I have already recommended this book to my mum, and daughter, insisting they must read it. My heart genuinely goes out to anyone that has either been through what is depicted in the book either themselves or a family member or friend they know has suffered in this way. My mum and I have read other similar titles and watched movies on the subject. How could I describe this book in only two words? "Thought provoking" kind of horrific to learn the book is a depiction of what was really going on behind those convent walls.
A subject I feel strangely fascinated with it all. Would like to read more on the subject n totally agree with the Author and her reasoning why this has been kept quiet even in the present date. I cannot believe that these institutions were still in existence in 1996, just twenty yrs ago!!!
I could go on and on about this book and others I have read similar to it but I will force myself to limit myself to one last sentence to sum up my final thoughts on this book. I found the book a very emotional and moving read.
The cover of the book fits the book very well. It features a young women about to become a Magdalen. We don't seethe young woman's face which represents the fact when entering the convent all the young girls are stripped of their previous identity, clothes, possessions and even their hair!
My thoughts throughout reading this book were on a continual tidal wave going up and down as the young women journeyed through their lives as best they could and their experiences were revealed. I find it a crazy concept that so many were forced to give up babies they could have supported with a little help. In comparison in this day and age young women in this situation have life a lot easier. In fact nowadays it sometimes seems that young women are being rewarded for having a child out of wedlock and with a father who has no way and no intention of supporting their offspring. As I am writing this section of my review I am only a few percent into reading this book and already I firmly believe an apology is way, way overdue for those whose lives were broken by such an horrific act of removing a woman's child so quickly after birth and for the treatment these women had to put up with in the laundries within convents and other similar establishments. Yes, its a subject I feel quite strongly about!"
I'm at around half way through the book and find myself really routing for the three main Magdalen's this book is centred on, to escape. Then again I wonder what would they or could they do if they escape. What help is there available to them if they do manage to get out of the convent. Society looks down on these women. If an escapee Magdalen is spotted, the majority of people won't help, they'll just call the guards. (Police)
I'd say that the genre this book falls into is realistic, women fiction. In a book store this book would be placed in the "romance and saga" section of the fiction department.
I guess I should give you a bit of an overview of the book. Basically we witness two different girls that though from similar backgrounds find themselves being shipped off to the nuns. To be more specific the nuns at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption. Neither of these two girls are actually pregnant, in fact they haven't even had sex at the time they are sent away. The two girls, naturally protest their innocence to their parents, and we the reader the reader know the girls are not guilty of anything but perhaps a little naivety. With each girl it is the father that is the main instigator that ensures they are sent away for good.
Teagan Tiernan is accused of "making eyes" or "attempting to seduce" the new priest visiting the parish. Sure she finds the Father Mark attractive, he is after all the youngest Priest she has ever seen. The Priest seems pretty flattered by the attention he is receiving from the women of the parish himself. Teagan has a crush on a local boy, Cullen Kirby, only her heavy drinking father does not approve of him as Cullen is Protestant and the Tiernan family are a good Catholic family.
Nora Craven is accused of "cavorting"with her boyfriend Pearse, who is somewhat older than her. Her father loses it when he catches Nora kissing Pearse in their family home.
Both girls receive a similar welcome at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption convent from the Mother Superior, Sister Anne. Sister Anne prides herself on showing the girls the error of their ways using love. Her love and the love of God. In fact Sister Anne has individual blocks with the letters LOVE on them in a prominent place in her office. Though as you read the book you quickly realise that Sister Anne's version of love is very different to that of a "normal" person.
Both girls are given new names when they enter the institution, Teagan Tiernan is told she is now called Teresa and Nora Craven is given the new name of Monica. They are also now known as Magdalen's. The girls are taken to Sister Rose in the cuttery, as all Magdalen's are given a short hair cut, apparently to avoid accidents from long hair becoming caught in any machinery. The girls are also given a grey rough fabric shift style dress to wear. A white apron completes their uniform. The young women/girls are set to work in the laundry, which means sorting the laundry,washing it, stain removal, drying and ironing as well as any mending that needs to be done. The majority of the Magdalen's work in the laundry. Other more fortunate ones can be put to work making and repairing lace.
There is other main Magadalen's we learn more about are Betty, an older woman who has long since become resigned to her montonous life of drudgery at the hands of the nuns. Then there's Patricia, a greedy, similar aged to Teagan and Nora, a petty Magdalen, who regularly snitches on her fellow Magdalen's to the nuns to gain favour. Patricia plans on becoming a nun as soon as she is able. From what we see of her character within this books pages, she would fit right in with the majority of the nuns featured in the book. The last Magdalen who plays a large important part within the book is Lea. Lea is a considered a "good magdalen" by the nuns and does not work in the laundry. She has her own task which is reproducing a copy of the "Book Of Kells".
In one scene in the book Teresa, Monica and Lea are being punished made to lay as if on the cross like Jesus. they are instructed they may not eat, drink nor soil themselves and will stay there until Sister Anne deems them to have learnt their lesson. The girls react different during the punishment. Teresa is silent, Lea mutters a prayer and the still confident at this stage Monica spits on Sister Anne!
Another more favoured punishment is being put in the penitent's room. Which from the description is more like a cupboard, with a small stool in it and nothing else. Once the door is closed and locked the penitent is left in the dark to think on their sin. Whilst in the room, Sister Mary-Elizabeth sneaks the "guilty party" a drink, a slice of toast or for a visit to the jacks (toilets).
Sister Anne, the Mother Superior comes across as a very nasty piece of work who actually seems to almost enjoy the punishments she doles out! Though later in the book we learn that she has her own inner demons and her own family history to deal with. In fact that very family history that pains her literally once again lands on the doorstep of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption for her to deal with!
Though I really loved all the characters of Teagan/Teresa, Nora/Monica and Lea, I found Lea fascinating. She seems to exist in her own little world in her head. She wants everyone to be happy and be nice to each other, and that's her wish for the Magdalen's and the Nun's. So sadly it is something that is unlikely to happen within the book. I guess you could say one of the three girls is vindicated and eventually escapes The Sisters of the Holy Redemption for a new life. Though I doubt her memories of her time with the Nun's is something she will ever forget, nor be able to fully forgive. Another of the three girls escapes briefly, but seems doomed to stay at The Sisters of the Holy Redemption forever, and seems to have lost all hope of ever having any kind of "normal" existence. The last girl of the three does a selfless act, that sadly fails having a tragic end outcome for more than one of the Magdalen's.
I did enjoy reading the book, and think the circumstances covered in the book that actually really did happen to many girls, needs to be something told and retold and passed down the generations. I was both surprised and shocked to read that institutions such as the one featured in this book where still in existence and operational in 1996!
The subject of babies being taken away from their mother and put up for adoption is touched upon in this book, though is not the main theme. I think there are many people, in fact I'd probably go as far as saying, many more people than we may realise that were affected by all the different aspects that this book touches on. It is imperative that these displaced children and parents be reunited if they wish.
It is truly truly horrific when you think about the families that have been torn apart. That sure this actual book is fiction but I feel I should stress it is based on real events!
I have already recommended this book to my mum, and daughter, insisting they must read it. My heart genuinely goes out to anyone that has either been through what is depicted in the book either themselves or a family member or friend they know has suffered in this way. My mum and I have read other similar titles and watched movies on the subject. How could I describe this book in only two words? "Thought provoking" kind of horrific to learn the book is a depiction of what was really going on behind those convent walls.
A subject I feel strangely fascinated with it all. Would like to read more on the subject n totally agree with the Author and her reasoning why this has been kept quiet even in the present date. I cannot believe that these institutions were still in existence in 1996, just twenty yrs ago!!!
I could go on and on about this book and others I have read similar to it but I will force myself to limit myself to one last sentence to sum up my final thoughts on this book. I found the book a very emotional and moving read.
February 16, 2017
This story is based on true events.
The story is Raw, hard hitting, poient, Powerful and heartbreaking.
After watching the film and reading the story I felt that the book didn't quiet capture the horrific nature these young women faced.
Some young girls were forced into the Laundries because they was pregnant out of wedlock. They was abused, tortured and worked very hard. Once they had their babies they was taken away. Never to be seen again.
This did not mean these young girls got out. Nope they still had to endure the pain, torture, humiliation and abuse even though some families promised they would come back.
There was No escape!!
The Magdalene girls is a book set in Ireland 1962.
The story is about two very different young women who end up being sent to the Magdalene Laundries by their families. Teagan is sent there because the new young priest shows an interest in her which is deemed as her fault and a Sin!
Nora was taken there because her family caught her having an encounter with her boyfriend in their house also a Sin.
The Laundries are run by extremely strict and very cruel Nuns of the Catholic Church.
The young women are stripped of their identity, their personalities, their lives they are forced to work and then eat then sleep and pray.
The Nuns had very strange views on what the believed Love was.
They believed that by "teaching" them a lesson it was showing the girls love!
Nora and Teagan soon realise they have become prisoners of the Nuns and soon accept that the only way to survive the torture is to work. However the girls do seem to get themselves in a fair amount of trouble.
One scene in the book sticks in my mind where the 3 girls are made to lay on a cross to be punished. They must not move, eat or drink. Until they are told.
This is just a glimpse into the horrific torture these women face.
I enjoyed reading the book, however I wish we had learnt a little more about the history behind the Magdalene Laundries.
It did make me angry as the girls didn't deserve to be in there.
The way the Sisters treated them was awfull it was almost like they got pleasure from it. Cruel and nasty!
But it also made me very sad and emotional to think this is based on a true story and this did really happen to many, many women.
Overall I would recommend reading this book as it was very powerful and opened my eyes to some of the horrific stories that the girls face in these Laundries.
I received this book from Publisher for a honest and fair review via NetGalley
The story is Raw, hard hitting, poient, Powerful and heartbreaking.
After watching the film and reading the story I felt that the book didn't quiet capture the horrific nature these young women faced.
Some young girls were forced into the Laundries because they was pregnant out of wedlock. They was abused, tortured and worked very hard. Once they had their babies they was taken away. Never to be seen again.
This did not mean these young girls got out. Nope they still had to endure the pain, torture, humiliation and abuse even though some families promised they would come back.
There was No escape!!
The Magdalene girls is a book set in Ireland 1962.
The story is about two very different young women who end up being sent to the Magdalene Laundries by their families. Teagan is sent there because the new young priest shows an interest in her which is deemed as her fault and a Sin!
Nora was taken there because her family caught her having an encounter with her boyfriend in their house also a Sin.
The Laundries are run by extremely strict and very cruel Nuns of the Catholic Church.
The young women are stripped of their identity, their personalities, their lives they are forced to work and then eat then sleep and pray.
The Nuns had very strange views on what the believed Love was.
They believed that by "teaching" them a lesson it was showing the girls love!
Nora and Teagan soon realise they have become prisoners of the Nuns and soon accept that the only way to survive the torture is to work. However the girls do seem to get themselves in a fair amount of trouble.
One scene in the book sticks in my mind where the 3 girls are made to lay on a cross to be punished. They must not move, eat or drink. Until they are told.
This is just a glimpse into the horrific torture these women face.
I enjoyed reading the book, however I wish we had learnt a little more about the history behind the Magdalene Laundries.
It did make me angry as the girls didn't deserve to be in there.
The way the Sisters treated them was awfull it was almost like they got pleasure from it. Cruel and nasty!
But it also made me very sad and emotional to think this is based on a true story and this did really happen to many, many women.
Overall I would recommend reading this book as it was very powerful and opened my eyes to some of the horrific stories that the girls face in these Laundries.
I received this book from Publisher for a honest and fair review via NetGalley
August 22, 2020
3.5 stars rounded down.
In 1962, a young Irish girl,Teagan Tiernan, is sent to The Sisters of the Holy Redemption, a Magdalen Laundry, because a priest was attracted to her. She had done nothing wrong, but no one would believe her. There, girls who were “sinners” were forced to labor in the laundry that was run by the nuns. No one was ever allowed to leave. They were practically starved, severely punished for minor infractions and forced to lead a hopeless life.
Teagan befriends Nora, a spunky, irreverent girl, and Lea, a talented artist who has religious visions. Together they try to make the best of their fates, while Teagan and Nora constantly plot their escape.
This is a story of unrelenting misery at times. These Magdalen Laundries really existed, the last one being closed in 1996(!). A girl who was too pretty, boy crazy, unruly, promiscuous, disobedient, disrespectful or just unwanted could be sent to the laundry for the rest of her life, just on the signature of her parents or guardian. Even as an adult, a girl couldn’t leave unless someone came for her.
The characters are interesting, but not particularly complex. There are some surprises in the story, but some of the plot twists are almost expected. At times, the story has a soap opera feel to it. The writing is OK, but nothing special. The story moves at a fairly good pace and is engaging. There is some magical realism in the story, and a lot of Catholic imagery and rituals, which for me got old after a while.
I liked the book but didn’t love it. Others may enjoy it more.
In 1962, a young Irish girl,Teagan Tiernan, is sent to The Sisters of the Holy Redemption, a Magdalen Laundry, because a priest was attracted to her. She had done nothing wrong, but no one would believe her. There, girls who were “sinners” were forced to labor in the laundry that was run by the nuns. No one was ever allowed to leave. They were practically starved, severely punished for minor infractions and forced to lead a hopeless life.
Teagan befriends Nora, a spunky, irreverent girl, and Lea, a talented artist who has religious visions. Together they try to make the best of their fates, while Teagan and Nora constantly plot their escape.
This is a story of unrelenting misery at times. These Magdalen Laundries really existed, the last one being closed in 1996(!). A girl who was too pretty, boy crazy, unruly, promiscuous, disobedient, disrespectful or just unwanted could be sent to the laundry for the rest of her life, just on the signature of her parents or guardian. Even as an adult, a girl couldn’t leave unless someone came for her.
The characters are interesting, but not particularly complex. There are some surprises in the story, but some of the plot twists are almost expected. At times, the story has a soap opera feel to it. The writing is OK, but nothing special. The story moves at a fairly good pace and is engaging. There is some magical realism in the story, and a lot of Catholic imagery and rituals, which for me got old after a while.
I liked the book but didn’t love it. Others may enjoy it more.
July 17, 2017
I was disappointed that a man was writing about women in such tragic events. He missed the mark. He had very emotional scenes but it was clear he was not in the heart of his characters. Teagan, Lea, and Nora are caught in very emotional situations. He had the details, but not the heart. In some of his most dramatic scenes he seemed to see themthrough a man's eyes.
Sister Anne was an entirely different story, too much back story on her, the focus was the Laundries and the girls. We learned nothing about Sr. Mary-Elizabeht, or Sr. Ruth. I didn't want to be given a reason to feel sorry for her. I liked the twist, but i would have liked the realziation to come from Teagan, not Sr. Anne.
He had good details, and historically correct on most information, but having done my own research and written my own book The Swan Garden on the same topic, I found some things a bit off in his story. Based on my research, but each Laundry was different. There was a great deal of abuse in the Laundries, and it was made clear to the girls the physial punishment would release their sins. As my mother told me about her specific treatment. The abuse was beyond imagineable. He did have good description of inside the Laundries, but i never remember reading about a "Pennitent Room."
It was clear that it was a page-turner with each event, the escapes, the fall, the fire, the visits.
I wanted more heart from the characters based on what they were going through.
Sister Anne was an entirely different story, too much back story on her, the focus was the Laundries and the girls. We learned nothing about Sr. Mary-Elizabeht, or Sr. Ruth. I didn't want to be given a reason to feel sorry for her. I liked the twist, but i would have liked the realziation to come from Teagan, not Sr. Anne.
He had good details, and historically correct on most information, but having done my own research and written my own book The Swan Garden on the same topic, I found some things a bit off in his story. Based on my research, but each Laundry was different. There was a great deal of abuse in the Laundries, and it was made clear to the girls the physial punishment would release their sins. As my mother told me about her specific treatment. The abuse was beyond imagineable. He did have good description of inside the Laundries, but i never remember reading about a "Pennitent Room."
It was clear that it was a page-turner with each event, the escapes, the fall, the fire, the visits.
I wanted more heart from the characters based on what they were going through.
February 6, 2017
The Magdalen Girls is a fictional account of the girls who were imprisoned in Ireland in the Magdalen laundries in the 1960s to learn the errors of their ways. The laundries were managed by Catholic nuns for girls who were deemed unacceptable - either they had a baby out of wedlock, were prostitutes or were merely too pretty and may entice men. The living conditions were extremely harsh as they girls were being rehabilitated with hard work, punishment and prayer.
The Magdalen laundries existed in Ireland (and other counties) from the late 18th until the late 20th century. This novel looks at two characters who were imprisoned in 1962, Both were still virgins but were treated like fallen women - one because a priest paid extra attention to her and one because she made her parents angry because she wanted to escape her current living conditions. The life is extremely primitive and the
punishment is very cruel. I found it difficult to believe that such establishments still existed in the late 20th century.
This was a difficult book to read in parts but from other reading I have done on the subject, it is presented very realistically. It was well written and I learned more about the subject. While it's difficult to say that I 'enjoyed' reading a book about such a horrific subject, I thought it was very well done and I recommend it to people who read historical fiction.
The Magdalen laundries existed in Ireland (and other counties) from the late 18th until the late 20th century. This novel looks at two characters who were imprisoned in 1962, Both were still virgins but were treated like fallen women - one because a priest paid extra attention to her and one because she made her parents angry because she wanted to escape her current living conditions. The life is extremely primitive and the
punishment is very cruel. I found it difficult to believe that such establishments still existed in the late 20th century.
This was a difficult book to read in parts but from other reading I have done on the subject, it is presented very realistically. It was well written and I learned more about the subject. While it's difficult to say that I 'enjoyed' reading a book about such a horrific subject, I thought it was very well done and I recommend it to people who read historical fiction.
August 3, 2020
Probably 3.5 stars. The biggest drawback is that without reading the cover blurb the reader does not know when this book is set, unless they are very familiar with which songs were released in 1962. This is not the first book I've read about the Magdalen Laundries, where girls were sent, supposedly for the sakes of their souls, but often merely because they had somehow offended the church authorities. Their they spent their days laboring to clean and mend the laundry that supported the establishment. This is the story of three such girls, Teagan, Nora, and Lea, and their trials and tribulations. While it is well worth reading, it is also an uncomfortable book to read. Recommended.
November 23, 2019
This is Historical Fiction set in Dublin in 1962. It is about a catholic run laundry aka a prison of sorts for "fallen" girls. They are under lock and key and are worked hard. I loved the historical part of this. This reformatory (of sorts) which was run by nuns was kind of fascinating, but mostly tragic. I'm glad the author didn't go for the easy feel-good red bow moments. Instead, just when something bad happens and you are expecting some resolution, something even worse happens. I like the unexpected.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. But there were some threads that begged for more enlightenment. Okay, I was the one begging. At the end, I still had questions. So 3 stars.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. But there were some threads that begged for more enlightenment. Okay, I was the one begging. At the end, I still had questions. So 3 stars.
September 17, 2022
Dublin, 1962. In historical fiction author V.S. Alexander's The Magdalen Girls, we're introduced to a terrible time in Ireland's history . . . the Magdalen Laundries.
In this novel, we're introduced to Teagan Tiernan, an innocent girl who attends a welcoming event at her local church to meet the new pastor, but who unfortunately gets entangled in bigger issues, and Nora Craven who only wants a normal life, but like Teagan gets entangled in unwanted situations.
During this time period, the convent that housed these 'Magdalen Laundries' which was run by the Catholic Church, wanted the main intention behind them to act as a way to wash away the sins of the women who ended up there. Unfortunately, these women who ended up there were ones who were falsely accused of anything and included unwed mothers. To put a name better - I'll use "fallen women".
To explain better what 'Magdalen Girls' means, I present these two quotes to you below:
"Are you familiar with the meaning of the picture (of Mary Magdalene on her knees washing the feet of Jesus Christ)"? The painting depicts Mary Magdalene - a fallen woman who devoted the final days of her life to our Lord. He cast out the devils from her soul. She became His follower and witnessed His Crucifixion and Resurrection. We wish the same salvation, the same path to grace for the girls and women here, who come to us as fallen".
"You are here because you sinned. Many arrive because they are about to succumb, but you have committed a mortal sin, a deliberate and deceitful act, which requires your expiation".
Women during this time period had no real voice - no way to express their feelings and emotions of what they were accused of - they had to just accept what their “sins” were and hope for the best.
This novel gives readers a sense of what life was like in 1962 Dublin in these "Magdalen Laundries", and also a story of friendship in unfortunate circumstances and hope.
In this novel, we're introduced to Teagan Tiernan, an innocent girl who attends a welcoming event at her local church to meet the new pastor, but who unfortunately gets entangled in bigger issues, and Nora Craven who only wants a normal life, but like Teagan gets entangled in unwanted situations.
During this time period, the convent that housed these 'Magdalen Laundries' which was run by the Catholic Church, wanted the main intention behind them to act as a way to wash away the sins of the women who ended up there. Unfortunately, these women who ended up there were ones who were falsely accused of anything and included unwed mothers. To put a name better - I'll use "fallen women".
To explain better what 'Magdalen Girls' means, I present these two quotes to you below:
"Are you familiar with the meaning of the picture (of Mary Magdalene on her knees washing the feet of Jesus Christ)"? The painting depicts Mary Magdalene - a fallen woman who devoted the final days of her life to our Lord. He cast out the devils from her soul. She became His follower and witnessed His Crucifixion and Resurrection. We wish the same salvation, the same path to grace for the girls and women here, who come to us as fallen".
"You are here because you sinned. Many arrive because they are about to succumb, but you have committed a mortal sin, a deliberate and deceitful act, which requires your expiation".
Women during this time period had no real voice - no way to express their feelings and emotions of what they were accused of - they had to just accept what their “sins” were and hope for the best.
This novel gives readers a sense of what life was like in 1962 Dublin in these "Magdalen Laundries", and also a story of friendship in unfortunate circumstances and hope.
August 20, 2017
The Magdalen Girls focused on a subject of history that I didn’t know much about, the Magdalene Laundries/Asylums. The Magdalen Laundries were mostly based in Ireland in the 20th century. It is where promiscuous, rebellious or unwed pregnant girls were sent to learn the error of their ways. Catholic nuns managed the Laundries and tried to rehabilitate the girls through hard work, punishment and prayer. It’s a black mark on the churches’ history for the horrific abuse these girls suffered.
The author does a good job at explaining the awful living conditions these girls endured in the name of G-d. Each chapter switched between one of our two protagonists (with a couple from the nun) allowing the reader to more fully understand who these girls were and how they adjusted to their new roles as a Magdalen girls. Each girl there was different, yet they were forced into the same mind numbing, unjust life of forced labor.
The story was intriguing, but writing itself was a little too simplistic for me to consider it well executed. Even the twist at the end felt weak, as there wasn’t enough substance to make the reader invest in it. Often I knew what was going to happen, making the storylines rather predictable. Nonetheless, I’m still glad I got a glimpse into the lives of the women that my only prior reference came from the Joni Mitchell song, The Magdalene Laundries. This YouTube video offers disturbing yet helpful visuals after reading the book.
The author does a good job at explaining the awful living conditions these girls endured in the name of G-d. Each chapter switched between one of our two protagonists (with a couple from the nun) allowing the reader to more fully understand who these girls were and how they adjusted to their new roles as a Magdalen girls. Each girl there was different, yet they were forced into the same mind numbing, unjust life of forced labor.
The story was intriguing, but writing itself was a little too simplistic for me to consider it well executed. Even the twist at the end felt weak, as there wasn’t enough substance to make the reader invest in it. Often I knew what was going to happen, making the storylines rather predictable. Nonetheless, I’m still glad I got a glimpse into the lives of the women that my only prior reference came from the Joni Mitchell song, The Magdalene Laundries. This YouTube video offers disturbing yet helpful visuals after reading the book.
November 9, 2016
A thoughtful and surprisingly complex novel about the women in an Magdalen laundry, both the nuns and the "penitents". It did not fall into the typical trap of demonizing or glorifying any, instead showing realistic motives for the nuns who meant well and for those who committed the girls to enforced labor for anything from a misunderstanding to a deliberate act. Nothing was belabored, and Sister Anne's own inward struggle and personal motivation brought added depth.
From Nora, who had tried to escape the craziness of home, to Teagan with other issues and the slightly touched artistic Lea, the girls have lives and characters of their own, hopes and expectations. Some of the Magdalen girls were all but institutionalized, unable to picture any other life and most likely unable to survive in the outside world, while others were desperate to escape their sacred prison but still managed to find solace in friendship. Readers of Noel Stretfeild's books may recognize some elements of the institution (especially in Thursday's Child).
There were scenes of sadness, of confusion, loss, bitterness and anger as well as scenes of hope, regret and joy, and the final resolution felt like an appropriate settlement.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From Nora, who had tried to escape the craziness of home, to Teagan with other issues and the slightly touched artistic Lea, the girls have lives and characters of their own, hopes and expectations. Some of the Magdalen girls were all but institutionalized, unable to picture any other life and most likely unable to survive in the outside world, while others were desperate to escape their sacred prison but still managed to find solace in friendship. Readers of Noel Stretfeild's books may recognize some elements of the institution (especially in Thursday's Child).
There were scenes of sadness, of confusion, loss, bitterness and anger as well as scenes of hope, regret and joy, and the final resolution felt like an appropriate settlement.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2016
Excellent novel about three girls who are sentenced to work in one of Dublin's Magdalen Laundries in the 1960's. Based on true stories this book gives the reader a view into the horrendous living and working conditions the girls and women imprisoned there had to endure. The book was riveting and very hard to put down. A great choice for book clubs!
June 2, 2017
An awesome read. This story has not been exploited as the sexual abuse scandal of priests because of the nature of the Magdalen girls. The girls were categorized as fallen women. Girls were sent to the laundries managed by nuns in a convent.The institutions often managed made the Magdalen girl unfit to adjust to a normal life outside the laundry.
January 23, 2017
I had no idea this was being done. I knew the Irish church took away the babies of unwed mothers but not that they were kept prisoners. And that it was done in the UK, Scotland & USA.
February 17, 2020
Moving historical drama about life inside an organization run by the Catholic Church for “fallen women”. It’s easy to feel for the three main characters as they try to survive and grow up under difficult circumstances and in a world reluctant to hear their voices. I didn’t know anything about Magdalen homes or laundries before reading this novel, but it’s heartbreaking and disappointing that the organization was able to function as it did, depleting the spirits of so many women and children. I would highly recommend this fascinating tale.
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