Maggie

by Catherine Johns

A priest unable to contain his desires; a schoolgirl starved for affection and hoping to escape from a violent, alcoholic father - this is the story of MAGGIE, based on an incredible true story. Dreaming of breaking free from her troubled family, Maggie becomes entangled instead in a taboo relationship - first at school in the Hunter Valley, then at university in Sydney - with the older Father Nihill. As a result, Maggie's hopes of freedom and success seem thwarted. Yet exile and banishment lead her in unexpected directions. Balancing deceptively spare prose and descriptions of 1960s Australian life that are by turns starkly confronting and exquisitely beautiful, MAGGIE is the story of a complex, forbidden relationship and a woman who both loses and finds herself anew.

336 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2021

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge congratulations to Catherine Johns on her debut, this is a beautifully written story that tells the story of Maggie from her days as a border in a convent high school, it tells about her life at home and it shows the strength and determination that she never gave up on no matter how hard life got.

We meet Maggie during her last year of high school she has been dux of the school and at the convent boarding school on a scholarship, Maggie is working hard to get another scholarship for university she wants to be a scholar and aims high, She comes from a family that struggles her father is a drunk and abusive and home is the last place she wants to be, her best friend is Delia and she has told only her about her home life.

Father Lloyd Nihill arrives at the church and runs the young catholic society and he takes and instant liking to Maggie they get on really well and with Maggie craving affection it is not long before the pair are entangled in a taboo and forbidden secretive affair which must be kept secret, this continues on even when Maggie gets to Sydney and Macquarie University, where the relationship gets even more involved and will now change Maggie’s life even more.

The author has written this story based on a true story and I had to keep remembering it was written about the way things were in the 1960’s when men were able to get away with more than they do today and the Catholic Church seemed to as well, I am not Catholic but I did find the story upsetting at times. The story is complex, complicated and a bit thorny but told so well and Maggie stayed strong through it all and eventually came out the other side settled, I think anyway. It is a great read, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

My thanks to Hachette AU for my copy to read and review.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t hooked on this book. It was slow and uninteresting. To me there was no real
Story there.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1967 and Maggie Reed has gained a scholarship and is heading off to university. Having had a tough life due to her drunken father who abused her mother, Maggie has grown up not knowing what love and caring were.

When Maggie crosses paths with Father LIyod Nihill there is an instant liking for him, but Maggie is craving affection something she has missed out on all of her life. As time passes feelings between the two of them turn into more than friendship and this will change both their lives forever.

Maggie by Aussie author Catherine Johns is a well-written and thought-provoking novel. I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what this author writes next. Recommended.

[Anna Loder · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully done novel. You could feel what it was like to be a teenage girl in the 60s, I really grew to love and understand Maggie and I think the novel did a wonderful job and describing being part of a power imbalanced relationship. Also womens rights, and of course the power of the Catholic Church in the 60s and 70s..What a coming of age.

[Margaret Galbraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

To think this is based on a true story made this all the more sad.

I really enjoyed this book which is a debut novel by Australian author Catherine Johns. “Her short stories have been published in Meanjin and Island magazine. One of these was shortlisted for The Age short story competition” (taken from the author blurb at the end). She has also taught English and French in Melbourne secondary schools and English in TAFE. She now lives and writes in Melbourne.

What a well written book as a first novel. The blurb on the back drew me in as it mentioned how it all began Autumn 1967 when Maggie was at high school. I was called Maggie then and went to high school 1966-72. There the similarities ended.

Maggie is a top class student and was dux of her school in year 6. She also gained two scholarships for university and took the Commonwealth one. I’m not Catholic so I could never understand the ‘restrictions’ and celibacy put on nuns and priests … or did it? Not in Maggie’s case which ended in pregnancy. Some parts it is very predictable but I kept reading as curiosity got the better of me to see how this predicament panned out.

Maggie didn’t have a good home life she boarded at the school and was supposed to go home weekends but she rarely did and made excuses she needed to go to the library and study. I think the attention she got from Father Nihill the new curate made her feel so good as she craved love and attention. It’s a sad story of a young girl taken advantage of but one which brings to light those in so called trusted professions who abuse their power. I was horrified at some parts of the way she was treated as if it’s ok “we can fix this with a phone call” said by senior men in the religion. I’m not saying they are all like that but it just seems to be prevalent in the news even today!

Innocence gone in a split second by a naive young girl but she was blamed for it all as it couldn’t be the other party’s fault? It disgusted me in parts but it is so well written and I know it “takes two to tango” as the saying goes. Things seemed to work out in the end but Maggie now pregnant again and a toddler, when she mentions to Lloyd, who has now given up his ‘calling’, tells him she wants to go back to university. He said I don’t want to be with someone who has a better job than me! Male chauvinism at its worst.

Sorry if there spoilers here but there no other way for me to say how I felt about this book. I have nothing at all against men as I’m happily married and have many male friends but when it comes to abuse against young children or any woman (or boys or men) of any age it gets my back up by these so called leaders in society.

Maggie now on her own with two children is back at university and doing what she wanted to do in the first place but she is still haunted by what might have been if she’d never met Father Nihill. She goes back to a reunion at her old school where a lot has changed even the rooms have changed to a degree they are almost unrecognisable and the school is mixed now, boys and girls. Even the gardens are no longer the same so for Maggie it makes going back a little easier.

If only she’d had the courage to tell in the beginning her life may have been much easier but she was told never to tell as it was their secret. Her embarrassment of being taken advantage of ruled her life as her mum had enough going on with an abusive husband so she said she couldn’t hurt her and kept everything to herself. She did tell Delia her best friend but she was sworn to secrecy. What a huge thing to keep to save face for the priesthood. What shocked me more was the way it was handled by the head priests who more often less told Father Nihill he was a lucky man and told Maggie it’s ok I know who to call to “fix this” as it had obviously happened before with many other young girls. I’m totally disgusted by this lack of empathy and compassion.

Maggie could not go through with their suggestions as it was against her ‘religion’ and beliefs. Just a young naive girl coerced into thinking for once she was special. So much to say about this book but if you’re still interested I’d recommend it as a quick read. I got sad and I got angry at the same time but I also understood her feelings.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘For more than twenty-five years after I left school, I put up a shield against memory.’

An unsettling debut novel which may be triggering for some readers.

In 1967, Maggie Reed hopes to escape from her dysfunctional and abusive family in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales by doing well at school and then attending university in Sydney. Maggie has a boarding scholarship at an all-girl Catholic high school and is doing well when she becomes enamoured with Father Nihill, the young new Catholic priest. Sigh. Yes, we know this will not end well.

Maggie finishes high school and starts her studies at university. The affair between her and Father Nihill continues, with predictable consequences. And, while various members of the Catholic hierarchy are happy to procure an abortion for Maggie (the hypocrisy), she insists on having (and keeping) her child. Father Nihill leaves the priesthood and he and Maggie marry. But there’s no enlightenment here: Maggie’s further education is sacrificed as she fits into the (then traditional) role of mother and wife. Estranged from her family initially, Maggie makes the best of the situation. Will she ever be able to follow her dreams?

I am old enough to remember the 1960s. We still had a moral double standard which seemed to support ‘looking down’ at unmarried mothers while it was considered fine for males to ‘sow their wild oats’. However, this freedom did not apply to Catholic priests.

As I read this novel, I moved between feeling sorry for Maggie, angry with Father Nihill and the Catholic hierarchy, and annoyed with the hypocrisy and double standards. I admired Maggie’s strength while decrying some of her choices. I loathed Father Nihill. It is some weeks now, since I finished the novel, and I find myself thinking about all the women who have walked the same path as Maggie.

A disturbing read.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Caren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped that the author would move away from excessive melodrama and explore the intensity of her story with more than the stereotyped characters and plotline. Johns' depiction of Australia in the 1960s portrayed the conservatism that stifled the personal growth of Maggie, an unhappy Catholic teenager caught in a volatile home situation that left her vulnerable and in need of love. Johns presented Maggie as scholarly, yet naive. It came as no surprise, therefore, that she fell into a relationship with her parish priest, readers doubting his sincerity and motivation right from the start.

The narrative followed the expected path of secrecy, isolation, and crushed hopes for Maggie's academic future as she struggled to survive her loss of innocence. With every added disappointment and Maggie's blindness to reality, the novel lost its strength and followed an oft-repeated pattern that took away from its uniqueness. This was especially the case in Johns' portrait of Lloyd, the narcissistic priest, and of his male friends. Added threats to Maggie's safety after she became pregnant presented an overload of side stories that I found unnecessary.

(SPOILER ALERT)
I continued reading until the end, hopeful that Maggie would stand up for herself and rebuild her own life, independent of Lloyd's. A rushed Epilogue brought readers up to date some decades later. Again, I was disappointed in the way Johns felt it necessary to supply the "happy" ending.

[Kerry RM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Neils Escher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing first novel. Reads like a classic. A school girl escapes her violent home in an epic tale. I could not put it down.

[Dorothy Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this is a gorgeous book. It is so beautifully written, and so compelling, that I could hardly put it down. Finally, a book to curl up to! It charts the story of a young Maggie - who has extreme talent, dreams and aspirations, all to be thwarted by her unexpected “love affair” (can we call it that?) with Father Nihill - just at the most important time in her life - her last year of school. However, she is so convincingly young and naive, she doesn’t see it that way. It’s only from the readers adult lens we can see it that way. The author Catherine Johns is so clever as to keep telling the story from all angles, as the naive and innocent young girl she is, but still keep it so intriguing and brilliantly written. I was in awe of her writing all throughout. Whilst it's set in the 60s, her writing is modern and current. I can’t wait to read more from this debut author.

[Vivi Widodo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie, seventeen years old - comes from a troubled family, with a drunk father who frequently abused her mum. She finally can leave the house when she gets a scholarship to study in a convent Catholic school. 

One morning, after a Mass, she meets a Catholic priest, Father Nihill, whom she then involved in a forbidden taboo relationship. This relationship made Maggie fail to achieve her quest to get a good higher education.

I am no longer a fan of religion constitution and reading this book certainly doesn't help - how the religion constitution tries to do a cover up is just sickening.
This  novel is a debut from Catherine Johns, it's really engaging and thought provoking with Maggie as a protagonist who describes as a fighter, despite her naivety of love.
I am really intrigued of what inspired this author to write this book.

[Tracy Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Dymocks Karrinyup and Hachette Australia for my uncorrected proof copy.
I enjoyed reading about Maggie and her quest to get a good education so she could escape her family life and be free to support herself. Unfortunately, being 1967 and falling for a Catholic priest was her downfall. It is a love story, but complicated because although Maggie wants to be loved she also doesn't want to be tied down by marriage and soon finds her life is out of her control and in the hands of Catholic priests. Women's rights back then hardly existed and she really had to fight for what she wanted. The book portrays her struggle and dilemma really well and is quite emotional in places. The only let down for me was the ending. It kind of wrapped up a bit suddenly and left you wondering what happened to Maggie in the decades long gap since she left University until the reunuion at the end. Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A debut novel by Aussie author Catherine Jones is a moving coming-of-age saga with a disturbing premise. It’s 1967 and Maggie Reed is seventeen, headed for University, when she becomes enamoured with the dynamic new Catholic priest. The consequences of this relationship are played out over the years and is a tribute to women, as represented in Maggie’s journey, survival and gaslighting. The narrative accurately captures the tumult of the times and the blossoming of a life, in all its nuanced ambiguity of self-realisation. Despite the discomfort with the crux of the story, it’s a salutary tale of religion, relationships and the survival of the human spirit. Whilst not for everyone, as certain depictions may trigger some readers, it’s a hopeful ode to a woman’s self-dignity. So, whilst not ignoring the underlying abuse, this is a powerful tale with four stars read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

[Lyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy reading Maggie's story, which was typical of how society treated young unmarried women at that particular time. The churches played their part as well in covering up the indiscretions of their own. I wanted it all to work out for Maggie, but somehow had a gut feeling that Lloyd would not prove to be the person she wanted or thought him to be. I felt for Maggie as she struggled to keep her baby against the advice of the so called experts, and admired her strength and determination to do just that.
I was disappointed in the Epilogue - I don't know how I wanted it to end, but I felt a little let down with what seemed to be an afterthought of the author to include an update of sorts.

[Peter Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable first novel. It's a powerful story of vulnerability exploited, and Maggie as both its victim and its centre of consciousness (unself-pitying, occasionally recording events with an oddly detached bemusement) is a completely authentic subject. There's a compelling logic in the destruction of innocence, and the risk for the author is that it becomes relentlessly grim; but at its heart is a spirit of resilience, which - served by the very high quality of the writing - meets that challenge head-on, and overcomes it. Some flames can't be quenched, and thankfully Maggie's turns out to be one of them.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject matter of this novel is deeply disturbing and it’s juxtaposition against some truly beautiful, evocative writing makes for a magnificent debut.

Maggie is difficult to like - her passivity, her obtuseness and her willingness to let things happen to her make her a frustrating character. My one criticism is that it was difficult to believe that such an intelligent young woman could be so fooled by the manipulative Lloyd and his equally vile colleague Vince.

Heartbreaking, thoroughly engrossing and highly recommended.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In it 1967 and Maggie is a smart, young catholic girl hoping to escape her violent drunken father by winning a scholarship to university in Sydney. In her last year of school she meets the new curate, Father Lloyd Nihill, and she is drawn into a taboo relationship with him. Maggie is a naive country girl, and no one had really paid her any attention, or told her she is beautiful, but she has to keep it a secret.
A beautifully written story of 1960’s Australia, about lost innocence, lost dreams, and a power imbalance.

[Robyn Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I was disappointed as I felt that it was predictable, which it was, but the storyline proved it had more. Such a controversial issue and I thought it was brave writing about it. Such a sad life but I believe that back in the years that this book was written about, girls really were not listened to and were made to feel like the guilty one. Glad Maggie kept her baby, as many did not in those days and happy that Maggie achieved something in her life in the end - her dream was finally achieved.

[Amanda Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read which I consumed in 3 quick sessions. It was very compelling with a mix of sadness, happiness, discovery, resilience and strength, so beautifully and creatively written. I could not put the book down which is an amazing sign for me. A huge congratulations to this author who I believe has just written her first! I so look forward to more and I'll be sure to tell my friends and family...

[Vicki Robe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was very well written and had great characters. The topic was the part that got me stirred up. If priests were allowed to get married maybe they would leave young girls and boys alone.

The way Maggie was treated throughout the story is appalling and no doubt that would have happened in the past, probably frequently.

It was a very thought provoking read and something that shouldn't be swept under the carpet!

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for book club. Found it frustrating, annoying, unsettling and unsatisfying. What I really wanted to know about the main character Maggie, we were never told. With the description of child grooming and abuse, I skimmed through a lot of the first half of the book as I don’t like reading that type of thing. This book could be very triggering for some people.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very very thought provoking and well written. A must read and intriguing, this feels like a true story to me.

[Laurena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sarah Ciacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Chelsea Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me feeling sad. I felt so much for Maggie and having her innocence taken.

[Roxanne Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devastatingly tragic!!! Resilience.

[Gee Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disappointed with ending not specific enough