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BOOK SYNOPSIS

"Wayward girls is all about the power of female bonds... this isn't just a moment in time - it's a cautionary tale." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

"After decades of bestsellers, Wayward Girls might be Susan Wiggs' opus. A gut-wrenching story of survival, friendship, and justice. Masterful." - Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming work of historical fiction based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption. Set in the turbulent Vietnam era in the All-American city of Buffalo, New York, six girls are condemned to forced labor in the laundry of a Catholic reform school, an institution reminiscent of the notorious Magdalene Laundries...

In this compelling coming-of-age story, we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd in 1968 - a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns - locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin - free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela - denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen - the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa - caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise - sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life.

Janice - deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay - except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette - rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of female friendship as young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption... and justice.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-ups

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ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Publisher: William Morrow

Publish Date: July 15, 2025

Pages: 400

Dimensions: 9.0 X 6.0 X 1.1 inches | 1.79 pounds

Language: English

Type: Hardcover

Condition: NEW

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