The Home for Unwanted Girls

By: Joanna Goodman

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Philomena meets The Orphan Train in this suspenseful, provocative novel filled with love, secrets, and deceit - the story of a young unwed mother who is forcibly separated from her daughter at birth and the lengths to which they go to find each other.

In 1950s Quebec, French and English tolerate each other with precarious civility - much like Maggie Hughes' parents. Maggie's English-speaking father has ambitions for his daughter that don't include marriage to the poor French boy on the next farm over. But Maggie's heart is captured by Gabriel Phénix. When she becomes pregnant at 15, her parents force her to give baby Elodie up for adoption and get her life "back on track".

Elodie is raised in Quebec's impoverished orphanage system. It's a precarious enough existence that takes a tragic turn when Elodie, along with thousands of other orphans in Quebec, is declared mentally ill as the result of a new law that provides more funding to psychiatric hospitals than to orphanages. Bright and determined, Elodie withstands abysmal treatment at the nuns' hands, finally earning her freedom at 17, when she is thrust into an alien, often unnerving world.

Maggie, married to a businessman eager to start a family, cannot forget the daughter she was forced to abandon, and a chance reconnection with Gabriel spurs a wrenching choice. As time passes, the stories of Maggie and Elodie intertwine but never touch, until Maggie realizes she must take what she wants from life and go in search of her long-lost daughter, finally reclaiming the truth that has been denied them both.

©2018 Joanna Goodman (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Amazing

I absolutely loved it, I feel like it was a very realistic struggle to find Maggie's daughter but absolutely amazing

Good Book

Although some parts of the book were slow, overall it was good. Heartbreaking and happy! There were several times I cried, knowing the story could be based on true events. I would recommend this book if the reader has a tender heart.

WOW awesome story

I would recommend this book to the world. There was nothing to dislike it was truly enjoyable.
Patricia B

A review for men

This review is for the men out there like me that spend the majority of our time listening /reading authors like Vince Flynn, Nelson Demille and David Baldacci. Give yourself a break from the thrills, mystery and adventure of these authors provide and try this wonderful audio presentation and beautifully crafted drama. This book will take you on a emotional ride that us macho men rarely venture

Very Good 😊

I love this Narrator, she can do a French accent like no one else. I’m sure she speaks this language too as she shows in the book.
The story is a sad one, but anything to do with these Horrible Nuns back in the 50’s and of course many horrible Catholic Homes for Unwanted Kids go back further than this is just so awful. The worst part is this is all true even though this book is fiction.
It’s just hard and sad to think that these kids really did go through this horror.
This keeps you going and grips your interest in this book. I really liked listening to this book since the story was sad, but a very good listen.

the Most Rewarding Book I've Listened to in Ages

I simply don't have the words to describe this eloquently told poignant story of mother and daughter. Other than I am so grateful it came into my life.

Pleasant surprise

This book is based on a what really happened to orphans in Quebec
It was well written and I could not stop listening
Excellent book

A very touching and loving book

I loved everything about this book. The narrative was superb. I couldn’t lay it down. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The bond between a mother and child that never died. Loved it!

Really enjoyed this book!

Beautifully written and narrated. Those situations and conditions existed. I was born in 1957, and at the age of eleven and twelve, went to border school with Dominican nuns in Germany. I had a great mother, the nuns were great, and the education was first rate. I even became good friends with the Mother Superior at the time, because I was sent upstairs to her office a few times for being involved in mischief. I shudder to think about how different my experience could have been as an orphan. I am very glad that this story had a good ending, when I'm sure the majority of orphaned children didn't.
Scotty
Audible addict

Love this book!

The story was so mesmerizing that I hated to turn it off, I couldn't wait until I had free to to continue it.