The Magdalen Girls

By: V.S. Alexander

Narrated by: Alana Kerr Collins

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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 16-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.

©2016 V.S. Alexander (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Captivating

Great story about love, life, tragedy and injustice. Excellent and hard to believe these laundries existed.

Captivating

Such an incredible story. It’s amazing how these real life stories have been covered up by so many for so long.

Great Historical Fiction

I felt the pain and misery of the main characters and for those real women whose situations paralleled the story's characters.

Well worth the listen

Maybe written as a book of fiction, but I recognize many truths in here having heard some of the stories over the years from elders. . .

excellent narrator

very sad very worth it, you find yourself rooting for the girls and hating the catholic church

Great book. Great reader.

Shocking what you can learn when reading this historical fiction account of wash houses and the damage they did.

Loved it!

This book kept me entranced right to the end! A great, great read! Loved it!

Outstanding historical fiction

The story was riveting. Women were isolated and punished by the Catholic church with no recourse. While this story is fiction, the author notes that such institutions were active until 1962.

Hard to follow

Really good book. However it’s hard to follow along. It goes between different characters point of view through out the story. The narrator doesn’t say it’s changed nor does she change her voice. It’s hard to follow who they are talking about. Otherwise, the story is well written. I might try and read it in paper form so I get a better understanding.

Beautifully written.

I enjoyed this story very much. The book was succinct and subtle while creating the emotion and empathy that brings out the characters. One thing though - there were no 737’s in 1962.