Lilli de Jong

A Novel

De: Janet Benton

Narrado por: Erin Moon

Pregnant, abandoned by her lover, and banished from her Quaker home and teaching position, Lilli de Jong enters a charity for wronged women to deliver her child. She is stunned at how much her infant needs her and at how quickly their bond overpowers her heart. Mothers in her position have no sensible alternative to giving up their children, but Lilli can't bear such an outcome. Determined to chart a path toward an independent life, Lilli braves moral condemnation and financial ruin in a quest to keep herself and her baby alive.

Confiding their story to her diary as it unfolds, Lilli takes listeners from an impoverished charity to a wealthy family's home to the perilous streets of a burgeoning American city. Lilli de Jong is at once a historical saga, an intimate romance, and a lasting testament to the work of mothers. "So little is permissible for a woman," writes Lilli, "yet on her back every human climbs to adulthood."

©2017 Janet Benton (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

This Book Is Everything

If you are a woman at any stage of life...teen to elderly...this should be required reading. I left this book wanting to scream of the injustices done to women and children for the sake of appearances. All Christians should be required to read this as well, to better understand forgiveness of our fellow man. Loved it.

informative and depressing

I enjoyed the historical setting and the culture of the Friends. The writing was good . The story was interesting but way too sad. The dwelling on the sad events and the constant description of nursing babies made me fast forward sometimes.

Page turning tale of unwed mother in 1800’s Philly

Vivid portrait of time (late 1800’s) place (Philadelphia area) and circumstance (unwed mother). I was ready to put my coat on and rush to Germantown to save her & her baby! Deftly put and diligently researched. A big hit at our book club. Recommending this book to everyone.

Magnificent book.

I just finished reading Lilli De Jong. Wow! So heart wrenching, poetic, my goodness the language is truly magnificent. The light portrayed inside this young woman unstoppable.

I could not put it down. Truly touched my heart and that of so many young women/Mother’s that have suffered the wrath of unfairness and inequality through the ages.

Highly recommend. Well researched as a historic novel. The narrator was wonderful too, her speech so eloquent.

GSR

Sent from my iPhone

Well written,beautifully read ,Informative

I was totally captivated by Lillie’s story- I found myself yelling at her to go her father in spite of her fears. I loved that the author drew on facts from the actual setting in Philadelphia and from the Quaker religion. Thank you Ms. Benton!

Fabulous!

Wonderful story. Exceptionally well written! I loved the author’s note at the end explaining the history of wet nurses, morality in the 1800s and Quaker beliefs.

The Bravery of Mothers

Incredible journey of perseverance and determination as well as a commitment to preservation of self in spite of circumstances.

A Beautifully told story

This story is about a young Quaker girl that has a baby out of wedlock in the mid 1800s in Pennsylvania. Lilli was in love with the baby’s father and planned to marry him, but due to unfortunate circumstances she gave birth without being married. She was cast out of her home and ends up scrambling to survive and keep her baby alive. It is heartbreaking how difficult the struggles that Lilli and women like her have had to endure. It may seem unusual to describe such a story as beautiful, but it was truly told in a beautiful way. I absolutely loved it!

Summary

I loved everything about this book. Incredible story about a mothers love for her child.

One of the best historical fictions ever!!

Just to let you know, I’m a literary snob. This book is extraordinarily well written and researched. The plot is an old one, the plight of the unwed mother, but the author’s protagonist gave a fresh and convincing take on it. I could not stop listening!