Philomena meets 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 … 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 fifteen, 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 seventeen, 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.
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This story takes place in rural Canada, near Montreal, and during a different period, the 1950’s. We are shown a family where there isn’t really a lot of love shown, the parents don’t seem to like one another, he is English and she is French, and like the Province they are like oil and water.
A young couple get caught up and the result is an unwanted pregnancy, and at that time it was an embarrassment, and the child was put up for adoption, or so they thought.
The author shows us a blight on history, the story is historical in nature as this horrible event really did happen. Oh, so very sad, and when you realize it is true it makes it even worse, and we put faces to this tragedy, and the reason this happened? Greed!
Heartbreaking page turner, and then the lies, yes, you will wish harm to the people who claim to be people of the church, they are wolves in sheep clothing for sure.
Be careful this one will rip you heart, and have the tissues handy.
I received this book through Library Thing and the Publisher Harper Paperbacks, and was not required to give a positive review.
I loved this book! So many emotions! Love, anger, frustration, happiness, and many more! It is very well written and you won’t be able to put it down.
The heart-breaking tragedies spelled out in this novel really opened my eyes to the issues with orphanages in the past. It was well worth the time to read it.
This is a must read. What a heartbreaking story but oh so good! Based in my birth province of Quebec in the 1950s, the way these poor orphan girls were treated, by nuns none-the-less, was shameful. You don’t need to be Canadian to get this story. In the end, it’s about a mother’s love for the child she was forced to give up. Full of wonderful characters, beautiful writing, I give this book 5 stars which I don’t do often.
I loved this book
The Home for Unwanted Girls was based the true story of the Duplessis Orphans. I just can’t imagine the greed and lack of morality that allowed these events to happen. It was such a sad story to see how one of these orphans would have grown up and also the pain of having a child taken from you just because you are an unwed teenage mother. The parallel stories of Maggie and Elodie is one full of sadness and their search to be reunited. They both had hope squashed at every turn. The characters were believable and well constructed and the story kept me fully engaged. I would recommend this book.
I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t think I would at first. I would definitely recommend this book!
This painful, heartbreaking story chronicles the heinous treatment of orphan children in Quebec, Canada in the 1950s, and the heartfelt need for a mother to reconnect with her emotionally-scarred child. I was angry, sad, perplexed and relieved while reading this book, and honestly look forward to reading more books by this author.
Not only was this a great love story but it was a story of how unbreakable the human spirt is in all characters overcoming all obstacles in their lives. it showed great character development through the book and this made it more realistic. Overall i enjoyed the tale.
This book is about a sad state-of-affairs as to why institutional orphanages were closed. Not that foster homes are the total answer.
The fact remains that when a child is left to by their parents, their lives are never the same. (I was one of those children). As the saying goes, “there is no better love than a mother’s love.” When children were placed in the Ireland orphanages during their terrible potato plight, they were at the mercy of a group of people who may have cared, but how can you adequately watch and care for a multitude of frightened, grieving children who suddenly are left to a system not set up for nurturing? The only needs that get met (and minimally at best) are food, shelter and sleeping under a roof.
This is one story that is heartbreaking because it is full of abuse, and shows how overwhelmed caregivers can become so hardened that the children are left in their care are severely victimized.
This is one story of a gal who survived the horrendous abuse of an orphanage, but had the courage to make a life for herself. I applaud her for telling her story.
What a book. Oh my goodness! A must read.
Interesting story based on true events.
Great story good ending well written
A hard to read at times, but worth it, kind of story.
Very fast read. Good characters, but a predictable ending. It was clearly well researched and well written.
Tragic to think that such a thing like this actually happened.
What a wonderful book!! I read it so fast! I couldn’t put it down! I’m going to read more books from this author!!
Felt like the author ran out of steam at the end. A rich story that “resolved” incredibly quickly; rang hollow.
I should not read these books that make me both so angry that I find myself crying and happy that I again find myself crying.
I can’t say that the book reminds me of “The Darkest Child” but in some ways, it leaves me with the same gut feeling. What I know though, is that this time in Canada’s history with those orphanages reminds me of the holocaust. It was just vicious. Barbaric.
Can you imagine all the hurt people goes through in life. How about the lengths some people go to inflict these hurt.
I am glad this family could find themselves back. As hard as it must have been being apart, I’m sure it’s just as hard moving forward. The guilt, the hurt, some level of resentment and yet, love… hope
Based on true events, this is a very sad story of a teenage mother forced to give up her child for adoption. She is not permitted to be with the boy she fell in love with either. The story covers the struggles she endures to find her daughter. This makes you think of how cruel life can be.