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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A moving story about events I wasn’t aware took place….
The book was a real page turner. It is hard to believe that nuns who should have been godly were so evil.
I little hard start, but excellent.
Thank you for writing this story. It is a terrible unjustice that is not spoken about.
Sadly, this is a true story of man’s inhumanity to man. Wonderfully written but it brought me to tears.
The treatment of orphan girls in French Canada in the 1950’s.
A heart wrenching look at the orphaneges of Quebec in the 1950s , 1960s and 1970. The girls were thought of as sinful.
Maggie Hughes is the 15-year old daughter of an English speaking Canadian father and a French mother living in Quebec. Despite her father’s admonishments to not cavort with French boys, Maggie’s young heart is captured by Gabriel Phénix, the young and impoverished boy living at the adjacent farm. When she ends up pregnant, her parents force her to give up her baby but before she’s taken away, Maggie implores them to name her Elodie. That fortuitous moment provides the only means by which she can later embark on a journey to perhaps find the daughter she reluctantly gave up for adoption. Unfortunately, Elodie is never adopted from the Home for Unwanted Girls, an orphanage run by nuns, which later changes to a mental hospital to receive more government funding. All the orphans are accordingly declared mentally ill.
Maggie and Elodie are the narrators and the story shifts between the two, often in parallel time frames. I found it an interesting contrast as Maggie moves on with her life but never forgetting the child she lost and Elodie never giving up hope that her mother would attempt to find her. Both of their lives were troubled but none more than Elodie who suffered terribly at the hands of the nuns, one in particular.
The story also exposed the ethnic divide between the English speaking citizens and the French. It was particularly awful to witness Maggie’s father’s hypocrisy against the French given his own wife’s and children’s heritage. Also, it was a political decision that forced the orphanages to become psychiatric hospitals without any real consideration of the fates of those children who were then declared mentally ill. These are true events in Canadian history that I found educational.
This was also a Traveling Friends group read and the discussion was so rich. Thanks to that insightful group of women for making this an even more remarkable reading experience.
I really enjoyed this story for the fictional aspects as well as the historical context, beginning in the 1950s. Maggie’s quest to find her daughter was frustrating and heartbreaking and Elodie’s never ending hope that she would find her family was what almost brought me to tears. Both women’s triumph in the midst of adversity was so admirable. Saskia Maarleveld was extraordinary in her narration, handling accents with perfection (as least to my ear) and making the characters come to life. I highly recommend the audio version and this story. It wasn’t always light but it was always honest. 4.5 stars
I learned much from this book
Cried and cried….sad..too sad
I did not fully appreciate this book until it was over and I read the author’s notes. It resonated with me for weeks. I could not stop thinking about it. Well done.
This book is THE BEST EVER it’s based on true events from the 50’s how orphanages were turned into asylum and hospitals for crazy people and the kids were considered crazy as well really sad. But I was so in touch with Elodie’s tragic storry how much she suffered and how her spirit was crushed. How she never lost hope that her mom was going to come looking for her. I couldn’t stop crying. Maggie (Elodie’s mother) was looking for Elodie and Maggie as well never lost hope to find her lost daughter.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a good historical fiction, and I think it was very realistic. The characters are nicely developed and I appreciate it how the author took us from one span of time to another, it was very well done. Since reading the book I’ve done some research online and find this book to be very accurate and I’m glad the system has changed in regard to housing and caring for Orphans.
This Book I could read very quickly and I kept wanting to go back to it. I hope to read another of her books soon.
One of those books that stays with you for some time. A sad but real story of a time I hope we have moved on from.
A wonderful book. A story of an orphaned child in the 1950’s. Based on a true story showing the strength, resilience and horror of one child’s experience. Definitely a must read!
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I couldn’t believe this was based on facts. It is hard to believe what evil humans can do in the name of religion. I was totally unaware of this part of history in Canada. So sad. Even though the story was fiction, it was an eye opener. Our book club is going to discuss it. Should be very interesting.
I am adopted and could relate with her trying to find her parents and her parents trying to find her.
The story was not as interesting as the historical facts, but worth reading. It held my interest and I learned about a shocking time in Canadian history that I never knew before.
Joanna Goodman has created a historical fiction masterpiece. I could not put this book down once I started. I felt the pain of Maggie, Elodie and Gabriel. I will be pondering over this book for a long time.
Great story based on true facts. I couldn’t put it down. Really recommend