Heedless. Stubborn. Disgraced. Small town Illinois, 1870: “My stepfather was not particularly fond of me to begin with, and now that he’d found out about the baby, he was foaming at the mouth”Desperate to avoid marriage, Nell Lillington refuses to divulge the name of her child’s father and accepts her stepfather’s decision that the baby be born at a Poor Farm and discreetly adopted.Until an … and discreetly adopted.
Until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.
Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and rethinks her decision to abandon her own child to fate. But even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby she may have no safe place to run to.
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Great read!This book takes you into unanticipated twists and turns as an unwed mother seeks to find out what happened to another young woman and her baby who ended up dead in an unused wing of the facility that offered a haven for unfortunate girls and misfits from society.
Well written and intriguing to the very end.
Enjoyed the time period setting and characters
Was a very interesting, different read. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Also, kept me up many nights passed my normal bedtime….kept telling myself ” just one more chapter”!!
I had to make myself continue….but I did so that is a tribute to the author
Enjoyed. the glimpse of the time period was interesting and the main character was interesting.
Good, clean read. Held my interest and had some surprise twists.
Great series, I love Jane Steen
Loved this book and the immersion into the life of a woman in late 19th century America.
A very sad story with a happy ending.
A quick read with likeable characters
I enjoyed the historical aspect of the book. And you root for the independent, strong willed main character.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jane Steen does an excellent job of providing story lines that maintain your interest from beginning to end … and make you want to read more. The story is told with enough description to give a clear picture of the heroine’s life … while not being flowered with adjectives. Look forward to reading more of her work.
Something a little different to read. And educational as well.
I enjoyed the book until the end – which is not the end. You have to read the next book (which is contented from this book). A book should have a beginning, middle, and then an end – all within the one book.
Couldn’t get into it.
Really liked this book, very informative as to what happened to young ladies many years ago when they found themselves in the “family way” and unmarried. Interesting in the way the father’s treated them even though the father’s were not above doing things they should not. A case of “do as I say, not as I do”. Interesting story, a little mystery woven into the story and a good summer read.
Excellent plot, easy read and kept me very interested
I truly enjoyed the first 100 pages, then it became too confusing to me because of all the conflicts, battles and names. A good read for someone with more military background than I.
boring
Great read. Couldn’t put it down. Followed up with other 2 books in series.