Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A new Author for me and can honestly say a delight to read her book a harrowing tale of how society treated people a very poignant story unfolds and what makes it worse these goings on did actually take place .I have nothing but admiration for this Author tackling such a delicate subject I can highly recommend.

I received an advanced copy from Net Galley. I normally don’t gravitate to historical fictions like I do fantasy or murder, but lately I have been quite enjoying the ones I have read. Nora’s story was real, and was told with a nice balance between the negative and the positive. I have long since known about the atrocities that happened in mental institutions, yet it was still appalling to hear it told from a real person who experienced it. There were a couple things I didn’t like about this book. The main one was that Janet’s personal side story seemed unnecessary. She was an important person to Nora, but I feel the telling of her personal life detracted from the real story, Nora’s. I keep in mind that this is based off of a real story when I think of some of the other things I personally didn’t like, (like the incest), as these are actual facts. Ultimately this story was dark yet full of hope and healing. I would rate it more at 4.25.

An emotional read with very well portrayed characters,made all the more disturbing by the knowledge that these things really happened.

Nora Jenning’s parents Henry and Mildred are dismayed when they find out their daughter is pregnant at the age of seventeen. It’s 1939 and her family ship her off to a mental asylum.

This is such a heart wrenching book as Nora’s treatment in the home is barbaric and they take away a large proportion of her life.

Nora is a strong character as she not only survives this tragedy, but she also rebuilds her life. She is a true inspiration to us all.

This is beautifully written and the fact that it is based on a true story broke my heart but the strength of Nora had me smiling at the end.

The quote “The measure of our greatness is in how we stand up after we fall” is so appropriate and is something we can all use in our lives.

I have never been so emotionally touched by a book before and Nora you will stay in my heart long after finishing this story.

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to read about Nora’s life.

A must read book, but have the tissue nearby.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review

A beautifully written and heartbreaking story, The Girl Behind the Gates, is a tragic tale about a very shameful part of British history. Poor Nora - at times I couldn't bear to read of her suffering, at other time, I had to race through the words to find out what was going to happen next. Brenda Davies clearly knows her stuff, and this is a book suffused with authority, intelligence and compassion. Recommended and I will be very interested to read whatever Brenda Davies writes next.

I was aware of girls and women being placed in mental asylums for getting pregnant out of marriage but to actually read the harrowing details broke me. For goodness sake Nora was committed in 1939 just after the Second World War had started, it wasn't the dark ages. She was seventeen years of age and her father beat her severly before bringing the family doctor in to see that she was sent away terrified and alone. They broke her heart but not her spirit. It was in there somewhere waiting to be released. Although a very emotional read it is uplifting, very well written and will stay with me forever

Oh my goodness this novel broke my heart, such a good read and what a story. I felt so bad for Nora and how her life turned out and how shocking it is that this was common....

The Girl Behind the Gates is an amazing book. The story starts in 1939 when Nora, then just a teenager, finds herself pregnant. There begins the harrowing story this young woman being labelled as morally defective and sectioned under the Mental Deficiency Act. In this incredibly hard first half of the book, Brenda Davies takes us to the institution where Nora is kept and we find ourselves drawn into the violence, the loss, the pain that Nora suffers, the lack of trust in those who surround her, the refuge she finds inside herself, and a helping hand from time to time. We learn about the conditions in which people like Nora were kept at this period, the treatments they suffered, and how they lost their freedom and, often, their minds, in such an unfair manner. But Nora’s life changes when she meets Janet Humphreys in 1981. Janet is a psychiatrist and her impact on Nora’s life will be amazing, thanks to her more modern methods, her remarkable patience, her deep care and concern for Nora, her ability to relate to her own life. This book is deeply moving and definitely makes a mark on the reader, bringing tears of sadness and of joy. It is based on a true story and it is with great admiration that I think of those who were a part of it, especially Nora and our author Brenda Davies.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author Brenda Davies for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The Girl Behind the Gates"
#TheGirlBehindtheGates #NetGalley

I cried so many times while reading this book. The plot was so hard to read because it was heart breaking. I loved every part about this book!

'The Girl behind the Gates 'absorbed me from the start and had me invested in Nora’s story throughout. In this haunting debut novel, Brenda Davies takes us on a journey that is often uncomfortable, at times painful, but always told in beautiful prose and with great compassion and insight. Although horrified by the deplorable ways in which psychiatric patients were treated in the last century, I was also inspired and uplifted by the triumphant power of the human spirit and people’s capacity to love and nurture others. A heart-wrenching but ultimately heart-warming novel that acts as a great advocate for the humane treatment of mental illness.

Absolutely loved this book!!! Nora Jennings captured my heart from the very beginning and broke it many times along the way. This book is an incredible tearjerker that hurt so good. I loved following Nora's life and watching her strength. What a truly inspirational character, and to think she's real! The human spirit is stronger than most of us are ever tested and I personally am thankful for that, and I could only hope to be as strong as Nora in trying times (to say the least of her circumstances). It's hard to say more without spoilers so I'll keep it short. Excellent book!!

Compelling. Poignant. Haunting. Heart wrenching. An eye-opener of a story that will stay with you long after you've read the last page. Hard to believe this is a debut as the writing is assured and beautiful, the characters vividly brought to life on the page. I lived every minute of this harrowing story and felt for Nora. A thought provoking story that will resonate with everyone. Just beautiful. Everyone needs to read this wonderful book.