It is refreshing when a book delivers on its premise. I could definitely see where the Orphan Black and Margaret Atwood vibes come into play here. Another interesting element to me was the cult like atmosphere. I was drawn into this story pretty much right away and scrambling to piece it all together along with Josephine along the way.

There was a few times when things dragged a bit in the first half but I quite enjoyed meeting each unique character along the way and seeing those sisterhood bonds form. While I can't really say I fell in love with any of the characters, I definitely appreciated them and what each one brought to the story. It also felt a bit to me like that was possibly the goal though. I felt like we weren't meant to necessarily love but rather respect them. Above all else even, respect their power as women. It was great how much that shined throughout the entire story, the power of women, even in the midst of others constantly trying to stamp that out.

I also loved the very relatable way Murphy incorporated the intricate and evolving relationships with parents as a child grows up. You get two very different views from childhood and adulthood. While Josephine definitely had her own brand of revelations there so much of that pov change is something we all experience and it can be quite an adjustment. I enjoyed seeing those differences through Josephine and how she had to really process it all in a rather short amount of time.

All in all a compelling story that kept me guessing and eagerly flipping through the pages. I'm definitely curious to check out more from this author.

What would happen if you didn't need men for reproduction? This fascinating question is explored in this compelling and unique science fiction mystery thriller. Girl One is Josephine Morrow, she is one of nine girls in the 1970's that were born to mother's through parthenogenesis, reproduction without male DNA. All the mothers and daughters lived together in a commune in Vermont until things started to go terribly wrong. Since then the girls and mothers have spread throughout the country to live their individual lives. Josie has decided to pursue reproductive medicine and continue the research that was being done that produced the first set of "Miracle Babies." Josie and her mother, Margaret have become estranged, but when Margaret disappears under mysterious circumstances, Josie goes to great lengths to try and find her. Her journey to find her mother connects her with a journalist as well as bringing the other Girls back into her life with unforeseen consequences.
This novel really grabbed me on a bunch of different levels. First, as a science geek, the idea of human parthenogenesis is certainly not anything I had really thought much about but this really presents it wonderfully, especially during the time period of the 70's at the same time as the feminist movement. Add to that all of the implications for men in potentially being removed from the process and how so many of the characters react to this possibility. Then the story is also just a darn good mystery on top of everything else. So many twists and turns along the way that keep you turning the page to finally meet another one of the Girls, track down other leads and finally uncover so many secrets that have affected so many lives. I really enjoyed reading this engrossing story that has so many layers to it, Josie, Dr. Bellanger, Tom, Cate, Fiona and all the others are all wonderfully flawed, realistic characters. Science fiction and mystery lovers will all find so much to like and enjoy from Girl One!!

Girl One
by Sara Flannery Murphy

The idea of "virgin birth" or parthenagenisis has been around for hundreds of years. We know, in fact, that some animals are able to reproduce themselves without benefit of male sperm. Aside from the apochryphal story of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, no one has been able to create this situation in humans leading to a viable baby…until now.

This is the story of a quasi-commune called the Homestead, in back woods Vermont in the early 1970s, home to nine women who wanted to produce daughters without any DNA from men. They reached out to a rogue scientist, Dr. Joseph B , who apparently succeeded in impregnating all nine women who subsequently gave birth to baby girls who were essentially clones of their mothers.

The book begins some 20 some years after the Homestead has burned, the doctor and a baby girl dead in the fire, and the mothers and daughters scattered all over the country. Josie Morrow, Girl One, has returned to the home she has shared with her mother, to find it burned and her mother disappeared. Josie's mother has never shared any information with her about the Homestead, so Josie goes on a quest to meet up with the various mothers and daughters, while trying to find out what really happened all those years ago – and where her mother has disappeared to.

This is a very interesting starting premise, and the various twists and turns in the search for truth make it a captivating read. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story.

"Sitting on the bus this morning, I hadn't been prepared to see the photo again; I experienced the quick throb of grief and love I felt whenevere I saw Bellanger's face."

"We were frozen for a moment, watching it happen, and then everything sped up, a blur of movement, everyone moving on instinct."

"Pain exploded in my lower back. The ground rose toward me, a sick rush. I'd been kicked to the dirt, my skull ringing and ringing, the pain an expanding continent across my body."

If this quick, direct, semi-hard-boiled style of prose is a style you like to read, then this book has a pretty good story and you will probably enjoy it. The publisher's copy for this title mentions both "Orphan Black" and "the propulsive, cinematic storytelling of a Marvel movie," and as I like my novels to be more literary than cinematic, I have a feeling I'll like the movie of this one better.

I really loved this book from start to finish and all the twists and turns throughout. Original idea and not one bit of predictability on any page. A very strong main character looking for answers about her life and harrowing journey. I highly recommend this and look forward to future novels from this author.

Thanks to Nethalley, Sara Flannery Murphy and Farrar, Straus and Giroux MCD for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/1/21

I requested this one because it might be a 2021 title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book is not my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one rather than push myself to finish it only to give it a poor review.

Girl One was a road trip adventure, mystery story, speculative fiction treatise, and a period piece all rolled into one. The story took twists that I didn't expect. But, in retrospect these twists seemed obvious. Nothing was telegraphed, but everything was well set up so that these twists just seemed the natural way the story was going, instead of a surprise.

Girl One is the story about a group of women who have babies without the benefit of male DNA. A fire breaks the group up, and we meet our titular protagonist years later. Girl One is Josephine Morrow. The first girl born this way, thus being Girl One. Her Mom is missing and she takes a break from medical school to go find her. Along the way she picks up some friends to join her on her quest. (Just like the Muppet Movie! Or. Um. Something more literate than that, too.)

The story grabbed me from the start. Well not from the start, letters in novels always add flavor but I'd be hard pressed to say that grabbed me. But, once we meet Girl One and find out her story.

Murphy builds up our perceptions of characters, and then breaks them down as we get more information and they are seen in a new light. That was really fun to ride along and have perceptions changed as the character's perceptions are changed.

I liked spending time with these characters. They're all well drawn out, and distinct from one another. Each of their stories and interpersonal relationships are interesting.

Oh also! Spoiler alert. These girls born without women have powers, and they are fun powers! Actually, that kind of is a spoiler, so I will put a spoiler tag on it. It was neat to discover each of the women's powers and how they wielded them.

This story is helped along by crisp writing filled with wonderful imagery, and great descriptive language. Lines like this make reading the book a joy: "Deb extended her hand to Tom as if it were a precious museum artifact she would loan him."

I got an early review copy of this book from Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

DNF at 20%. Just not for me.... I loved the description, but couldn’t get into it. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A coming of age and dystopian novel..introducing a new concept of parthenogenesis...a raw personal account by the protagonist about her search for her mother and the roots of her origin. Captivating from the start to the finish...lgbtq elements and diverse cultures are involved...one can tell that this was a well researched book.

Girl One
April 29, 2021

Book Review
Girl One
Sara Flannery Murphy

reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads



A thought-provoking and compelling mystery that explores female power and the bonds of sisterhood with a touch of magic. Nine “miracle girls” are conceived without male DNA and raised in an experimental commune, the Homestead, in the 1970s.

The world has mixed feelings about their existence—however, the most prevailing is outrage. The possibility of parthenogenesis is certainly known in small invertebrates, some insects like bees, wasps and ants, and even certain lizards and reptiles, but not in humans. Unfertilized eggs are not considered viable and fail to maturate. However, Dr Joseph Belanger who has toiled in obscurity and some would say, “quackery” has somehow unlocked parthenogenesis and is catapulted to fame when the nine women of the commune start delivering these “miracle babies”. All of the women have given birth without genetic material from a man. They have no father, either genetically or biologically. All of which unfortunately leads to a quagmire of moral and political outrage with theologians and politicians weighing in. There were people who wanted them vanquished like vampires and witches. burning all at the stake. The first baby, Josephine Morrow, is known as “Girl One” and initially is heralded as a scientific breakthrough, only later to become embroiled in ignorance and hate. In the ensuing turmoil the Homestead and Dr Belanger continue to be verbally attacked until a suspicious fire destroys the commune, and among the wreckage are two barely recognizable bodies. Dr Belanger and a child. This creates a diaspora of the mothers and daughters across the country into apparent obscurity.

Nothing has been written in ten years about the Homestead or the surviving mothers and daughters until another mysterious fire occurs at the home of Margaret Morrow — Mother One.

No body is found, and her purse and car remain at the scene. No-one seems to be overly concerned …. but, the media does rehash the past, as expected. Josephine has just finished her first year of medical school, where she intends on studying reproductive medicine and continue the work of Dr Belanger. His research and method of achieving parthenogenesis went up in flames, never to be replicated. She returns home to investigate the disappearance of her mother. Her only uncovered clue at the scene is a note bearing the name and phone number of journalist Thomas Abbott, who her mother contacted days before the fire. Josephine sets out on a journey across the country to contact the other mothers and “her sisters” Perhaps they will shed light on not only her mother’s disappearance, but also the mystery behind her past and the commune. However, at every stage of the way she encounters people determined to obstruct her investigation and keep the secrets locked away forever. Initially she is joined by Abbott and later two of the daughters, Cate, and Isabel. Incrementally the true nature of the daughters and consequences of the commune life are exposed.

The unexpected strengths and unique abilities of each daughter are explored, and seemingly brought to light and maturation by the union of the sisters.

Sara Flannery Murphy proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves together a propulsive and twisted narrative that escalates with tension and thought-provoking meaning. Explored are feminist themes without being preachy or detrimental to the evocative mystery.

Although the brilliant mystery is plot driven, Murphy expertly unfolds into the fray multiple complex characters with flaws, foibles and yet, overriding virtue and persistence. Overall, the theme is not invested with the goal of doing away with fatherhood, but rather celebrating the importance of female choice and control. This gem will certainly appeal to those who enjoyed the oeuvre of Joanna Russ and Margaret Atwood.

Thanks to NetGalley and Frarrar, Straus and Giroux publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
(at readers remains.com and published at Mystery And Suspense Magazine)

Thank you to Farrar, Straus& Giroux and NetGalley for this digital ARC. This is my honest, unbiased review.

This was a really fun, twisty read with themes of female empowerment and a bit of magical realism. The story takes place in the recent past (1990's) with flashbacks to the 70's. Girl One is Josie Morrow. She was the first of 9 girls conceived without male DNA and raised by their mothers at The Homestead, a commune in the woods of Vermont. When a fire kills 3 members of the group including Dr. Bellanger, the remaining mothers/daughters scatter around the country to try and lead "normal" lives. Josie and her mother settle in a small town in central Illinois and rarely speak of The Homestead. When her mother goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Josie follows the clues that lead her to the other mother/daughter pairs, learning more about their shared past and more about herself.

Although I guessed where the story was headed, I really enjoyed the story and was rooting for the characters. Definitely recommend.

In GIRL ONE, by Sara Flannery Murphy, Josephine "Josie" Morrow was the first of nine "Miracle Babies", women born without male DNA. As Josie, now in her twenties, begins to search for her mother, she is reminded of her upbringing at the Homestead, a commune of sorts that housed all of the mothers and their "Miracle Babies", along with the scientist, Dr Joseph Bellanger, who made these special births possible. As the search intensifies, Josie uncovers the truth about her birth and what really went on at Homestead.
Murphy has written quite a novel. While the book is centered around Josie's self-discovery, that journey of Josie's is wrapped around an cross-country adventure full of surprises and supernatural twists.. I like the scenery changes throughout the book and the author uses the feeling of each locale to add to the story. Murphy does an good job creating and voicing all of the supporting characters, especially the other young women that were "Miracle Babies". Each woman is different, from mysterious, to painfully direct, to aloof. Most books of this length that are of mystery and/or thriller in nature tend to slow down in the middle and then pickup steam towards the end, but not this one. I never found a lull in the story, it just kept building and the stakes just keep getting bigger and the finale was monumental and emotional moving.
GIRL ONE presents the question: What is a world where it is possible to create life with only a woman? This weighty topic underscores a well-written and exciting book and one of my favorite reads of 2021.

If Orphan Black met the X-men and had a few axes to grind, Girl One is an imaginative science fiction/fantasy thriller that follows Josie as she seeks to find her missing mom.

Please see my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3816727714

Not sure if this is a 3.5 or a 4 for me. Overall, I liked the premise and the characters of this book, but had some issues with the execution of how it was written.

Josie, Girl One, is on a mission in this book to figure out her mother's disappearance and the mystery of a fire that ended The Homestead, the place where Josie and eight other girls were born via mothers who did not use a man's sperm (virgin births, if you will).

Pretty quickly the story sets up the idea that Josie will need to visit each of the other eight mother-daughter pairs that lived at Homestead in order to figure things out. The problem for me is that these combos were set up by Josie merely reading a list of their names in her mother's notebook at the start of the story. We don't really know much about Homestead or any of these people, (nor does Josie) so (for me) it was hard to get invested in her journey.

Although I don't always enjoy books that play with time in alternating chapters, Girl One might have have benefited from that sort of narrative approach, (i.e. teasing out some of those past tense Homestead details and characters earlier in the book). Without it, there is just a giant mystery, and a clueless girl trying to solve it. Unless you find that girl or mystery CRAZY intriguing, (for me it was only sort of intriguing) it may be hard to stick around for the careful, steady pacing this book adopts in its first 2/3 while it seeks to give readers some closure/answers.

Overall though, I liked the story that was slowly revealed and the twists and turns the story took along the way. I also thought the mystery of why these girls are special was nicely parceled out, (though not, in my opinion, fully explored.) In other words, all of the right pieces (the right DNA) is there in this book. I just found it a little plodding at times, like we were merely checking off boxes to get through this list of 8 pairs of women.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman considered a scientific miracle discovers that there’s a darker agenda behind the science when her mother goes missing. As the woman searches for her mother and for answers about her own existence, she’ll have to decide whether the path she’s chosen for herself is the right one after all. Author Sara Flannery Murphy offers an intriguing premise that’s light on crucial details in the novel Girl One.

When Josephine “Josie” Morrow was born in the 1970s, some people called her a miracle baby. Others called her an abomination. Her scientific father, Joseph Bellanger, called her Girl One, because Josie was the first child conceived without male DNA. Josie came out whole and a perfect replica of her mother, Margaret.

Josie and Margaret lived in a commune known only as the Homestead with eight other Mothers and Girls. Media and social backlash forced the Mothers and Girls to keep to themselves, despite Dr. Bellanger’s confidence that one day the world would accept the Girls for what they are: scientific breakthroughs. Not long after the last Girl is born, however, someone sets fire to the Homestead. One of the Girls and Dr. Bellanger die while everyone else barely escapes with their lives.

In 1994, Josie is in medical school in Chicago. Unlike some of the other Girls, Josie is fascinated by the science that created them and wants to reproduce it in the lab. When the Homestead burned down, the fire took all of Dr. Bellanger’s notes and research with it. Now Josie is slowly piecing it back together. It helps her feel closer to Dr. Bellanger who always called her his most special daughter.

Then word comes that her mother’s house in her small Illinois hometown has burned down. Josie races back home, only to discover that Margaret has disappeared. The circumstances around the fire are suspicious at best, and Josie gets a feeling the whole incident is somehow connected to her status as Girl One.

Having no one else to turn to, Josie starts combing through Margaret’s belongings and finds the contact information for a reporter with a keen interest in the Homestead. They begin a search for Margaret by tracking down the other Mother-Girl pairs to see if Margaret visited any of them recently. As Josie talks to the sisters that science gave her, she begins to understand how their existence is more incredible than anyone realized and how that very existence puts all of them in grave danger.

Author Sara Flannery Murphy offers readers a cursory introduction to the field of parthenogenesis, where a species reproduces without the presence of sperm. Much is made in the book about this accomplishment in humans, yet Murphy doesn’t share any of the scientific details. The oversight makes it a little harder to buy into the concept overall. Dr. Bellanger is purported to be some kind of genius scientist, yet readers never actually get to see what he did to accomplish this incredible feat. Later explanations, too, are skimmed over. Instead, Murphy directs readers to the relationships between the Girls and between them and their Mothers.

Here, too, the story feels a little lightweight. Margaret’s willingness to participate in Dr. Bellanger’s experiment on the Homestead is the only one given much consideration, but the details are sparse. Readers never get the chance to hear the “why” of it all—why would nine women leave behind their lives and all social conventions to participate in a radical scientific experiment?

Without this baseline motivation or any grounded science, the book becomes an exercise in the suspension of disbelief. Josie’s voice is the strongest, and Murphy’s descriptions are delightful and innovative. However, the story lacks the weight to make it truly a knockout. I recommend readers Borrow Girl One.

Girl One, Josephine Morrow, is one of nine miracle births in which a scientific experiment achieved conception without the use of male DNA. A scientific breakthrough which some people see as an affront to God, men, and the natural order leaving the women targeted by both the media and those who want them eradicated. When a mysterious fire breaks out at their commune, killing two, the remaining mothers take their daughters and flee. Years later Margaret, Josephine's mother, goes missing after her home is set on fire. Josephine finds clues left behind that point back to the mysterious fire at the Homestead and her "sisters". Josie sets out to find the others in hopes of getting answers that may lead to her mother’s location. Josie soon uncovers secrets about the Homestead and the experiments that appear to have given each of the young women an ability...a power that some people want to use or destroy.

Girl One is a fascinating feminist sci-fi novel that introduces a group of young women with powerful abilities who were born without male DNA. The story primarily focuses on Josie, the first miracle baby, after her mother goes missing. The story jumps back and forth between Josie tracking down the others and events from her childhood at the Homestead, the commune where they lived. She soon discovers that all of the "girls" possess an ability or power, which many don't realize they have, that appears to grow stronger when they are together. As much as I enjoyed this novel it wasn't as action-packed as I had hoped it would be. Most of the novel is Josie uncovering her past while searching for her mother, traveling around meeting her "sisters", and the women discovering or revealing their powers. I will warn that the novel contains some sensitive material including sexual assault. Although, I did really enjoy this novel, my only complaint is that it felt more like a mystery with sci-fi elements rather than the powerful, action packed, sci-fi novel I was hoping for.

QUICK TAKE: as a genre fan, I found a lot to like in this one. The comparisons to ORPHAN BLACK feel spot on, with a mysterious woman tracking down members of the strange commune she grew up in. Oh yeah, and did I mention that she was the produce of what is essentially scientific "immaculate conception"? Of course, as she begins tracking down others like her, she realizes nefarious forces are out to get her, and ultimately discovers more about herself than she ever knew. It's fast-paced and fun with a couple really dark and twisty fun scenes.

4.5, this book was close to a 5 for me, a mystery, a science fiction/fantasy world. I loved alot of the language, and the way she explored relationships between women as friends, as deep lovers and of mothers and daughters. The book was a bit long, it could have been tightened up a bit and I think it would have made it more powerful. It was engrossing, so was worth it

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting novel about a group of women born without men. Lots of twists and turns. I love ending.

An interesting novel that starts out as one woman's search for her missing mother and turns into a quest for the truth about her own background. The protagonist was the first of nine girls born via an experiment in parthenogenesis and she ultimately discovers that it means more than just existing without male DNA.

The story moves along well, provides tension and has you wanting to know what's really going on. Because it's from the protagonists POV, you don't readily get all the details. The majority of characters have depth and faults, so you never know if they're going to make what seem to be the best decisions. But there's strong female content that doesn't feel like preachy feminism and LGBT elements later in the story that doesn't overtake the main plot.

The comparisons to Orphan Black are apt - there are multiple "sisters" involved (though not clones), edgy science, questionable personal and professional histories, and plenty of action.