Stories about the Magdalen Laundry have always fascinated me. Although this story was a work of fiction, it has some truth to it as well which I always love with a historical fiction. I found this to be emotional and well written. The characters were well developed and I couldn’t put this one down.

OMG! I don't know what to say about this book. It was absolutely amazingly written. It's beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. My poor heart was shattered reading this. I cannot believe some of the things I read, shame on all those people involved! I spent the whole day reading this because I could not put it down. I needed to know what was happening right then and there. I cannot wait to read other books by Rachel Wesson, if all of her books are written like this, then I will no longer have any free time. Amazing Story. READ IT RIGHT NOW. You don't know what you are missing! Amazing!

Stolen from Her Mother by Rachel Wesson and Narrated by: Maeve Smyth was an excellent and a Very Emotional audiobook. that will make you cry so be aware tissues will be needed. Rachel wrote this book from her heart and it will pull you in and you will be hooked. This was one of the best audiobook's I have listened to in a long time.

I highly recommend

Big Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoy reading historical fiction books. This one had a different focus which involved the Magdalen Laundries. I was familiar with them because of a previous book I read and it is atrocious what these unwed mothers endured from the Catholic Church. It is literally heartbreaking. I think one thing that kept me from enjoying the book as much was the narrator. I love audiobooks but have discovered how much the narrator affects my enjoyment of a book. It is obvious the author did a great deal of research. This is an emotional read that will have you invested in the lives of the characters. You need to discover on your own whether Kate finally has a happy ending. You need to buy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette UK-Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This story revolves around two different couples in different countries:

Carol and Josh are married and he is involved in the military. They are unable to have children. Kate is a single lady in Ireland who goes to live with her uncle and cousin and meets a military man named Tony. Obviously, there is a child at the heart of this story.

It takes a while for the story to develop to the point where the child is "stolen" from the mother. The time period in the 1940's was extremely disappointing to see how the church treated unwed mothers. It was almost disturbing to read the things that happened to these poor women and their children.

I really enjoyed the characters Carol, Josh, Kate, Alan and the heart that they have for each other.

Thanks so much to netgalley and publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

In America Carol has a car accident which results in her losing her much wanted baby & her injuries mean she can never have a child. He husband is away at war & her mother in law ends up making sure she is not likely to adopt.

Kate Ryan lives on the West Coast of Ireland. It is 1940 & the Irish nation is still very young with many people feeling a deep hatred for the English. When her brother goes off to join the war her mother is furious. Her sick father will do anything for a quiet life so when her uncle asks if Kate can come & help out for a few months she is delighted to escape. While there she meets Tony, an American airman who is interred in a POW camp- Ireland & America not being in the war. When Tony gets the chance to fly again he promises to come back for Kate, however when he leaves she discovers she's pregnant. An unmarried mother is an anathema to the Church. She is whisked off to one of the now infamous Magdalene Laundries where the girls are cruelly treated & their babies are considered to be creatures of sin. Kate is utterly determined that she wants to keep her baby but the nuns have other ideas.

Needless to say the paths will cross & some things seemed a bit too contrived. The story of Kate was pretty horrific especially when you realise that it was in the 80's/90's when the last of these places was finally closed & the truth came out. I was born on the 50's & if the nationality of my parents had been reversed it it probably I would have been born in one of these places. Reading this suddenly made sense of something my adopted Dad said to me when I was talking about marrying- "Does he know where you come from?" At the time I brushed it off but looking back I know there were some of his family that weren't happy about them adopting me. This is definitely a book that makes you think. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. It will be with me for a long time.

Stolen From Her Mother begins in Ireland in 1941. Kate has fallen in love with an American soldier and he wants to get married before he is shipped off. Unfortunately, they don't get the chance, but they do have one wonderful sexual encounter. Of course, she gets pregnant and her nightmare begins. Her parents, actually her mother, ships her off to a convent to live and work. They are called Magdalene Girls after Mary Magdalene. These young pregnant women are treated terribly. Forced to work in the laundry with little food, working all day, being berated, slapped and beaten for even speaking when they are supposed to be silent. They are not given proper medical care and once their children are born, they are taken away from them, often being sold. Kate tries to keep her daughter, but when she is almost four, she is "adopted" by a young American couple and taken to the US. The American couple are Carol and Josh. Josh and Carol have their own issues and while in Ireland on business, Josh is directed to the convent to find a child to adopt. Josh selects Eva, Kate's daughter to take home, being assured that her mother wants nothing to do with her. He even leaves letters and money for her to pay her debt to the sisters to finally be released from the Magdalene Laundry.

This was a heartbreaking story. Kate had a brother who loved her and tried to help, but things didn't work out. Her father who loved her, died of a heart attack after his wife, her mother sent her away. This is a fast paced story that was hard to put down. It begins during WW2, but ends in the late 1950s. It is a very emotional story which ends with some hope. I always like it if I read an historical fiction story and learn something. I did not know about the Magdalene Girls and found that interesting, but also so sad. Shame on Ireland and the Catholic Church for treating these unwed mothers as criminals. Even after they deliver their children they have a debt to pay for their care and end up staying and working for 3 years or more. Even the girls, some very young, who were pregnant due to rape or sexual assault by a family member are treated as sinners, something they did wrong. As heartbreaking as this story was, I am glad I read it and recommend it to those who enjoy Historical Fiction. I have enjoyed several books by Rachel Wesson and recommend her other books as well.

Thanks for allowing me to read this Arc.
A truly magnificent and memorable book. A story of true life tragic times. During a horrible era when unmarried mothers were hidden away and treated abominably!! Actually they were treated worse than animals!! A home/prison for unmarried mothers where the mothers were tortured with inhumane hard work to pay off the debt of their care!! Meanwhile their babies /children were sold to rich couples, many of them to other countries. This is one woman's story. It's absolutely unforgettable and should be a must read for everyone.
Worth at least 10 stars!!

This was a really interesting book and I learnt a lot about something I never really thought or knew existed, in that context alone I am really glad I read the book. The story itself was a bit cliche but was an interesting story.

All in all glad I read it.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Absolutely brilliant book! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I've added Rachel Wessonto my favourite author list. I will post a more in-depth review on @Hyggebookclub via Instagram as soon as I'm Well enough. A haunting read for a fan of historical fiction, based on frightening and true experiences. It’s very prevalent that this book is being published nine months after the Irish prime minister offered an apology to those who were subjected to cruelty in the mother and baby homes. Rachel Wesson handles the subject with sensitivity and immense empathy along with gritty details to pay homage to those women who have lost their children through the services and ultimately those who have lost their lives as well.

I also loved the chill narrative with the American wife Carol and how she also was institutionalised for something that wasn’t her fault and the parallels were startling.

Ireland, 1941, Kate lives on her family farm in Ireland taking care of her sick father. While the war rages on Kate meets Tony who is an airman and an American. They fall in love and Tony promises to marry her. But then Tony leaves for duty and he promises her he’ll come back for her. Kate writes letters to Tony telling him that he has a baby girl named Eva. But Kate never heard back from him, so she wonders if he is still alive. Then the unimaginable happens, Eva is taken from Kate. Kate promises Eva that she will never stop looking for her. But time is running out, Kate must escape and find Eva before it’s too late. I was so taken with this story it was unputdownable and I read through the pages lightning fast. I could not wait to see how the story was going to unfold. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. This book literally hit every emotion. I was, happy, sad, heartbroken, hopeful, inspired and tearful. What an absolutely amazing book. I loved this story, it is truly a must read.

Thank you Rachel Wesson for such a wonderful story. I really enjoyed this story as it ignited every emotion. I was completely engrossed in this story from beginning to end unable to stop until the very end. I highly recommend it.

It’s hard to even know where to start with this heart-breaking book. It’s just beautifully written from beginning to end, and it’s a completely compelling read.

Unfortunately, the story that it tells mirrors real-life events, and even though I’ve read many books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the laundries, this one is one of the best I’ve read. It feels so authentic, and deals with the sensitive and heart-breaking subject matter in a sympathetic way.

It’s such a readable story, and I found myself flying through the pages. I particularly liked the way we are told the story of Carol and Josh, the adoptive parents, whom we so seldom hear about. It gave real depth to this tear-jerker of a novel.

I was really moved by this book and I think that it is one that will stay with me for a long time.

I am both moved and heartbroken over the events that this book to me through. Kate’s heart she and strong will to survive is remarkable. It’s gutting to think people actually treated others in this inhumane way. Honestly, one of the best books I’ve read. I’m in awe of Rachel Wesson’s beautiful writing of this book. I adored Before We Were Yours and this one brought on the same emotions and tears. This book will remain with me for a long time.

Rachel Wesson is a new author for me but after enjoying Stolen From Her Mother so much, despite the tough subject matter, I definitely will be reading more by this very talented author in the future. From the moment I began reading I felt that the author really knew her stuff especially when it came to the parts of the book set in Ireland. It was like she was writing from the heart as well as having done extensive research. Then I discovered the author had been born and raised in Ireland and it all made sense for there is no Irish women who does not know of the abuse and horrors that befell the countless women who ended up in the Magdalene laundries. We may not have always learnt about it in history class in school but certainly over the last number of years especially as horrific stories have been brought into the public arena and it’s only now we know what the Church did to so many innocent women who did not deserve what they went through. The fact the last laundry only closed here in Ireland in the 1990’s stuns me. No doubt about it the Church have an awful lot to answer for but sadly I don’t think the true extent of what went on will over come to the surface. So many women seek answers that they will never find and that just doesn’t bare thinking about.

The book opens in North Carolina in September 1941 as Carol Anderson is coming to terms with the repercussions from a recent car accident. The ability to conceive and carry her own child is no longer possible and she must try and come to terms with this whilst her husband is away as a fighter pilot as the Americans have recently entered into the war. Carol goes through much mental trauma and her supposed actions are frowned upon by her in-laws. They saw something and mistook it as being something else meaning adoption is now not possible also. At first, I wondered why was Carol featuring in the story and then it clicked pretty quickly with me although connections to the main plot of the book and Carol were not really established until towards the end. At various points in the story we move to a chapter from Carol’s viewpoint but to be honest it wasn’t her I wanted to be reading about, it was Kate and what she was going through. Carol didn’t hold my attention at all really not that the writing from her point was bad. It wasn’t at all. I knew why she needed to be there and it proved a solid all round viewpoint from which to form your opinion of the overall themes and topics in the book but Kate was such a brilliant, mesmerising and standout character that it was with her that I wanted to be all the time.

Galway December 1941 and we see how Kate lives a harsh existence on her family’s farm. Her brothers and sisters have all emigrated bar one, her father is ill, and her mother is just cruel with her sharp barbs and comments. Her mother is bitter, twisted and mean and is dominated by the rulings and teachings of the church. She has it set in her mind that Kate will become a nun but that’s so far removed from what Kate actually wants for herself. There was such a good understanding and explanation from the author of life in rural Ireland and how everyone knew each other’s business and were afraid to express themselves and step out of line when it came to anything to do with the church. Don’t get me wrong of course some priests were nice, compassionate and supportive as Kate did find out but those that weren’t certainly ruled with an iron fist.

Kate is a young woman who is loyal to her family despite the harsh treatment and judgement from her mother. She is sent away to the Curragh for the summer to help her Uncle Pat and cousin Mary’s pub. This is a turning point for Kate as she works hard but also experiences freedom from the harsh rules of her homeplace. Here is where she meets American pilot Tony who had been shot down and placed in an internment camp. I had never known there was an internment camp in the Curragh where both Germans and Americans were kept during the war. With Ireland being neutral the camp seemed pretty relaxed in its rules with the camp mates being allowed out and to go to the pub etc. A romance follows between Kate and Tony and it came across as being genuine and that it could be long lasting. Tony wishes to spend his life with Kate but when he is called away to serve, once again she is left devastated and with a lot more than she bargained for.

Overnight, Kate becomes a pariah once news of her pregnancy becomes public knowledge and the chapters that follow and dominate the book are at times very hard to read. You can’t comprehend or really process all that Kate goes through although no detail is spared. The reasoning behind a family abandoning their daughter to a convent and Magdalene laundry in order for her to atone for her sins is just incomprehensible in this day and age. Kate is a strong and proud women and she does not regret her actions one bit and nor should she. It just really highlights how backwards Ireland was at that time. The nuns view Kate as another slave who must pay for her wanton behaviour. The words spoken to her and the treatment meted out should never have been allowed to occur. Every young girl or woman that found themselves in a convent of this nature was given a new name and known as a penitent. There are so many awful things that occur and so many shocking scenes that leave you open mouthed in horror and with a tear in your eye that I would be here forever detailing them. Suffice to say Kate needs every bit of her strength and intelligence to fight a battle against pure evil. Some of the things that occurred you think to yourself ah god there is no way that could have occurred but it’s all sadly true and not fiction as you desperately hope it could be.

Kate is merely existing in the house of horrors when her worst nightmare comes true and her beloved baby is taken from her. Here the novel took on a different tone and the fighter in Kate came even further to the fore. The various characters that surround her, some not so good and some who would do anything for her really step up and a connection I had guessed at the beginning started to come to light. I found myself on even more of a journey with Kate and the sad thing is that this happened to so many women that there is not just one Kate out there but so many and it’s only in recent years that the true horrors of what occurred behind closed doors have come to light and it really makes you angry that people stood by and did nothing. I loved how Rachel Wesson brought Kate’s story full circle. It’s so well structured and cleverly plotted with a clear, beginning, middle and end demonstrates what a really good author can do with a serious topic that leaves you thinking about it long after you have turned the last page.

Rachel Wesson has written a fascinating, emotional and heartfelt story that will touch you deeply. Yes, it’s set during World War Two but it’s not a war novel. Rather it is taking place in the background and it provides the catalyst for Kate meeting Tony and then the focus is what went on once Kate’s life ventured in a direction she never thought possible. I’ll admit I found perhaps the first quarter quite slow as the scene was being set and characters introduced but then after that things really picked up and I couldn’t leave the book out of my hands. Rachel Wesson really does justice to the story of so many women and highlights a terrible wrong and misjustice that happened to so many women. She gives them a voice when at the time they had none and makes us not forget all who endured so much at the hands of a dominant force. If you have never read about what occurred in the laundries before and the reasons for the incarceration of so many women and what in turn happened to their babies then this will be a real thought provoking eye opener for you. You root for the main character the whole way through and wish nothing but the best for her but to see does Kate ever find the happy ending she most certainly deserves than I suggest you get your hands on a copy of Stolen From Her Mother as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed by this powerful story.

Rachel Wesson tells the horrific tale of what might have happened in the Irish convents during WWII. Her descriptions are such that she takes the reader to that time so that you live the life with the characters. I read this in one sitting, I was totally immersed. You will need tissues.

What a book

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Wesson and I can’t wait to read another

Set in Ireland in 1941 This is the story of a young girl (Kate) who has many struggles. She falls in love with an American airman who has to go off to fight in the war. She then discovers she is pregnant and her family disown her and she is sent to a convent.

The convent is an awful place. She is mistreated and abused, she is a prisoner there. After her baby is born, life doesn’t get much better and her baby is taken away from her and sold without her knowing.

What will happen to Kate and her baby

This is a powerful and moving book I felt so many emotions reading this. The author had me feeling like I was there with Kate. I literally couldn’t put this down

Thank you netgalley and bookoutre for this advance copy

This book is a must read. An emotional storyline, so well written. The heartbreaking story of a pregnant girl fighting for her daughter and the story of the mother who adopted the girl.

A heartbreaking book to read. The way the author writes about the lives of unmarried women in Ireland is so well done. We did not know of their awful experiences. I did enjoy reading this book and would love to read more from this author .Thank you .

This is my first Rachel Wesson's: what an excellent writer I didn't know!

When I chose this book I thought it was mainly about Magdalene laudries. Actually there's a lot more to the story, as we also get to know the background of both Kate (the Magdalene girl) and Carol (the adoptive mother) and their families. In most cases this is an added bonus, but in my case it wasn't, because I have a specific interest in the subject of mother and baby homes in Ireland, so i hoped the would be more about that.
I only say this because I want to underline that this book is beautiful and gorgeously written and my disappointment is only due to my specific interest.

I will definitely have a look at others Wesson's books, since I've really loved her style.
I really appreciated the writer's note at the end of the book, makes you want to research more about this subject.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stolen from Her Mother by Rachel Wesson. Rachel Wesson writes real tearjerkers. The book is very well written. People who have grown up in today’s world would never think life could happen the way it happens in this book.