Ghosts of the Orphanage by Christine Kenneally ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to @netgalley and @publicaffairsbooks for the advanced copy. It comes out this Tuesday!

The children’s accounts in this book are 5-star accounts, so my rating is solely based on the writing itself. These stories deserve to be told and heard and I hope justice will prevail.

What I liked: This book was meticulously researched. It was clear the author had spent time on this topic and wanted to represent these children well. I also loved the unapologetic way information was presented. It wasn’t sugar coated, nor did the author shy away from being clear who the bad actors were/are.

What I struggled with: The format of the book didn’t do it for me. I was not sure why it was broken up in 3 different sections when a lot of the information was repeated. I read the same stories about the same incidents multiple times. It felt insensitive and retraumatizing. I believed that the entire book could’ve been written inside the attorney section.

I also struggled with the vast amount of characters. Because of the repetition and unclear format, I didn’t always follow who we were focusing on. It felt like the author wanted to make sure every voice was heard from every orphanage, which is respectable, but the effect could’ve been better had there been more focus on fewer stories.

All that said, this is a story that needs to be uncovered. This read contains all the triggers so proceed with caution.

Christine Kenneally"s new book, "Ghosts of the Orphanage", offers and deep dive into the system failures of orphanages. It's main focus centers around St. Joseph's Orphanage in Vermont, but it pulls away its focus at times to draw out similarities in cruel stories that come out of other orphanages, even as far away from Vermont as Australia.
Engrossing and vivid, the horrors presented in Kenneally's book are captivating and disheartening. The reader is presented with memories told by many people, introduced to interviewee's that survived countless cruelties and guided through a mess of information in a coherent manner. Her narration offers insight on the relation between experiences and events, relaying how the time that passed effects current efforts to understand what was remembered accurately and find justice for the victims.
For readers who enjoyed "The Devil in the White City", Kenneally's "Ghosts of the Orphanage" is a true-crime read that is filled with a gripping explanation of horrors the public should have known about long ago.

Ghost Of The Orphanage by Christine Kenneally
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Genre: True Crime
Pub Date: March 21, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and PublicAffairs for an ARC in exchange for and honest review.


What a horrifying and heartbreaking book. Christine Kenneally, spent alot of time (10 years) researching and investigating for the publication of this book. Ghost Of The Orphanage is not for the faint if heart, it tells the true stories of the brutal abuse these poor innocent children went through while being in the Orphanage.

Ghosts of the Orphanage is an intense, albeit important book. The author, Christine Kenneally, tells the true stories of children raised in orphanages, particularly St. Joseph’s in Vermont, and the brutal abuse they suffered at the hands of their supposed caretakers. This book is not for the faint of heart, but Kenneally handles it as sensitively as possible. Sometimes, this book read a little bit like bits and pieces strung together, and while that was mildly frustrating, it mirrors the memories and flashback the now-adult victims can recollect. It is both eye-opening and heartbreaking, and makes your wonder about who could currently vulnerable and unheard.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Public Affairs Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Do yourself a favor and look up trigger warnings on this before diving in. That being said, wow. Christine Kenneally did a wonderful job of shedding light on the atrocities faced by children in the system. Ghosts in the Orphanage is a dark, but necessary account of the horrors faced by children on a daily basis, something that I think many people know too little about. I spent a lot of my time reading this slack jawed and horrified, but this should be used as a turning point, to make things better.

Despite the horrific topic of this book, this author is AMAZING at what she does in her writing, research, and empathy for the victims of this tragedy and the ones not yet spoken about. I cannot imagine the time and energy put in to tracking down the individuals involved, having to hear their stories, and face the ones guilty of carrying out the horrific abuse encountered by these individuals as children. Even if the story was not successdul enough to bring justice where ot was deserved, the fact that the author got the story out there, and told it in such a way that anyone that was involved and is here today to read her story and these interviews and accounts will live with the guilt of knowing how it affected these poor children into their adult lives and their families. I hope it brings to light more of this type of abuse so that justice can be served for those enduring it today in all forms. This was one powerful book that will stick with me for a very long time. I hope the families and any living survivors can go on knowing that they have been heard and their stories and feelings are valid!

Wow, that was such an interesting read! I feel that Kenneally did phenomenally at researching the history of problems in the orphanages and presenting the data in storytelling mode, which kept me reading. Heartbreaking and fascinating in equal measure, at least to someone who really wasn't familiar with the vast array of problems inherent in the system. I think our nonfiction book club will really want to read this, so we will purchase several copies for the collection.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 21, 2023
Christine Kenneally, an investigative reporter for BuzzFeed news who has been featured in other publications such as The New Yorker and the New York Times, examines the tragic history of the North American orphanage in “Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence and a Search for Justice”.
For decades, orphanages across North America housed thousands of children, some whose parents had died, some who had been abandoned and some whose parents innocently thought that it was a better place for their child. Most of these orphanages had the Catholic Church at its helm, with nuns and priests as the primary carers and religious role models of the children. However, as the world is just now beginning to discover, these orphanages and similar homes and schools for children were indeed a terrifying place, full of sadistic caregivers whose malicious treatment of the children was ignored, and essentially covered up, by the largest religion in the world. Kenneally takes an in-depth look at this practice, interviewing survivors and attempting to uncover the secrets that the Catholic Church was desperate to keep hidden.
There are so many disturbing things in this book, that I can’t even begin to issue trigger warnings (consider the entire thing to be a trigger warning before you move forward). Beyond all else, what is most uncomfortable about Kenneally’s work is the fact that every word is true. Not only were orphanages mistreating children in the early twentieth century, but some existed as late as the 1970s, causing generations of trauma to innocent children.
Kenneally’s work primarily focuses on St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Vermont, USA, but she also includes Mont Providence Orphanage in Quebec, Canada and a few others scattered throughout the continent. The savage treatment is similar throughout the homes, and the complete disregard and lack of caring from the diocese and those who serve it, seems to ignore national borders.
“Ghosts” will have readers rethinking their idea of generational trauma, and Kenneally quotes professionals who provide background into how trauma manifests and how, in some cases, it led to the children not being believed. It is not surprising in 2023 that priests, nuns and other religious “figures” are no longer the saintly role models they were made out to be generations ago, but Kenneally’s story examines an even darker side of the Catholic church and its representatives that will leave readers with a lump in their throat.
As a Canadian, we are just becoming privy to the full extent of the damage done to children (especially Indigenous ones), as more and more unmarked graves are revealed across the country. Although this revelation in itself is horrifying, the savagery and hardship thrust upon these children while they were alive, portrayed honestly through Kenneally’s upfront words, is next level.
“Ghosts” is not an easy read by any means, but it is so crucial and poignant, that its subject matter needs to be spread far and wide. Although the orphanage system has finally been abolished and the current foster care system in its place (which has its own flaws that I won’t get into here), “Ghosts” will open readers’ eyes to a world many closed their eyes too for years.

This story details the abuse, sexual assaults and murders that took place in St. Joseph's Orphange in Australia. It also lets the reader know that these abuses were not singular to this orphange but were common place at orphanges run by the Catholic Church.. Nuns and priests in that time were allowed to use corporal punishment as they felt necessary and many went above and beyond the definition of the word. What I was able to read of this story was heartbreaking and very hard to read. I commend the author on attempting to bring these stories to light and I can only imagine the strength it took to hear and write about them. The rating assigned is based simply on the fact that I was unable to finish the book due to the intensity of the childrens stories and not a reflection on the author and their story telling ability.

This was a dark one. I simply cannot comprehend what these literal children went through at a place that was supposed to care for them. And for what? What was the reason? (Obviously there is no good reason, but I'd like to hear the delusional one anyway.)

TBH I didn't totally know what was going on or where we were going until Act II. Act I felt a little all over the place, and I wasn't sure if we were sticking to one location or many, if things were related or not. I think chapter/act titles would have helped organization-wise. Otherwise, the chapter breaks didn't all necessarily make sense.

Also - I realized that I don't understand how orphanages worked. A bunch of these kids had parents that either visited or still claimed them so they couldn't be adopted?? S. didn't leave till she was in her twenties, because they simply wouldn't let her??

This book contains some astounding, heartwrenching stories-- stories that SHOULD be told, and stories that the author clearly cares very deeply about telling. Unfortunately, I found the structure of the book impossible to decipher; I never knew where we were going, or where the stories were leading us. This was quite disappointing, as there is so much here that is worth hearing, and Keneally has clearly done her homework.

Years and years of violence, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, and death have taken place in orphanages. In Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice focuses on not only St. Joseph’s, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Kenneally but on other orphanages in other countries as well.

The author tells the stories of survivors who tell not only of their experiences but of those of the children who did not survive. She shows the courage and quest for justice. She details horrific abuse and even murder. She also shows the strength and courage of the survivors.

This is a true crime book that details the age of crimes against children in orphanages. I was horrified that most of the overwhelming abuse done by nuns but of the coverup as well. The author did a massive amount of research and interviewing of survivors.

This is not an easy book to read. It's heartbreaking and sad. It's also well written, informative and I enjoyed hearing about the survivors and their lives after leaving the orphanage they were in.


Thank you to PublicAffairs 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.

An extremely well researched, very sensitive deep dive into the abuses perpetrated on children at Catholic orphanages, the efforts of the Church and local/regional governments to cover up the abuses, and the lifelong impact of both the abuses and the cover-ups on the survivors. Christine Kenneally has done incredible work bringing these stories to light in a way that isn't salacious or sensational. This should be required reading for anyone entering the fields of social work, victim advocacy, or the areas of law that deal with the pursuit and prosecution of sexual predators.

I think Christine Kennelly Wrote about with respect to the victims alive and dead. It seem to me being just a reader that it was a hard book to write because she was waking up all monsters and wanting the victims of those monsters speak about it and although some found it therapeutic some had a hard time with it but she respected everyone’s wishes and I think did a wonderful job with this book. You will definitely need tissues as it is not a happy story and although somewhere happy endings that definitely wasn’t the status quo for the victims of the orphanages. The office research on the topic seems to be exhausting and she is done her due diligence. In every chapter it seems we need a new person who lived through the orphanage system weather in America, Australia, Canada in as far away as Ireland and Scotland. It seems no matter where the orphanage was abuse was par for the course in weather it was sexual or physical no one got out unscaved and without emotional or physical marks but sadly the most egregious abuse had no personal advocate just eyewitnesses because they were the ones who went missing. It is the things that nightmares are made of in their mini still alive they can attest that because they still wake up in the night haunted by the ghost of friends and or nameless children they shared a home with that one time. Christine Kennelly spoke to supposed experts on the topic that didn’t believe it so how could she an author and a reporter give credence to such that thirdly deeds… Like any good author she researched it and found proof and although it won’t send anyone to jail it was enough to know that these peoples remembrances were valid. even if they got out with the life some with strip of basic information such as their name their birthday in their whole heritage. This is a sad tale with so many victims that finally can have a version of their story told and I think the author did a wonderful job. I highly recommend this book the even sadder story about this book though is that most of this was done by people who took bowels to live by the Bible and yet did everything put that in during the abuse of children were still brought to mass insert to confession it really is such a sad sad story all of it. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Ghosts of the Orphanage tells the stories of those who suffered abuse at the hands of nuns, priests and other orphanage workers. It is thoroughly researched and documented. It was a struggle for me to finish, as it was a bit all over the place rather than chronological.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy. This book was definitely a tough read but I loved how deep it delved into the lives of the children who were placed into orphanages. I enjoyed how the author used experiences from different people from different orphanages to show that the experiences they faced were not just faced in one place but all over.

This book is a true account of the mental, physical, and sexual abuse orphans suffered worldwide from the 1940s to 1970s. I found this book very frustrating as the courts sided with the Catholic Church and determined the victims did not deserve fair compensation. It took nearly 60 years to hold the church accountable and because of this, enforced the laws we have in place for child abuse. Sad some of the victims didn't live to see justice served, but this is a true story of hope and determination. I'm giving this a 4 just for length and being so redundant.

In 2018, when the original Buzzfeed News article came out I was in shock and dismay that this occurred in my little state of Vermont. Since we are so small, when anything happens in any part of the state it is personal. I was shocked because I felt so much for the orphans of St. Joseph's. How could this have gone on for so long and touched so many children and yet no one did anything. I went down the google tunnel finding out all I could on the history of St. Joseph's and that was disturbing. When I found out that Christine Kenneally was writing a book, I knew I had to read it and the amount of information and disturbing emotional, physical, and sexual abuse that went on for so many years completely floored me. Which really it should not have considering how the church has always responded, remove the priest to another parish, sweeping anything negative under the rug, always deny deny deny. Kenneally spent ten years researching that horrific time in history. Making sure these children, these people stories were not lost in a vacuum of time.

It is astonishing the amount of research that went into this book. Kenneally traveled all over the globe, interviewed hundreds of people, back tracking stories, all to help bring some justice and a bit of closure. Chasing down witnesses so they could collaborate stories told by others at the orphanage at that time. Linking one thin thread to another, until the full story finally came together. At every turn the lawyers, Kenneally, and the orphans themselves were turned away or shut down. Told that they were making up stories. That none of the nuns would hang a child out the window, throw another out of a boat to make him swim, eat their own vomit when they were sick, and the list goes on and on.

Ghosts of the Orphanage is a deep, dark, terrifying part of our history that needs to be brought to the light. To finally bring some justice and healing. Kenneally focused mostly on St. Joseph's. However, there are Orphanages all over the world that were involved in similar abuse. That has been hidden and hushed by the church. It is an agonizing book to read, but at the same time it needs to be read. I had to read it slowly in chunks, otherwise it would become too much for me. The horror these children lived with is sickening and I hope some kind of justice is brought to the men and women who tortured them. Thank you to Christine Kenneally, Novel Suspects, and Public Affairs for my gifted copy of this astonishing book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a horrifying and heartbreaking book. The author did a lot of research to bring this book together.
Not only does this book bring to light an astonishing amount of abuse by nuns to children in various orphanages, and also the more well known abuse by Catholic priests, but the fact that documentation was very much lacking or falsified to cover up a lot of the criminal activities.
The book touches on trauma and repressed memories and how complicated that makes these cases. The court system is obviously not a well working system and the statue of limitations is definitely a gray area when dealing with these types of cases.

This was a dark, disturbing, hard to read book. Hard to read in that you just can’t fathom that there are truly evil people out there that feel no guilt in abusing children that are under their care. The stories of the survivors, which took place in Catholic orphanages in the early-mid 1900s, made me sick to my stomach. The stuff they had to live through and witness were absolutely horrific. The author did do a great job in the research of the history and the survivors’ stories and how it was presented. I will say it was a bit repetitive at times, and the last half of the book was a little tedious as it was a lot of lawyer talk. Incredibly sad, but worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for my digital copy of this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on March 21, 2023. My review will be posted to my Instagram account (@booksandbackstreet) closer to the pub date.