Since giving birth to my daughter nearly two years ago, I have been drawn to stories about motherhood. Despite being many decades removed from this setting, I felt a strong connection with Lorraine.

The Girls We Sent Away is a heartbreaking story about unwed pregnant girls who are sent to a maternity home amidst the Baby Scoop Era of the 1960s. An emotional and powerful experience, I encourage readers to take care and look into content warnings prior to reading. My heart broke for Lorraine, and all the women whose stories reflect hers.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls We Sent Away is a fantastic novel. A great pick for historical fiction fans and book clubs. Wonderfully written characters in a great story. I enjoyed how Meagan Church continues to reveal more and more layers to her characters as the story progresses. Thank you to Net Galley, Meagan Church and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a painful, upsetting book. It was so difficult to read and made me cry multiple times. It's so horrifying to learn how this was happening all over and how many people carry the trauma from this.

Ah, the maternity homes for wayard girls. I am drawn to these sorts of stories for some reasons. I felt that Lorraine was easily to connect with as a character and many book clubs will enjoy discuss this and how we treat teenage pregnancy.

I would GUESS that it would need a 'trigger warning' that there are sex scenes in the book as I did read a review that someone was offended by it but...grow up.

Excellent book by Meagan Church about a strange time and an emotional weight that was left on those involved.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Having grown up in the late 1960s and early 1970s,, both the setting and storyline of The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church were familiar. I remember sitting in the cafeteria one day and hearing rumors about an upperclassman that had been sent to a "home for unwed mothers". She didn't come back to school that year, but the whispers stuck around.

Lorraine Delford is that girl. The good girl, The overachiever, the one who bows to the pressures and expectations of her parents at a time when girls and women were at the cusp of creating expectations and dreams of their own - but note quite there yet. Her story is, at turns, raw and heartbreaking, but authentic to the time and to the character.

Church does a good job of making Lorraine's situation relatable and real, while gently reminding the reader of the very real trauma and drama that was, and is, teen pregnancy. The characters are complex and conflicted, and, although I was a bit disappointed at the cliched "big reveal" late in the book, I was engaged from beginning to end.

The Girls We Sent Away is one of those books I might be reticent in recommending for women of a certain age - we never know the trauma others carry, and Lorraine's story might hit a bit too close to home for some.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for bringing this book and Meagan Church to my attention.

This is a topic I’ve read in other books but none of them hold a candle to this one. I am sitting here after finishing this book one week ago still thinking about it. In this book we meet Lorraine who is enjoying her time in high school. She has a steady boyfriend and lots of plans for her future. When Lorraine becomes pregnant all of the plans for her future are in question. The one thing she thought was a given was that her boyfriend would do the right thing and marry her. Things did not go that way. He left her and never looked back. Her parents decided to send her to a home for unwed mothers as teen pregnancy was seen as an embarrassment and something to shame in the 1960’s. What happens from here took my breath away. The rawness of this book held me captive until the last page. As a mother myself to a teenaged daughter, I can’t imagine how it must have felt for both of them. It has not been an easy road for women and I’m glad this book was written to show that and to show where we are now and how there is always more work to do. Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and Meagan Church for this extraordinary masterpiece.

“The Girls We Sent Away” is a fictional novel by Meagan Church. This book deals with homes for unwed mothers, who await the birth of their babies. I’ve read a number of books about this topic and it amazes me (continually) how heartbreaking those homes were. On one hand, I can see why those homes existed but on the other hand, how sad that they existed in the way that they did. One cannot help but feel sadness for the main character, Lorraine - she’s oblivious to so much, has her life figured out, and when she goes to those she believes will help her, she’s met with “you did this, you figure it out” from them instead. Like another reviewer commented, from the opening, I too thought this was going to be a mystery (or thriller) and I cannot quite explain why. I liked the fact that this book wasn’t neatly wrapped up in the end - and I also hope that all those girls got the mental help they needed later in life.

As I was reading The Girls We Sent Away, I was struck by the fact this is a work of fiction, but it very well could have been a true story. I even felt angry about how different the girls were treated compared to the boys even though they were in the same circumstances. The story centers around Lorraine, a teenager who has a great future to look forward to, until she gets pregnant and sent away to "take care of it". It's the 1960's and that is just how these things were handled then. I feel like Meagan Church really captured the emotions someone would experience in this situation. I also enjoyed reading the epilogue, where she explains the baby scoop era. Thank you @NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book. I think this is an important story that sheds light on a topic we tend to sweep under the rug.

Meagan Church writes heartbreaking and stunning books about ugly times in our history and this one is no different. Focusing on the time when unwed pregnant girls were sent to homes where they waited to give birth and then give up their child, this book focuses on Lorraine. Lorraine is a high school senior on the verge of becoming the first female valedictorian at her school and she has many hopes and dreams for her future, in a time when women were still expected to be perfect wives.
This book will break your heart and make you angry at the way Lorraine was treated by her family, boyfriend and even the person in charge at the maternity home. But I highly recommend it as we can not forget this kind of thing wasn’t that long ago.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

This was a great read. I loved and empathized with the main character, as I had a baby very young as well, luckily, I was born in an era where we did not send girls away for this. My ex-mother-in-law, however, WAS sent away to have a baby in her teens and her account of that time was heartbreaking.

This reading made me feel really sorry for Lorraine. I created a very empathetic connection with this character. The number of destroyed dreams is a testament to real life.
I liked the structure of the novel and the author's way of writing, it makes you want to read without stopping, but I think there were some loose ends at the end. I would have liked to have seen them explained in another way. Netgalley, Thank you very much for this opportunity.

#thegirlswesentaway, #Meagan Church
#novel

This book was written in a way that drew you in from the start. You really felt for Lorraine and what she was going through. Such a gripping read to show us exactly what happened during the "baby scoop era"

This book was okay for me. I found some parts dragging and just wanting to finish it out. I thought the storyline could have been better developed.

This book would have been AWESOME if each chapter didn’t end with a wannabe-ominous forewarning. While I understand that it most likely was used to build up suspense and keep the reader interested in flipping the pages and reading on, seeing it at the end of each chapter made me dread seeing it yet again at the end of the chapter I’m reading, so much so, that it also made me think of DNFing it.
Other than this, this was a solid story. It was sad, it was heartbreaking, it felt real and it had the depth, the soul, all the feels and created the atmosphere of that time.

The Girls We Sent Away is loaded with the realistic, sad stuff of life. It’s the kind of novel a post-Roe v. Wade world needs, but a couple of factors keep it from being an DIK.

It is the summer of 1964, and North Carolina native, astronomy fan and high school junior Lorraine Delford seems to have it all. A loving family, good grades, a summer job as a highly-vaunted lifeguard, a handsome college freshman boyfriend, and a plan to be named valedictorian and go to college, not just for a ‘decorous’ degree, but to join the burgeoning space program and walk on the moon. Then her boyfriend, Clint, gives her a promise ring, which leads to a night of passion on the floor of a barn.

When Lorraine becomes pregnant, her plans for her senior year are quickly derailed. Clint breaks up with her and goes on his merry way, and her parents shuffle Lorraine off to a home for unwed mothers. Her education is put on hold, and Lorraine must contend with the home’s mean politics, poor learning options and strict supervision. And yet a spark of hope blooms in her. She meets the handsome Allan, she finds friends in her roommates, Mirabelle and Denise, and works to achieve her dreams, even if it must be made through a GED. Yet she also grows attached to the baby within her. Can she keep her child and forge ahead? Or will other factors interfere and keep Lorraine from keeping the child?

The Girls We Set Away is a fairly depressing tale, and one teenagers all over the world continue to through to this day. It’s about the crushing, mundane weight of reality and of social expectations, and the hell they can play on an innocent kid.

Lorraine is immediately sympathetic and easy to like, her relationship with Allen is very sweet, and the book hands her a realistic, though not easy, card. The novel splits its perspectives between Lorraine and her mother and the dual PoVs feel very crucial, as Lorraine’s mother Betty has attained that ultimate level of housewife perfection that is supposed to be the era’s grand pursuit, yet is filled with poignant, bitter regret. She wants better for Lorraine and yet she’s pushing society’s morals and ethics on her daughter, unaware of the social revolution set to arrive in three years.

There are some problems with the narrative, in that, like life, many blanks are left behind, and many ties undone. We leave Lorraine building a future, scarred, in love, and hopeful. But a few missed plot points had me wondering how other characters made it out. Prepare to have your heart broken by this one; it’s a beautiful story, but you might need tissues.

While I loved the story in this book, and the characters, the writing felt very ~debut novel~. Every chapter ending with some derivative of, "little did she know however, her life was about to change".

It just felt... lame? Simple?

Sorry!!! But thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the arc.

2 stars because the story held so much promise.

What a heart breaking honest look at what happened during the Baby Scoop Era and the trauma it caused so many women.
Lorraine is an independent, bright high schooler with dreams to attend college and pursue a career. She becomes pregnant and is sent away to a home for unwed mothers.
The author captured the limits women endured and the pain of giving a child away perfectly. I saw many parallels with The Handmaids Tale especially in the house mother and her treatment of the women there. It’s horrifying to think that these places actually existed.
I highly recommend this well written historical fiction novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a moving novel! The Girls We Sent Away is an emotionally charged historical fiction set in the south in 1960’s. Centering around Lorraine Delfoaround, a high school senior who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Being that her boyfriend professed his love and devotion to her, Lorraine figures she will marry her boyfriend before she has the baby. Unfortunately, as it turns out, her boyfriend wants no parts of her or the baby, and her parents send her to a home for unwed mothers so she can finish her last trimester in secrecy. It was at this point I knew I wouldn’t put this book down until I was finished.

Meagan Church did a fantastic job of creating a storyline that is both riveting as well as factually accurate to this time period. The Baby Scoop Era is heartbreaking on so many levels, and as someone who wasn’t alive during that time, it’s truly mind-boggling how this was commonplace. I have read Meagan Church’s prior novel so I knew she would do this subject matter and characters justice and she absolutely did not disappoint! The Girls We Sent Away is a 5 star historical fiction that will definitely stay with me!

This is a story of loss, betrayal and unimaginable heartbreak. For those looking for a mystery, this is not for you. This is a story, and an amazing but sad one at that. The emotion pouring through the pages was so strong, the author bringing this book to life with her superb writing style. This is one of those books that I felt myself in, watching everything unfold and knowing it has the potential to make a great movie. This was descriptive and informing, not holding back the realities of the past. This author is one to watch out for. Four and a half stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

Once again, author Meagan Church shines a light on a dark era in our history. The Baby Scoop Era refers to the period from 1945 to 1973 when an estimated 4 million unwed, pregnant women were sent to maternity homes. These women were hidden away from society, their friends and family and felt tremendous shame. They were often coerced or forced to give their babies away for adoption. By the 1960’s there were over 200 hundred of these homes across 44 states (statistics from author’s note). The numbers are astonishing and the impact on families and the women is likely still felt today. This is a powerful, emotional and devastating novel. It is frustrating to see all Lorraine’s dreams crushed because of one impulsive night. Clint, the disappearing boyfriend, is a terrible character but unfortunately probably rings true with teenage boys of that era. The positives of the story are buried within the story. Lorraine’s strength, determination and resilience is impressive for a young woman. Lorraine’s friendship and mentorship with the librarian is heartwarming. Their relationship gives Lorraine hope that she too can live a life different than her mother’s. The friendship between Alan and Lorraine is beautiful. Everyone needs a friend like Alan. He was funny, encouraging, positive and most of all accepting of Lorraine and loved her through it all. Her parents and relationship with her them are so difficult to read but reflects the time and attitudes of the time. All the characters are well developed, and Lorraine is a beautiful and strong young heroine.

The author found a dark cranny in our history and explores the devastating impact The Baby Scoop Era had on young women and families. It would have been nice to get an update on Clint and perhaps a look at Lorraine further out in time. The reader is left hoping Lorraine and Alan were both able to follow their dreams or that Lorraine was at least able to find a new dream and find some happiness. The author sums up this era perfectly in her author’s note. “As a society, we have too often erred on the side of conditional love and acceptance. May we do better now, and into the future. May we know and display grace, mercy, and love free of conditions.” Yes, we can do better.