The Girls We Sent Away is a novel about the Baby Scoop Era in the 1960s. It follows the story of Lorraine, a successful high schooler on track to being valedictorian with dreams of becoming an astronaut, whose life is derailed when she realizes she is pregnant. Her parents hide her away in the house, since she isn't allowed to go back to high school, and her boyfriend tells her that she's on her own. Lorraine is told that her only option is to go away to a maternity house for the last three months of her pregnancy. The girls in the house aren't allowed to tell personal details to one another and they have to sign away their parental rights once they've given birth so that they can get on with their lives afterwards. The story explores some very interesting themes during a time period that I didn't know much about. Unfortunately, I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, which I think would have made me enjoy the story more. This book will appeal to fans of historical fiction that focuses on women's issues.

I really wanted to read this book,but sadly I didn't get to download it before it archived. This has never happed to me before!!! Therefore, I can't really do a review at this time. I will try to get the book at my local library and come back to review afterwards. For now, I'm giving it five stars since anything less would be unfair, in my opinion.

Set in 1960s North Carolina, 15 yr/old Lorriane found herself pregnant. Her perfect boyfriend, white picket house and all her dreams crash.
This was a gut wrenching novel. Even with the blurb you never know what to get yourself into. The writing was smooth and I loved reading the character growth.

A lot of the story was pulling all the heart strings. I don’t even like pregnancy tropes yet here I am writing an ARC review 😅.

The Girls We Sent Away is sad but a true depiction of what millions of girls endured when they got “in trouble.”
I have not heard of the Baby Scoop Era until recently. I dint think it was called that during the time the unwed mother’s homes were the most active.
Lindsay has to deal with the consequences of one night’s indiscretion while her boyfriend Clint just walked away. I wanted to drop kick him.
The ending is good but it’s not clear on what exactly Lindsay is doing but that she survived and is living her life.

Focused on the not so distant past, where unmarried women were sent away by their families to have their babies in secret, only to have said babies taken by force, The Girls We Sent Away packs a somber punch. As a mother of two myself, this was a hard read. I can't imagine what these poor girls went through. And the poor children! Be prepared for some heavy, heavy themes including societal control of women, mental health, and heaps of trauma. Read with caution and don't be afraid to set this one down if needed. This is a very good book, but it is also heavy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

This is such a thought-provoking book about life in the 1960s. The way things were back then, teenage pregnancy brought shame to upstanding families in the community. So they dealt with it by sweeping the problem under the rug. Pretending like nothing happened after they sent their daughters away.

So much went on in this book, and I felt so much for the girls. It is heartbreaking and gut wrenching journey, but it had to be to really represent that period of history. I don’t read much historical fiction, but this was definitely a great one!

Thanks to NetGalley, Meagan Church, and @bookmarked for the eARC if this book.

Wow! What a beautiful, emotional story about a time when women didn't have agency over their own bodies. This pulled on all of my emotions. It seemed like everyone involved felt as if they were doing what was right and what was best for these poor young ladies, but none of them were ever asked what they wanted for themselves.

The story was beautifully written. Told in 3rd person, the author was able to flow between many different characters in a way that felt natural. This was my first book by Meagan Church and I will definitely be going back to check out her previous one and any that come in the future.

Great writing by Church - the book details nicely the coming of age story of the girl during a time that was not always easy for women. The way the character was developed throughout the novel was very compelling and she faced many different challenges.

Lorraine is such a young girl when she trust the wrong boy. This totally derails her plans. And her parents take drastic actions. They send her away to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

Megan Church has become one of my favorite authors. I loved her debut novel, The Last Carolina Girl. And now she has hit me with this tale.

Lorraine and her situation brings out all the feels. One minute I am so mad I could punch her parents, her boyfriend and everyone around her. The next minute I am in tears thinking about the stuff this poor girl went through all by herself.

This story is so well written. The characters and the situation just pulls you in, and let me tell you, it does not let you go! And to know this was the normal way of handling this just a few decades ago.

Need a novel that will bring out all kinds of emotions…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was really good! I feel that the author really pulled me into Lorraine's story, and I was very invested in what happened to her. The author also did a great job of representing the Baby Scoop Era from all sides and perspectives. Really well done. My only critique would be that the end felt a little incomplete. I wanted a little more about the main character.

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley and @recordedbooks for the complimentary ARC & ALC.

Many times people have asked a QOTD along the lines of who was a character you really related to, and I’ve never had an answer… until now. I saw so much of myself in Lorraine, high school senior straight A student, college bound and suddenly being forced to leave school. There is where our stories diverge. I had the support of my family, and Lorraine was sent to a maternity home to hide her pregnancy.

I was completely engrossed in this book from start to finish. My heart broke for Lorraine and for all girls that were sent to those homes! Decisions were made for, and about them, without once ever talking to them. I cannot begin to fathom how you recover from such trauma.

I mostly listened to this book, the narrator Susan Bennet was the perfect voice for Lorraine, but I’m so glad that I also had a physical copy because the audio did not include the author’s note. I knew about these maternity homes before but I had no idea as to the scale of it. I also didn’t know about The Baby Scoop Era which lasted from 1945-1973! An estimated four million women were sent to these homes. Four million! Knowing there were so many other stories like Lorraine and the other girls at the home just made this story hit home even more.

Meagan Church's "The Girls We Sent Away" is a poignant exploration, skillfully crafted and meticulously researched. It delves into the lives of young girls whose fates were shaped by the suffocating confines of societal norms and expectations. Often left to navigate their pregnancies and childbirth alone, these girls grapple with naivety and the absence of crucial maternal guidance, shrouded in a society where certain topics remain taboo.

The narrative poignantly reflects the injustice endured by women, whose actions are branded scandalous while men escape consequence. Lorraine's story particularly resonates, as she bears the weight of her circumstances with admirable resilience. As a mother myself, I found it challenging to comprehend the decisions and priorities of Lorraine's parents, who seemingly placed the opinions of their social circle above their daughter's well-being.

Though set in a different era, the underlying message remains timeless: a parent's duty is to prioritize their child above societal expectations. Despite the heartache and injustice depicted, Church's storytelling captivates, urging readers to reflect on themes of empathy, resilience, and the enduring power of familial bonds. "The Girls We Sent Away" is a compelling read that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Wow, what a heartbreaking story. It was incredibly well written and researched. The characters were real and the story was moving. I switched between the audio and e version of this, and they were both wonderful. The history of pregnant girls during a time when this was not accepted created emotional turmoil for not only the pregnant girl but her family and friends. At times a very difficult, although well written book - the tears were flowing and I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout. An important story and piece of history - one that we should not forget.
Thank you Netgalleyfor my advanced reader copies.

Growing up in the 60's I never knew of the "baby scoop area" too young to realize what was going on around me and hearing "whispers" about those girls who got themselves in trouble as most would refer to them as. . I found this book informative, heartbreaking and also heartwarming all at the same time... to give an amazing voice to Lorraine and a platform to understand what had gone on during those times. .. is truly amazing.. Thank you Meagan for bring this all to light. I loved your author notes and what "sparked" you to write Lorraine's story. And I have highlighted an amazing passage that will stay with me for a long time " Sometimes surviving means finding the strength to pick up the remnants of shattered dreams and piece together a mosaic of new ones, a continual work in progress, a constant decision to put one foot in front of the other, to fight against gravity, and keep moving forward. Again Meagan thank you for such powerful words and such an incredible book!

Wow, Church has established herself as an author that is determined to shine light on the murky, ugly underbelly of pregnancy in the 1960s.Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my early copies of THE GIRLS WE SENT AWAY, which is out now!

This sophomoric novel follows Lorraine, a girl that is set to be valedictorian of her graduating class and has big dreams of NASA and space. Unfortunately, in class 1960s style, she is socked away into a girls’ home while she carries her unwed pregnancy to term. I applauded and cheered as Lorraine continued to learn and grow as a smart young woman, I cried tears for those around her and their immeasurable loss, and I just wanted to jump into this book and give her a big hug and tell her it will be okay.

Church has gone and written a novel that is as good, if not better, than her first novel! Well done!!

Love it, highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys historical fiction, strong FMCs, NASA and the space race, plus the 1960s as a setting.

This one was good, but I honestly wanted to like it more. I felt a bit lost and unable to connect with the characters. This plotline makes me sad too. I cannot believe this is how was treated (yikes still treat?) women. The writing is engaging and nicely done. I just personally couldn’t connect. I do recommend this though as it’s an extremely important topic to bring awareness to.

I received a copy from NetGalley for review.

I ate this book up once I got into it. It made me super uncomfortable though since books with pregnancy I tend to stay away from. I think it's a heart wrenching read that pulls on your heart strings. Lorraine deserved so much better in the end and if this took place now she'd be so right in going no contact with her shitty parents.

"Strength isn't in the loud and obvious. Strength is often camouflaged in the quiet, reserved places where most people wouldn't think to look. It's grown in the moments when we give up things along the way."

"Sometimes surviving means finding the strength to pick up the remnants of shattered dreams and piece together a mosaic of new ones, a continual work in progress, a constant decision to put one foot in front of the other, to fight against gravity, and keep moving forward."

Oh damn here I am crying !!!! Sobbing to be more exact.

The Baby Scoop Era refers to the period of time from 1945 to 1973 when an estimated four million unwed pregnant women were sent to maternity homes, which could result in coerced or even forced surrender of their children.

I can't find the words to describe how I feel after reading this book. As a mom, I'm broken in so many pieces. As a reader, I can just clap standing up and say this book goes directly to my five stars reads this month and probably the year. What an incredible story and to think there were many girls out there in the US living this! It breaks my heart.

This kind of stories are reminders of why we riot and why we fight. What a hard thing it is to be a woman no? We need to keep raising our voice and I'm so happy there's writers who won't stop telling the truth and the stories of all this girls. We shouldn't simply forget!!!!

Go read this one!

The Girls We Sent Away, an emotionally moving saga set in North Carolina during the 1960’s, follows the life of high school senior Lorraine Delford, a bright young woman on track to become the first female valedictorian at her school. She has big plans for college and then perhaps to become the first woman in space. But one night, following a kiss and a promise, Lorraine has one regrettable lapse of judgement, and it changes everything for her. Her parents send her to a home for wayward girls, a place to fix it, to give birth, and then to put this all behind her. With her dreams in shattered pieces, Lorraine finds that she is still the fierce woman that she has always been. With determination, she scoops up the scattered remnants and pieces them into a new design. And then she keeps moving. Lorraine shines as the heroine of her own story.

Meagan Church’s tale is a work of fiction, but Lorraine Delford’s story is the truthful account of many young women. I grew up during this time, the Baby Scoop Era, and I knew them, my friends, young girls like Lorraine, who fell hard for the charms of a steady guy who professed his love for her. And in one moment of weakness and indiscretion, the women’s lives were changed forever, while the men went on to accept scholarships, play collegiate sports, and earn a degree.

Meagan Church’s writing is some of the truest prose that I have ever read. She evokes emotions that are authentic for each of her characters. How well she describes these young mothers-to-be, some scared, hopeless, and vulnerable while others are strong and determined. This is a tender and heart-wrenching story, with every element that touches us so deeply, of motherhood, of family expectations, of lost dreams, and of unspeakable sorrow. And yet, this is not a depressing book but one that is full of hope and promise. We are left with the reminder of the women who went before us, grateful for the hard roads they walked and the shame they endured so that we might have the freedom to make our own choices. This is a story that needed to be told, and I applaud Meagon Church for doing it so well.

Beautifully written and so timely: if you say you are Pro-Life then what do you intend to do for the mother as well as the child? Previously, women were whisked away to have these children secretly and then ushered back to society and told to act as if nothing happened. But if you hide things from the light they eventually have a way of coming out in due time anyway. I loved this story as I was actively writing a thesis on Postpartum Depression and Anxiety while reading this book and it allowed me to yet explore one more theme (of many) that may allude to later onset of such things. Meagan Church writes beautiful, timely, and unique novels that dare to go to places previously left unexplored and I look forward to reading more by this author!