I really enjoyed this historical fiction!

This is a dual POV story taking place in the 1890s and the 1970s. Usually, I always favor one POV and don't care about the other. However, I was very invested in both POVs in this book. I wanted to know what happened to Annie. Did she survive San Quentin? What happened to her after? With Judy - did she figure out what happened with Annie? What happened with her project?

This book was also infuriating. Not because of the author, but because of the way communities, minorities, and women were treated during the 1800s portion of this book.

I wish there had been an author's note at the end of the book with what was real vs. fictional and what had inspired her. There were a few tidbits in the acknowledgements, but those can easily be missed if you skip that portion of the book.

In this fascinating dual perspective historical fiction novel, readers follow Irish servant Annie Gilmurray in 1890s San Francisco and photographer Judy Morelli in 1972 San Francisco. Coming across Annie’s mugshot as she grapples with her husband’s infidelity and her lost sense of self, Judy becomes immersed in Annie’s story, the San Quentin women prisoners, and photos’ ability to tell a story. As the South of Market Street neighborhood where she lives begins to gentrify, Judy discovers her place in this movement and how she can tell her story and other stories that matter. Focused on the stories of women at a low point in their life and their ability to rebuild themselves into something unique, independent, and strong, readers will enjoy following Judy and Annie’s stories as they unfold. Creating a vibrant historical setting in her reconstruction of San Quentin prison, Jaeger’s prose and narrative abilities create some fascinating settings and characters for readers to enjoy. Annie and Judy are complex heroines with distinct personalities, yet the similarities between the two are powerful and just obvious enough to create cohesion between the dual perspectives and narratives of the novel. An excellent piece of historical fiction, Jaeger’s latest book is an excellent dual perspective novel set in beautiful and tumultuous San Francisco.

“Her head was filled with useless knowledge, when what she needed to know was how to defend herself against a man.”

Historical fiction author Meredith Jaeger specializes in stories about San Francisco that place in dual timelines, and The Incorrigibles continues this pattern. In 1972, newly separated aspiring photographer Judy Morelli becomes captivated by the mugshot of Irish maid Annie Gilmurray, who was arrested in 1890 for grand larceny. The story unfolds from both women’s points of view, as they individually struggle for independence.

Annie Gilmurray was a maid in a San Francisco mansion, besotted with the owner’s nephew and convinced he felt the same way. But the ring he gave her was stolen from his mother, and he was already engaged. Annie was sentenced to a year in the notorious San Quentin prison. Surrounded by dangerous men and corrupt guards, Annie makes friends with another Irish woman and tries to avoid murderers.

Judy got married right after college and never worked; she left her husband and moved to San Francisco after his drinking and cheating became too much. She finds comfort and friends in her neighborhood, even though the city has declared it dangerous and plans to tear down the buildings where they live. As Judy tries to find out what happened to Annie, she also becomes involved with tenants’ rights groups and the gay community. But with Tony and her own mother pressing her to return home and be a good wife, will Judy be able to maintain her independence?

The best historical fiction shares themes with current events, and Jaeger excels at making these connections. San Francisco, now and then, has always been a city on the verge of collapse from crime, even while real estate prices make homes unaffordable for all but the richest people. Class conflict, sexism, xenophobia, corruption… these issues were at the forefront in the 1890s, the 1970s, and today. As much as things change, they stay the same.

Jaeger’s structuring is excellent, and there were many times I feared a premature end to Annie’s story. I did find the plotting to be somewhat predictable, however, and the characters to lack subtext. But the women’s earnestness is appealing, and Jaeger’s epilogue wrapped up everything nicely.

As history repeats itself and fiction readers look for guidance from the past, Jaeger’s brand of strong San Francisco heroines continues to entertain and educate.

Arrested and serving one year in San Quentin when she was a maid. Having received an opal ring from the nephew of the woman Annie was working for...giving her the ring he stole from his aunt, he denied having done so., the year was 1890. Fast forward to 1972 we meet Judy who has left her husband and taken a position as a film developer. Finding a picture of Annie's mugshot, Judy becomes fascinated not only with Annie but the history of the 1800's and the neighborhood of San Francisco's South of Market Street. An emotional and powerful story of society's injustice, this was a book hard to put down. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you to [Penguin - Dutton] for this ARC, I appreciate it so much!

Another historical fiction, another dual timeline to navigate. Desperately begging authors to just write the story they’re focused on rather than using another story to frame it and convince us it’s important. BUT I did genuinely enjoy both storylines this time: Judy, a newly single woman navigating the changing city of San Francisco in the 1970s and Annie, an Irish immigrant wrongly convicted and sentenced to a year in prison in 1890.

Follow along with Judy’s journey to find herself through photographing her new neighbors and researching a compelling mugshot. Feel righteously indignant about Annie’s story from the very start. Mourn their losses. Celebrate their victories.

Pros:
- New subject material! As someone born and raised in a city I have seen change and develop at a startling pace, the San Francisco real estate drama was very interesting. I can truly say I’ve never read anything about Irish lacemaking, the women’s prison at San Quentin, or SOMA real estate legislation before this.
- Sweet, sweet justice.

Cons:
- I think one of the characters was far too Pollyanna — everyone she met was SO kind and SO helpful and SO generous, of course everything will work out, of course she’s learning to be an independent woman, literally nothing about her neighborhood full of new besties is ever negative ever.

Two women from two different times in San Francisco history are inadvertently linked as each are seeking a better life. The Incorrigibles is a five star, incredibly well-written story of a parallel timeline between a 1970s woman, Judy and an 1890s woman, Annie .. Judy is inspired by Annie to move on from an abusive relationship and develop a career and friends. The book is set in San Francisco and we get some history of San Francisco neighborhoods intertwined with Judy and Annie's stories.

Judy is fleeing her husband and she applies for a job in a photography shop. She discovers Annie's haunting photo in a collection of old mug shots and wonders what her story is. Judy gets courage as she meets friends who help her research Annie and as she discovers the history of the South Market Street region of San Francisco. She gains independence step by step, as she gets acclimated to the city from the sheltered life her husband forced her to have in the suburbs.

Meredith Jaeger has developed an original plot that is creative and executed well with dual narratives. The flashback sequences feature smooth transitions between Judy's and Annie's sections. We get Annie's mystery revealed just as Judy makes a discovery in her research journey. The book is constructed as if Judy is stirring the pot and Annie is adding the meat.

Annie was an Irish housemaid in a fine San Francisco house, who was used by the nephew of the lady of house. Annie thought the nephew would marry her when he gave her a ring and that would be her ticket to help her family in Ireland. Instead she gets accused of stealing the ring and is imprisoned for a year in San Quentin. Annie's strength and determination to survive a rough incarceration inspire Judy to take the next steps in her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of this book, learning about San Francisco and the inspiring story of two women from two different times. I would definitely read another book by this author and am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher Dutton/Penguin Random House for allowing me to have an opportunity to enjoy the Incorrigibles.

I felt rather meh about this. I’m always interested in books about women’s history especially those in western states. It seemed to me that the authorities too hard to bring lots of different topics together that alone would have made an effective title.

Overall, I liked The Incorrigibles by Meredith Jaeger. It's a dual-timeline historical novel tracing the life of a 1970s photographer as she researches a young woman who is incarcerated in San Quentin in the late 1800s.

I am not a fan of the dual timeline generally, especially when the nearer-to-present character instructs the reader on how to research historical figures and events. That said, this book did that well. I wish I had known sooner that the 1970s character Judy is based on an actual photographer who did this research at the start of her career.

I loved the timeline set in the late 1800s and wanted to be immersed solely in that story and point of view for the duration of the novel. The back and forth felt jarring, though I do appreciate this more now that I know the history of the character in the 1970s. Maybe a consistent verb tense would have helped. It took me a while to lose myself in the story.

Overall, this is an interesting history, San Quentin in particular. The writing was accessible. I won't soon forget this story and the characters. I would recommend this book to other readers.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

instead becomes the victim of a theft arrest. Once at San Quentin, Annie loses her innocence and makes friends with the other female inmates. Following horrifying acts of violence, Annie is determined to make amends and seize her second opportunity when she is released from prison.

An engrossing and entertaining book, The Incorrigibles is. Throughout the course of the book, Judy and Annie both mature into fully realized individuals. The narratives are captivating and offer insightful details about both eras of San Francisco history. This captivating book is effortlessly drawn to readers by Meredith Jaegar.

4+ stars

“Cruel mouths branded them cruel names: irredeemable, wanton, incorrigible. But they were beautiful in their resilience, wild roses refusing to be trampled.”

Separated by decades but united in theme, the characters are misunderstood, underserved and oppressed as they navigate survival, justice and hope.
1890 - Annie Gilmurray, an Irish immigrant who works as a maid in an affluent neighborhood is conned by a relative of her employer, and descends into life in the prison system.
1972 - Judy Morelli has a passion for photography and has arrived in the Bay Area looking for a fresh start as a result of a crumbling marriage and a search for her own identity.

The timelines are almost immediately connected by an old mugshot Judy finds. She is haunted by the face and is desperate to find the story behind the photo; one that is visually faded but emotionally clear. My heart raced along with Judy’s as her discoveries of old prison and court records start to yield answers to questions long buried. As a guardian of the new information, Judy grapples with the truth as it relates to the past and the present.

Ms. Jaeger meticulously illuminates the personality of the San Francisco South Of Market neighborhood by highlighting the everyday lives of residents of the community in both timelines. By using the creative vehicle of street photography, we see how the mid 70s redevelopment programs wreak havoc on the area and its inhabitants. Similar to the photographs contained within the narrative, both main characters find beauty in the most unexpected places.

If you have a soft spot for historical fiction mysteries, old research materials and budding feminists like I do, this novel may hit all the high notes for you too!

Many thanks to Dutton Publishing, Net Galley and Ms. Jaeger for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars.

The Incorrigibles by Meredith Jaegar is a captivating historical novel with dual storylines.

San Francisco, 1972. Judy Morelli is on her own for the first time after she leaves her unfulfilling and emotionally abusive marriage. Finding a job at a local film developer, Judy rediscovers her love of photography. After photographing and getting to know the people in her neighborhood, she becomes very concerned about urban renewal plans that will rob her neighbors of their homes. Judy is also a little obsessed with finding out as much information as she can about the a in an old mugshot.

San Francisco, 1890. Immigrant Annie Gilmurray is determined to make a better life for herself so she can pay for passage for her remaining siblings in Ireland. A bit naïve, she believes her employer’s nephew wants to marry her but instead finds herself arrested for theft. After arriving at San Quentin, Annie becomes friends with the other women prisoners and sheds her naiveté. After witnessing horrific acts of violence, Annie leaves prison determined to right wrongs and take advantage of her second chance.

The Incorrigibles is a riveting novel that is quite fascinating. Both Judy and Annie are well-developed characters who grow evolve over the course of the novel. The story arcs are engaging and provide interesting information about both time periods in San Francisco. Meredith Jaegar easily draws readers into this enthralling novel.

; Judy Morelli has just walked out of her abusive marriage with her controlling and strict husband Tony who betrayed her. She is subletting an apartment in the south of Market Street neighborhood, which is in the middle of gentrification activism, and where Judy becomes involved in later. Judy is an aspiring photographer, and finds a job in a local photo store. Her new life starts there in the store, with the kind owner who recognizes her talent, as Judy is making a lot of pictures of daily life and people in her neighborhood. Judy gets a photo book handed by her new boss, and her eyes land on an impressive mug shot from 1890, a picture of a young Irish woman named Annie Gillmurray. She is moved by the desperate look in the eyes of Annie, who she discovers with researching in the local library with the help of librarian Mark Chen, was sentenced for years in jail for a crime she didn't commit, and where she was lured into by the nephew of her rich lady boss where she was a maid for, accused of stealing the ring he gave her with a marriage promise. Annie is sentenced for a year in San Quentin, a notorious prison island, which has prostitutes, murderers, and pickpockets behind it's bars. Annie is devastated and heartbroken in jail. as she didn't even had a fair change to defend herself. Who is taking care financially now of her family back in Ireland who know nothing about her prison sentence? But she finds true friendship with a few women in the jail, who truly look out for each other, especially Emma, who is also Irish. But the world inside the prison isn't safe for young women at all, with corrupt and dangerous guards who are assaulting the women, and where the women haven't a voice at all. Annie comes up with an idea to inform the press secretly about the all the wrongs inside the jail, and when she is finally free after a year, she finds the man who abused and killed her best friend in jail, to seek revenge for the fact that he killed her best friend.

The Incorrigibles is a magnificent new book by Meredith Jaeger. I loved her book The Pilot's Daughter and this book is just as brilliant. The stories of both Judy and Annie are marvelous, both in their own time periods. Both characters where very realistic and are people that you are truly start to like as a reader. Annie's sentence was so unfair and how she was treated in jail was just horrific. But she is a true heroine who, beside her heartbreak, stays strong and eventually, seeks justification for the wrong that she and her best friend are done, mostly by powerfull men . Judy's story was also very moving, I loved that she dared to walk away from Tony, and take the reigns of her life in her own hands, she found new friends in the South of Market street community and found love. Every part of this story was in the right place, and I can't stretch enough how much I love this new book by Meredith Jaeger, I truly recommend reading this wonderfull new book!!

We meet Annie in 1890 - an Irish immigrant who worked as a housemaid in a wealthy household.

She was tricked by one of the male members of the family she worked for. He took a ring out of his aunt’s jewelry box while visiting, gave it to Annie, and denied giving Annie the ring when she was accused of stealing it.

Annie was arrested and sentenced to one year in San Quentin with 20 other women inmates.

We follow Annie as she lives through the awful conditions and treatment in the prison.

Then we meet Judy In 1972 as she has left her husband and is struggling to stay away from Tony and find a job.

Judy finds a photo of Annie inside a book at a photographer’s shop where she gets a job and makes it her mission to find out more about Annie.

Judy also attends meetings she learned about from a librarian as she was doing research on Annie. The meetings focus on the how residents protest against the demolition of areas of San Francisco that the city deems an eyesore. The problem, though, is that the residents have been living there for almost their entire lives.

Annie will pull at your heart strings as you suffer along with her because of the accusation and while she is in San Quentin.

Judy will have you hoping she finds what she can about Annie, hoping she can keep her husband at bay, and hoping she is able to help the residents.

Ms. Jaeger’s descriptive writing and amazing research pull you in immediately.

You won't want to put the book down because you want to know if Annie survived and if Judy was successful in finding herself and finding Annie's full story.

The Incorrigibles is another marvelous read you won’t be able to put down because of the characters, their stories, and especially if you are a fan of historical fiction. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Incorrigibles is a book that gives you insight into women’s rights in the late 19th century. The horrors of prison life for women in San Quentin was detailed as their names were taken away and only referred to as a number, even on their tombstones. Their sentences were more severe than the men and were not treated the same as they never had opportunities for their sentences to be shortened and retrials granted. Annie was an Irish inmate that survived the prison with the friendship and courage shown by her fellow inmates. Judy, an upcoming photographer gets involved in finding out Annie’s story. Both overcome their personal issues through the power of friends. Good research by ties both storylines together in a satisfying way. Loved the writing style as the author flips back and forth between the two timelines. #TheIncorrigibles
#MeredithJaeger #NetGalley

A good read. I really enjoyed Annie's story more than Judy's, but I did feel as though they melded well together.

This is historical fiction story is set in San Francisco and is told in two different time frames. In 1890, Annie Gilmurray, a recent immigrant from Ireland, is falsely accused of stealing a valuable ring from her employer and is sent to San Quentin prison to serve her sentence. Flash forward to 1972 where Judy Morelli, who has recently separated from her volatile husband and moved to San Francisco to escape him, comes across a old mug shot of Annie and becomes obsessed with learning her story. The chapters flip back and forth between Annie’s story and Judy’s story. I have to admit, I thought Annie’s story was much more interesting than Judy’s. It was obvious that the author had done a lot of research on the women’s prison in San Quentin back at the turn of the century, and what conditions were like for the women in this prison. It really was quite eye opening to me as the reader. I was not as vested in Judy’s story as I felt that it got a bit preachy especially as Judy became more and more involved in trying to save the neighborhood she had moved to from gentrification. Overall, I enjoyed the story - it kept my interest and the writing was ver good.

There is so much to this book. It is a historical dive into 1890s San Quentin with Annie, 1970s San Francisco with Judy, and a deep look at South of Market Street neighborhood. It is also about the strength women find within themselves. I loved reading the journey the women took and what they accomplished. Heart-breaking and empowering.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC.

Judy in the 1970's tries to puzzle out what happened to Annie in the 1890's. The dual timeline shows the plight of poor residents in San Francisco as they try to find housing and jobs. Judy finds a prison picture of Annie and while she tries to find out what happened to her, she becomes involved in TOOR, Tenants and Owners in Opposition to Redevelopment, taking pictures of many of the residents of buildings which are being torn down by the city. Very moving story about women on their own.

Thank you to @netgalley and @PenguinGroupDutton for this ARC. 1890 - Annie is an immigrant from Ireland, trying to make ends meet and send money back to her family by working as a housemaid. When the nephew of the owner promises himself to her with a family ring, she is quickly accused of stealing the ring. She is sentenced to one year in prison. 1972 - Judy, running from her own problems settles in San Francisco. She starts work at a photography studio when the owner shows her his latest obsession with mugshots. Annie's picture intrigues Judy and she know she won't stop until she to get to the bottom of her story. The lack of injustice to women in prison is shocking and most were considered incorrigibles (never to be reformed). I really loved this book and enjoyed every minute! #TheIncorrigibles #MeredithJaeger #PenguinGroupDutton #May2024

I really enjoyed Annie's and Judy's story. The author did a great job with connecting the two time lines and how they related. The story caught my attention right away and kept me reading. I would highly recommend this book.