Historical fiction that takes place in the 1960's about a girl who gets pregnant just as she begins her senior year of high school., just as she is poised to become the first female valedictorian and is preparing to attend college. Her parents sneak her away to a home for unwed pregnant girls for her third trimester where she will give her baby up for adoption and then hopefully return with no one the wiser. Although Lorraine has so many ambitions for college and career, she finds that giving up a child is not so easy.

Very well done story illustrating the lack of support for single pregnant women and the shame they deal with. The author also does a great job showing the effects of that physiological bond between mother and child during pregnancy and how that can affect the ability to make what others might think are the best choices. Great book!

I enjoyed this book. Learning more about the Baby Scope era was interesting while also very heartbreaking. Lorraine progressed from being book smart yet naive to a strong woman. Thank you to Net Galley and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

Oh, my heart! For those of us who grew up in the South, we still feel a bit of what our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers did- the generational trauma passed down from woman to woman, through wombs, blood, and tears. The Girls We Sent Away is a perfect example of how parents, society, and a very flawed system trapped so many young girls. Girls who had never been taught what it meant to make a baby and then had no choice in the matter. Meagan Church did a fantastic job of conveying the heartbreak of this reality. I wish the book had been longer, but overall this was a great yet very sad read that I want to pick up a physical copy of. I can't wait to read more of Meagan's work, and I truly believe she has found her calling.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me the EARC in return for my full, honest review. All opinions are my own.

“If she had a choice, what decision would she make?”

Lorraine Delford was living a seemingly perfect life in 1960s North Carolina. She dreamed to be the first female valedictorian at her school, attend college, and maybe even to explore space. All of Lorraine’s dreams met an abrupt end when she found out that she was pregnant. Her parents quickly made a plan to keep up appearances and send Lorraine to a home for unwed mothers. She had to come to terms with the fact that she was no longer the driving force in her own decisions.

Wow, just wow. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful! What an extremely horrible practice of casting aside pregnant teenagers. Lorraine’s parents were infuriating and disappointing. As a parent, my heart broke for Lorraine as her status of golden child to outcast came about so quickly. I was also so angry that the onus of blame was placed solely upon Lorraine as Clint didn’t even exist. Such an important book that I highly recommend! The audio was very well done and the story was fast-moving.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

It is 1964 and Lorraine Delford has just committed the worst crime imaginable for a teenage girl in a good family...she got pregnant. Despite the promise ring given to Lorraine on the night of conception, Lorraine's boyfriend walks away from her. Her parents, ashamed of Lorraine, send her to a maternity home where "everything" will be taken care of. Run by a woman who "...had a way of breaking wills."

Meagan Church had my rooting for Lorraine from the beginning. She knew just how to have me emotionally connected to each of the girls in the home, which unfortunately resulted in quite a few heartbreaking chapters. Church perfectly conveys the hypocrisy and judgment of the 1960s, while simultaneously getting the reader to feel the emotions of the teenage girls trying to survive it.

Narrator, Susan Bennett, has the perfect voice for Historical Fiction. All audiobook listeners know the narrator can completely change the experience and Bennett improves this one.

Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the blurb for this novel, I was excited to read it. The 1960s Baby Scoop Era was a very real and devastating period of time, where millions of babies, conceived pre-martially, were put up for adoption. Seen as a stain to one’s reputation, these young mothers were often sent to “homes for unwed mothers” where they were kept out of sight and out of mind until their babies were born and adopted to “good Christian families”. Undoubtedly, this period of history was a traumatic for the women involved, and I was looking forward to reading this fictional account—a topic that I’ve not seen come up very often in historical fiction.

The story primarily centers of Lorraine, a bright high school senior of a prominent religious family in North Carolina. She finds herself pregnant after her high school sweetheart leaves for college and when he chooses to abandon her, her family elects to send her away to a maternity home. It is there that she can hide her “shame” with all the other wayward women she lives with, deliver her child and then reclaim her future again with no one none the wiser.

I wanted to love this story, and I think that the author had a solid plot idea. Unfortunately, the execution of this strong idea fell a little bit flat for me. The storytelling was slow and I kept waiting for it to pick up but it never did. At the beginning we learn that Lorraine internalizes pushing the boundaries of the female norms of her time by desiring to be the first female astronaut in space during Kennedy’s infamous space race. With this, I had hopes of anticipating a strong feminist theme, but the storyline failed to capitalize on it. Despite the continuous description of academic intelligence, Lorraine came across as very simple and naïve. In addition, the quick, brief shifts in perspective from the other characters interspersed randomly throughout Lorraine's narration were sometimes confusing and out of place.

The audio production was OK—the narration didn’t have a lot of inflection but the narrator’s voice was pleasant and easy to listen to.

I wish this one had worked a little more for me. I still think there is a lot of good here that others may enjoy so pick this one up if you’d like to learn more about this awful period in history. This story did spark an interest in this period of time for me, so I’m thankful that it has given me a nudge to read more about it.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this audiobook copy. I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church

Lorraine has big plans for her life- go to college, become an astronaut and eventually have a family. When she becomes pregnant with her boyfriends baby, her plans are forced by her parents to change. Her boyfriend abandons her and she is forced to leave high school and go to a home for unwed mothers. She meets other friends at the home who help Lorraine realize what she really wants. As her pregnancy progresses, Lorraine feels the baby growing inside her and she starts to wonder what her life would be like with a baby. The home that the girls are at have them sign away their rights as parents and then find homes for the babies. Lorraine decides to keep her baby and tries to take back the papers she signed, but it is too late when she goes into labor and is taken to the hospital. She does hold her baby but the nurse takes her away and Lorraine never sees her again. She does go home but her life has drastically changed from what it was before. Lorraine looks for her child in the faces of children she sees, but she has moved on in her life.
Heartbreaking and a picture of what some girls went through in the 1960’s, the narrative was engaging. A little slow at moments, I liked the story and how Lorraine comes to love her baby. The saddest part was when her baby was taken from her and Lorraine begs the nurse not to take the little one. I liked the historical setting of the story and the look at what obstacles women faced both in the home and in education and society. The story I thought was written well and the audiobook was well narrated.
Thank you to RB Media and Recorded Books for approving this arc audiobook on NetGalley and all opinions in this review are my own.

It is the 1960s. When seventeen-year-old Laverne becomes pregnant by her long-time boyfriend, he abandons any responsibility, This is a time when there was no greater shame for a girl or her family than an unwed pregnancy. Her parents keep her hidden in the house for the first months of the pregnancy while telling everyone she has gone to help a relative. Then, for the last months, she is sent to a maternity home. Laverne had hoped there would be classes so she could still finish high school but these homes were meant to punish rather than teach anything beyond basic homemaking skills. The girls were also pushed to sign forms relinquishing their parental rights to the baby, something many including Laverne regret as their due date comes closer.

Meagan Church’s novel, The Girls We Sent Away, is an empathetic and emotional but, sadly, accurate depiction of the attitudes and hypocrisy of the time towards pregnancies outside of marriage as well as the cruel realities of the maternity homes that reflected these attitudes in how they mistreated the girls they were supposedly helping. I can’t say this is an entertaining read but it is a compelling one. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Susan Bennett who does an excellent job of conveying Laverne’s changing reality and the differing attitudes and emotions of the various characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advance audiobook of this novel in exchange for an honest review

This was an interesting read about a horrible time in our history. The characters had many layers. The narrator was great.

Thank you so much to Recorded Books for the free audiobook!

I just finished this story and was fighting back tears at the end! I really felt connected to Lorraine, the main character.

When Lorraine becomes pregnant in high school, her parents will stop at nothing to make sure their name and reputation is not blemished by their daughter. Set during the "baby scoop era" in the 1960's, this book opened my eyes to the horrible ways young girls and women were treated and the subsequent research I did broke my heart.

This story was told with such heart and I really felt for Lorraine and felt as though I were walking her journey with her.

I did wish for a little more at the end, but still think it was done well!

I thought the audio performance was well done and enjoyable even at different speeds!

If you enjoyed ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL by Susan Meissner or THE FOUNDLING by Ann Leary, you may enjoy this one!

This will be available for purchase March 10, 2024!

This is my first read by Meagan Church, The Girls We Sent Away.

Set in the 1960s, 17 year old Lorraine falls pregnant and her parents send her away to a home for unwed teenage girls. The girls are treated unfairly and forced to sign over their parental rights once their babies are born.

What a powerful and heart-wrenching story! My heart is still in pieces.

Wow. I have just finished this audio book and am still processing through tears all I've heard the last two days. Meagan Church did an outstanding job writing such a heart-wrenching story so beautifully. The characters were well developed and I found myself falling in love with Lorraine and her roommates Denise and Mirabelle and longing to know what happened to each of them. This is absolutely the best historical fiction (based on the real Baby Scoop Era) book I've read in a very long time, and Susan Bennett was a phenomenal choice to narrate this book.

This story of abandonment, lies, betrayal, dreams, and love is a difficult yet must read. I will certainly be reading more of this author's books.

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, and Meagan Church for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Absolutely loved this audiobook. What a fascinating look into the lives of young women sent away to have their babies in secret. Great characters and just an all around good listen. The narrator does an amazing job.

I loved this!
The writing was really smooth and I enjoyed listening to the different points of view from the characters. It really took me back to this period of time and made me think about what these women really went through and how we just pushed them away.
I really enjoyed the main character, Lorraine. I felt that she was likeable and I sympathized with her on her journey. I can't imagine being young and in that situation and she gave a voice to the women in this time period.
Thank you for the advanced listen!

I am really loving historical fiction lately!

Lorraine Delford is living the perfect teenage life in 1960’s North Carolina. She is set to be class valedictorian, has the perfect boyfriend, Clint, and dreams of becoming an astronaut and one day going to the moon. One bad decision alters her life forever. When Lorraine’s parents discover she is pregnant, they send her to a maternity home for the last months of her pregnancy where she is not only suffering from the physical burdens of being pregnant but is isolated from her family and friends. The strict rules of the house require her to not share any personal details about her life, even her last name. Lorraine grows attached to her baby in the last months of her pregnancy and frets over her decision. Will she give up her baby and go back to “normal” or try to raise her baby with help from her family? In the end, Lorraine realizes the choice is not hers to make.

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. 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 is 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 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.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book.

4 stars

This is a real heartbreaker that is likely intended to incense readers as well as educate them, and Church clearly achieves both ends.

For a high school junior in the '60s, Lorraine has a lot of opportunity available. She's set up to be valedictorian, loves learning, and even has the physical prowess to save lives at the public pool. Lorraine is no shrinking violet. And yet, it only takes the briefest encounter for her entire life to change forever (and it is HER life, not THEIR LIVES, that are obviously going to change. Grrrrrrr).

The terrible treatment, lack of choices, and general hypocrisy these young women encounter are absolutely infuriating. Lorraine's story gets featured, but not in isolation; there are many different ways women can arrive at these circumstances, and they all have the same devastating results.

Folks who are sensitive to the motifs in this novel should strongly consider whether this is content they can manage. Those who are able to manage it will learn more about the period and, in some cases, even their own families.

Set in the 1960s, The Girls We Sent Away follows teenage Lorraine through her unexpected pregnancy. The setting was excellent, I could envision it perfectly.I could NOT put this book down! I loved every second of it. It was suspenseful and heart wrenching! I can't wait to read Meagan Church's previous novel now!

Also I loved the narrator for this one--great voice, easy to listen to!

This was a beautifully written and an emotional read! The characters were awesome and the writing was just amazing.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Based on the glowing reviews, I must not have been the right demographic for this book. I felt like it was a book where a lot and nothing happened at the same time. None of the characters felt fleshed out, and I found myself not interested in the odd multiple viewpoints that popped up throughout. Heavy on the telling rather than showing.

I appreciate the opportunity provided by NetGalley to review this captivating audiobook. Set in the 1960s, this poignant story follows the journey of a determined young woman navigating the challenges of an unexpected pregnancy.

As someone drawn to narratives that shed light on the struggles faced by women during this era, I found the portrayal both poignant and authentic. The societal pressures and stigma surrounding unwed mothers during that time are depicted with sensitivity and insight, reminding us of the injustices women endured.

While the landscape of pregnancy and motherhood has evolved since the 1960s, the themes of accountability and societal expectations remain relevant today. This narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the progress made, as well as the work that still lies ahead in achieving gender equality and reproductive rights.

Overall, this audiobook offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of womanhood and motherhood. Thank you again to NetGalley for providing access to this moving story.