Greatly enjoyed this historical fiction novel! The story is compelling and while disturbing, it needs to be heard. I loved the main character and her group of Wayward Girls who had to survive a horrible experience at a Catholic girls home in the 1960s/70s. You can't help but root for all of them. My only complaint about the novel was the lack of complexity in the writing. There was a lot of action in the book and the author covered a huge swath of time and I think this detracted from some development in the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wayward Girls is a devastating, unforgettable novel that shines a bright light on a dark, largely hidden corner of American history. Set in Buffalo, New York, in the late 1960s, it follows six teenage girls who are confined at the Good Shepherd, a so-called reform institution operated by the Sisters of Charity. In reality, it’s anything but a school—it’s a prison disguised by religious authority, where girls are sent to be silenced, hidden, and exploited.

What makes this novel so effective is how personal it feels from the very first pages. The girls—Mairin, Angela, Helen, Odessa, Denise, and Janice—are not flat archetypes. They are fully realized young women with layered backstories, distinct voices, and different reasons for ending up at Good Shepherd. Whether it’s Angela being punished for her sexuality, Mairin being “protected” from her stepfather, or Odessa caught in a racially charged police sweep, the common thread is that these girls were discarded by the people and systems meant to protect them. And once inside Good Shepherd, they’re subjected to forced labor, physical punishment, emotional abuse, and total isolation.

The author does not sugarcoat what happened at institutions like this. She take inspiration from a real reform school in Buffalo and from first hand interviews with survivors. That foundation in truth adds a layer of gravity that never leaves the page. The abuse these girls suffered—being locked in closets without food or water, forced to work without pay, separated from their babies after forced births, punished for acts as small as speaking out—may seem hard to believe. But it all happened. The novel forces readers to confront the fact that institutions like this existed not just in Ireland or some faraway place, but right here in the United States. And the Catholic Church, which ran these places under the guise of charity and discipline, has never truly been held accountable.

What elevates Wayward Girls is the way it balances this brutality with hope. At the heart of the story is Mairin, a spirited, rebellious girl who refuses to be broken. Her determination to escape and to protect her friends becomes the emotional engine of the story. The friendships formed among the girls—built in secret, in stolen glances, whispered conversations, and acts of solidarity—are deeply moving. These girls are each other’s only lifeline. They aren’t just surviving together; they’re teaching each other what it means to resist, to care, and to dream beyond their prison.

The writing is sharp and emotionally charged, but never sentimental. The author trust the reader to sit with the discomfort, to wrestle with the injustice, and to absorb the full emotional impact without softening the edges. There are moments in this book that will make you furious, that will make you cry, and that will stay with you long after you close the cover.

And the story doesn’t end in the 1960s. One of the most poignant parts of the novel is how it follows the women decades later, as they slowly reconnect and realize they were part of something far bigger than they ever understood at the time. They begin to share their stories, fight for recognition, and work toward healing. It’s a testament to the human spirit and to the idea that even when justice is delayed, it’s still worth fighting for.

This is a book that should be required reading. It forces us to reckon with how society has treated women—especially young, poor, marginalized women—under the guise of morality and order. It asks hard questions about complicity, silence, and institutional power. And it honors the courage of those who endured, who survived, and who are finally being heard.

Wayward Girls is harrowing, honest, and beautifully written. It’s historical fiction at its most urgent—gripping as a novel, and vital as a reflection of our past. If you’ve read about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, this will feel familiar—but perhaps even more shocking when you realize it happened here, too. Read this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is the story of six young girls who were sent to the Good Shepherd in 1968. The Good Shepherd was posing as a school for girls that were pregnant, unruly or just sent there by their families. It was run by a group of Catholic nuns. This place was horrific with unbelievable treatment of the girls. I enjoyed reading about the friendships formed between these girls, even in such harsh living conditions. They only part I had a problem with was near the end. The author skipped a big part of the character's life. They were young girls, and then near the end it jumped to all the characters being older ladies. I understand the author was letting us know what happened with all the girls. It just seemed like an abrupt jump into the future. Other than that, I enjoyed this story.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend checking it out. It was very enjoyable.

In the late 1960s in Buffalo, teenager Mairin is suddenly sent to a "reform school" for wayward girls, despite having done nothing wrong. What follows is the horrific account of her time under rule of abusive Catholic nuns. It also shares the stories of several of the girls she met there and the impact of the trauma they experienced.

What a fascinating book. For some reason, I wasn't aware that Magdalene laundries existed outside of Ireland. Apparently some 38 of them were in the US alone, and of course the Catholic Church likes to pretend they aren't responsible for the horrific abuse and crimes committed at these institutions.

I deducted a star because some of the dialogue just felt cheesy and forced. Otherwise, it's an interesting read.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction and stories about enduring friendships.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Raw, real, and heartbreaking. This book is very emotional. A reminder of where and how far women have come but not at the same time. Great read.

Wayward Girls is a great story of six "wayward" girls in the 1960s. For various reasons they all wind up at the Catholic home the Good Shepherd. It is there that their bonds are formed over the abusive and demeaning treatment of the nuns who supervise the home. It is rare that I read a book and think "this would make a great movie", but the characters are so well developed and diverse that it could easily be an excellent movie. We see the girls as teenagers and then follow the main character thru her life. We are reunited with most of the characters as elderly women, still dealing with the trauma of their youth. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historic fiction or anyone who just enjoys a good story.

What a powerful historical fiction novel based on America's own version of the Magdelene Laundries of Ireland. The story draws you in, the characters are relatable and some are quite loveable. A real sense if a tine in American history is conveyed. I adored it.

Wayward Girls is poignant, disturbing, and a heavy read about all the injustices done to young women up through the 1960’s (in the name of “goodness” and “helping them”, of course). It’s also a story of the strength of some of those young women, the hope they cling to, the chance for a better tomorrow. This moving and powerful story of friendship, redemption, and acceptance will stay with me for a long time.

Wayward Girls, by Susan Wiggs focuses on teenaged girls who end up in Place called "Good Shephard" in Buffalo NewYork. It starts in 1968. Each of the girls have been placed in the facility for "wrong doing" . They are called "wayward girls' and are supposedly there for the nuns to help them to "reform" of course none of the teenaged girls truly deserve to be placed in this awful institution where they get no education but forced to do labor all day working in laundry it is called the Magdaline laundry. The girls are severely punished starved forced to be locked in closests. when Mairin arrives there being placed there by her disgusting step father { he tried to rape her} and her mother. She meets some of the other girls. Angela, Helen, Odessa, and other girls. Mairin vows to find a way to run away from this horrid institution. Not easy since they are watched like hawks. One girl Angela was raped by the onsite doctor and became pregnant. facing later heartbreak when she loses her baby. Eventually the girls scheme away to escape. this book starts in 1968 but goes to present time.
some of the ladies reunite and want to find a way to get justice for what Happened to them and countless other girls over the years Good Shephard abused the girls. A good read based of real life events.

Great story about the wayward girls. I felt so sad to hear the stories but was uplifted with the strength and courage the girls had. Great writing that brings the plight to the public's attention. I will forever remember these characters.

This book is an emotional read that doesn't let you look away. The author writes about a reform school for girls run by the Sisters of Charity that is supposed to transform their pasts and prepare them for the future. The girls were sent there for a variety of reasons such as teenage pregnancy, fighting, etc. Once inside, the nuns took advantage of their "cheap" labor as they forced them to work in the laundry often hiding their profits from the diocese. This is a book about hardship, perseverance and the value of friendship. It was difficult reading at times but the author brought all the characters to life. You couldn't help rooting for all of them. The author brought it all full circle as we discover what happened to all of them. There is a documentary about the Magdalene laundries which I intend on watching soon.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced egalley of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.
#WaywardGirls #NetGalley #SusanWiggs

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me the ARC of this novel. I have read this author before, and was looking forward to reading this. Wow! Lots of material for a book club meeting! It was a little repetitive, so I didn’t give it 5 stars. But it was close! It will be published in July.

Another brilliant and well thought out and beautifully written novel by one of my favorite authors! I loved all of the character characters and the historical aspect was very interesting to me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to read this book in advance of its publication. The book is set in the late 1960's in Buffalo NY and the majority of the first book takes place in the Good Shepard Home for Wayward Girls, a home run by the Buffalo Diocese of the Catholic Church. The story chronicles the lives of six girls, details their reasons for ending up in such a place, which functions more like something out off Dickens and Oliver Twist than New York State in the free love period of the 1960s. Since I dislike reviews that tell the story, I'll suffice it to say that these girls all end up there for myriad reasons, most of which are not their fault, and, unfortunately their families/guardians give the Catholic Church total power over these girls and their lives. There's no correspondence (all letters are read and if they aren't glowing, they are not sent). The girls are supposed to be receiving their education, but they are in a workhouse instead. These stories are all poignant and I found myself wondering how any family could just turn their child over to a stranger, even the church, and never visit, get letters, etc. But these girls were considered to be uneducable and wayward in satan's ways. This book has flaws as all books do, but it was a very compelling read and I was connected from the beginning. The ongoing discussion about the Catholic church and their baby adoption program that bordered on human trafficking was both upsetting as well as enlightening. This book could have triggers for some people, so I'd suggest reading a summary before jumping in, if there are concerns, but I truly loved the book and would recommend it too everyone.

Growing up in Buffalo, this story was poignant. I've traveled down the streets the author penned and while there was sense of foreboding, the 'Wayward Girls' casts light on what happened beyond closed doors.

Ask don't tell is a mindset that haunts victims' lives. On the surface, they are functional or even perceived as thriving but that façade cracks after years of suppressing trauma. The girls were sent to reform school to atone for their crimes. Loving the 'wrong' person or being outspoken in a society that favored obedience were keys to being ushered in to the prison-like fortress, For some, their only crime was being born into poverty and mothers sent children away to be protected. If families knew the truth, it wasn't the 'Best' option.

The harsh existence the girls faced would be seen as abuse by hardened criminals. Banding together to survive while plotting their escape, readers will find themselves engrossed in Susan Wiggs' story.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early addition of the #WaywardGirls in exchange for an honest review. I'm a fan of the author's work and this is by far, her best book!

Tough book to review in that I have to be really careful not to give anything away. If you’ve read Susan Wiggs before you are aware that she doesn’t mince words. If she says it, it’s going to be important and useful. Never more apparent than in her latest page turner WAYWARD GIRLS. The church had an interesting philosophy about dealing with what they defined as troubled girls. The list of attributes was pretty lengthy and somewhat vague so trying to pinpoint who fell into this category was plenty broad. Blurred lines. Plenty of openings falsely determining a girl’s behavioral problem, if indeed there even was one.
So how to manage these girls became quite a challenge and in WAYWARD GIRLS we are tuned into a time, about the 1950s and several decades surrounding 1950 puts us at a home for girls who fit this broad challenge. The church with the help of their nuns and support staff supervised these homes. Literally taking young girls out of school and putting them in institutions that had barb wire around the perimeter. Visions of prison anyone.
In WAYARD GIRLS Susan Wiggs concentrates on a group of girls sent to this home for several reasons. None it would seem to have any basis on actually curing anything. There is truly no outward appearance of clinical behavioral issues with any of this specific group. Most turned in or enrolled in the homes program by family members. Sadly, these were to protect them from some outside safety concern. Or worries about being embarrassed by lack of faith or following the strict dictates of the church over what is proper.
The total lack of contact with these girls for months or years left them at the mercy of the nuns and clerics that ruled the roost. And that is central to the environment of punishment that was abundant in the home.
In the very first chapter Susan Wiggs introduces a woman who is having difficulty getting a passport. Seems you need a certain type of birth certificate, and she didn’t have it. Her attempts to attain a birth certificate that would be valid are met with disappointment. She knew she was adopted and had two wonderful, adopted parents. They too could not provide anything other than what they had received during the adoption process. Basically we leave her with having no way to get the passport she wanted so that she could travel with her husband. Frustrating for sure. But Susan Wiggs is setting us up for something amazing. Just be patient and wait for it. Totally worth the wait.
I’ve read just about everything Susan Wiggs has created, joyously I must say. Well in WAYWARD GIRLS she outdid herself. If you are looking for a great beach read this is it. It’s coming out in July, just in time for taking a day off to read a masterfully created novel. Oh and bring some tissues. You will doubtlessly need them. Destined to be the read of this year.

An absolutely absorbing novel. The topic is a harsh and abusive Catholic nun place for delinquent, court mandated, or abandoned girls in their teens and one group of girls that grow into a friendship in a situation rife with horrible punishment by the nuns.The tenacity of the girls is their outlet for continuing to survive. Not an easy read but an incredible relating the daily ordeal.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Susan Wiggs and publisher William Morrow. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the July 2025 release of 𝑊𝘢𝑦𝘸𝑎𝘳𝑑 𝐺𝘪𝑟𝘭𝑠 in exchange for my honest review. Historical fiction based in the 1960s with a strong plot and story. You quickly bond with the characters because the author has written them so vividly and lovable. This would make a wonderful bookclub read and discussion. The details of what happened at these schools while horrifying at times to absorb are told alongside a journey of friendship, resilience, strength…. and ultimately…. freedom. This will captivate you, educate you and stay with you. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction. This was a beautiful and heartfelt written story. One to remember. Trigger warnings ⚠️ Abuse, unplanned pregnancy ⚠️

If I could give this 20 stars I would! I have loved everything Susan has written and this one is right there at the top! Susan you have never failed me! If you have never read any of her books you need to start now !!! Thank you Susan for giving us another fantastic book!