Wayward GirlsWayward Girls

"From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers"--
In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd--a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns--locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly. Mairin--free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather. Angela--denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator. Helen--the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her 'temporary' stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years. Odessa--caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence. Denise--sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life. Janice--deeply insecure, she couldn't decide where her loyalty lay--except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency. Sister Bernadette--rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her. Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.