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The Magdalen Girls cover art

The Magdalen Girls

Written by: V.S. Alexander
Narrated by: Alana Kerr Collins
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Publisher's Summary

Dublin, 1962. Within the gated grounds of the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Redemption lies one of the city's Magdalen Laundries. Once places of refuge, the laundries have evolved into grim workhouses. Some inmates are "fallen" women - unwed mothers, prostitutes, or petty criminals. Most are ordinary girls whose only sin lies in being too pretty, too independent, or tempting the wrong man. Among them is 16-year-old Teagan Tiernan, sent by her family when her beauty provokes a lustful revelation from a young priest.

Teagan soon befriends Nora Craven, a new arrival who thought nothing could be worse than living in a squalid tenement flat. Stripped of their freedom and dignity, the girls are given new names and denied contact with the outside world. The Mother Superior, Sister Anne, who has secrets of her own, inflicts cruel, dehumanizing punishments - but always in the name of love. Finally, Nora and Teagan find an ally in the reclusive Lea, who helps them endure - and plot an escape. But as they will discover, the outside world has dangers too, especially for young women with soiled reputations.

Told with candor, compassion, and vivid historical detail, The Magdalen Girls is a masterfully written novel of life within the era's notorious institutions - and an inspiring story of friendship, hope, and unyielding courage.

©2016 V.S. Alexander (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Magdalen Girls

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    4 out of 5 stars

Moving story

Very hard to not be over come with sadness for the girls in this story. The narrator did an excellent job of portraying the emotional states of everyone

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Incredible story - I had no idea..

Worth every moment. Opens your eyes to institutions that continues into the 1990s. A great twist of history and fiction.

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Excellent

Highly recommend! Captivating from beginning to end. Great narrator too! This was my first listen by this author. I can’t wait to “read” more.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • VL
  • 2022-12-09

Entertaining

Well read and performed. Story was somewhat unpredictable and certainly entertaining. The subject matter was new to me.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging and heartbreaking story, but...

Overall, this is a well written story that got me invested in the outcomes for the characters and shines a light on a dark history that is important to remember in the light of current political events. However, some of the plot points seemed like soap opera fodder, and I found the ending of the three main character arcs unsatisfying. The arc for the main antagonist felt unrealistic. Also, I enjoyed the narration for character voices, but it was somewhat monotone in between. Still a recommended listen.

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Heartbreaking 💔

A sad part of history, but a good story. So many lives wasted and unfair.

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amazing story.. the epilogy tells of historical h

horour and the catholic church. loved it was doine with Irish accents. Dublin Ireland.

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Skillfully written

Just finished listening to the audible book version. This is one of the best well-written books I've listened to all year. The characters are well developed, the setting is true to the time frame, and the plot is well paced. The narration is well done.

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  • T
  • 2023-02-18

Necessary disclosure

While this story was extremely dark, and hard to read at times, it is a necessary light to shine on our history. I am saddened that our society thought this was ok.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen.

Unfortunate part of history. interesting content. Great narration. Felt for the women in the story..

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