Genre - Historical Fiction

When I chose Meagan Church’s The Girls We Sent Away, I knew that while it wouldn’t be an “easy” or “comfortable”read, it would be an important one. I was right. Lorraine was a young lady in 1960s North Carolina who had goals. She wanted to be valedictorian of her graduating class, and she wanted to become an astronaut. An unexpected pregnancy, the result of one intimate encounter, disrupts her plans in ways that Lorraine can’t even imagine. Her boyfriend deserts her after she refuses to “take care of it.” Her parents are determined to protect her reputation and their own and sneak her out - laying in the back seat of their car - to a home especially designed to facilitate birth and adoption for unwed mothers. While her baby’s dad enjoys college life and finds a new girlfriend, Lorraine tries to figure out how to move forward in her life. She makes friends but experiences much sorrow with them as well.

Lorraine is such a precious character who is brought to life through the narration of Susan Bennett. The optimism with which she first approaches this pregnancy, her grief at losing her boyfriend and the respect of her parents, her naivete, and ultimately her strength and determination are excellently rendered by Church and enhanced by Bennett. The development of setting is crucial to the novel’s success as well. Church tackles the lack of information that was likely common in teenage girls during this era as Lorraine just passively allows the intimacy to progress - mostly because a marriage has been discussed. My 2024 self rails- “Lorraine you have goals!” But Church quickly delineates why Lorraine thinks differently. Mistakes are not a 60s thing to be sure, but her particular naivete that stretches into how she thinks her parents will respond and further into what the experience at the home will be like - broke my heart. I have read and watched other works about the “baby scoop” era, but the pure evil that was illustrated here still took my breath away. The woman who gets the expectant moms to sign adoption papers was … well evil. I’m not even sure I get any sense that she thinks she is doing the right thing for the babies. She is doing a job that she considers herself very good at. The birth experience was stunning in its cruelty. Church gracefully balances this horror with beautiful - albeit temporary - friendships, a comforting librarian and a teacher there, and even a dance where these girls can experience some temporary teen joy. The girls who are with Lorraine here illustrate more of the horribly painful stories, but they also give us these glimpses of joy. And of course she gives us a Lorraine who slowly learns to take ownership of her life, and while we don’t get the ending we necessarily want, we do get hope for Lorraine’s future.

I have much to think about when reflecting on this work. We have come a long way in the equitable treatment of young women. I am grateful to those who had to stand in the gap to give me a world where I have more autonomy and agency than they did. But, we have a ways to go. Politics is not my gift or my interest. But we need to do better on a number of fronts for women. As often happens for me with historical female protagonists, I admire the strength with which they face things they aren’t in a position to change. Their resilience is always an example to me. I have seen it in my grandmothers and my mother. Lorraine refuses to wallow in her situation - in part because her mother teaches her to pick herself up and move ahead, much like she had done as a woman of the 50s. I believe we can learn from history. I spent much of my career choosing literary works to encourage such reflection. I am grateful to Meagan Church for her research and thoughtful approach in The Girls We Sent Away. Please, read and reflect. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.