
The Foundling
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Laura Benanti
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By:
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Ann Leary
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House, the “harrowing, gripping, and beautiful” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author) story of two friends, raised in the same orphanage, whose loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they meet years later at an institution—based on a shocking and little-known piece of American history.
It’s 1927 and eighteen-year-old Mary Engle is hired to work as a secretary at a remote but scenic institution for mentally disabled women called the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. She’s immediately in awe of her employer—brilliant, genteel Dr. Agnes Vogel.
Dr. Vogel had been the only woman in her class in medical school. As a young psychiatrist she was an outspoken crusader for women’s suffrage. Now, at age forty, Dr. Vogel runs one of the largest and most self-sufficient public asylums for women in the country. Mary deeply admires how dedicated the doctor is to the poor and vulnerable women under her care.
Soon after she’s hired, Mary learns that a girl from her childhood orphanage is one of the inmates. Mary remembers Lillian as a beautiful free spirit with a sometimes-tempestuous side. Could she be mentally disabled? When Lillian begs Mary to help her escape, alleging the asylum is not what it seems, Mary is faced with a terrible choice. Should she trust her troubled friend with whom she shares a dark childhood secret? Mary’s decision triggers a hair-raising sequence of events with life-altering consequences for all.
Inspired by a true story about the author’s grandmother, The Foundling is compelling, unsettling, and “a stunning reminder that not much time has passed since everyone claimed to know what was best for a woman—everyone except the woman herself” (Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author).
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Good Story
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Boring
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A great performance by the narrator is wasted on a story that is nothing special.
Disappointing
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It turns out to be a journey witnessed through the eyes of a young woman, smart and hardworking, whose had a challenging life and who finds herself with a new direction and the opportunity she has worked toward.
Ultimately, it’s a journey familiar to most of us - the battle to pursue what’s best for oneself or to do what’s best for many. It’s also a great reminder that people aren’t always what they seem. Intelligence isn’t necessarily attached to education. Nor vice versa.
To me, the best books are the ones where I learn something- and I learned a lot in this book. I’ve looked up so many things to expand my knowledge of women’s history even further.
The only thing that jarred me slightly was one of the characters sounded a lot like Marilyn Monroe (or at least the breathy version of her we tend to hear) - not a big deal at all. But, I have to wonder if others noticed.
Thanks Ann for another excellent book!
Pre ordered and so glad I did!
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Hard to believe…
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Disgusted, this is a make you think book
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Read don’t listen
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A good read if you don't set your expectations too high.
Storyline was interesting.
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The Foundling
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Very good story
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