The Home for Unwanted Girls

In this suspenseful and provocative novel, a young unwed mother is forcibly separated from her daughter at birth, leading them on a desperate journey to find each other. Set in 1950s Quebec, the story explores the fragile civility between French and English communities, mirroring the strained relationship between Maggie Hughes and her parents. While her father has ambitions that exclude a marriage to the impoverished French boy next door, Maggie falls in love with Gabriel Phénix. At fifteen, she becomes pregnant and is pressured to give up her baby, Elodie, for adoption to regain her parents' approval. Elodie grows up in Quebec’s struggling orphanage system, facing dire conditions and a tragic fate when a new law unjustly labels her and other orphans as mentally ill, prioritizing funding for psychiatric hospitals over their care. Despite the harsh treatment from the nuns, Elodie’s resilience shines through as she earns her freedom at seventeen, stepping into a daunting world. Meanwhile, Maggie, now married and yearning for a family, cannot forget her lost daughter. A chance encounter with Gabriel forces her to confront her past, leading her to make a life-altering decision. As their stories unfold, Maggie realizes she must reclaim the truth and seek out Elodie, bridging the gap that has kept them apart for so long.