Tag Archives: Susan Wiggs

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs – a Review

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Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs – a Review

 

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Description:
It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”

Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.

In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, 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.

 

 

 

Review:

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs is 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 (Good Shepherd) school in 1960s Buffalo, NY.  These girls are sent by family (various reasons) away from their normal school, to the Good Shepherd, which is like a prison handled by evil nuns.  The six girls are treated badly, being punished either for isolation, emotional abuse, forced labor and suffering harsh conditions.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.
Angela—is raised by her illiterate Irish Catholic grandmother and was sent to the Good Shepard to be reformed. While at the school, she finds herself the victim of a predator.
Helen— is of Chinese descent; when her parents return to China for a couple of weeks; they are caught in the Chinese cultural revolution and are not allowed to leave China.  Her time at the Good Shepherd stretches into years.
Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.
Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.
Janice—deeply insecure, except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Mairin is the lead in this story, as she was spirited and rebellious, always determined to find a way to escape; no matter what punishment she receives. In time, she comes up with a plan for her and her friends to escape. They manage to escape in the school bus, and all six of them find themselves being chased by police; with each of them finding separate ways to escape.  Mairin could not find any of them, but she discovers three of them were captured. The story continues with Mairin finding work at a farm, falling in love with Flynn, and having children.  Decades later, Mairin sees Angela, and together they try to find the friends they lost during their escape; and they slowly reconnect with some of their friends. They begin to share their stories about something that was so much bigger; as they planned to fight for recognition and healing. Their friendship and bond were great.

Wayward Girls is a harrowing and gripping historical fiction, which covered many serious situations, such as abuse, foster system, racism and pregnancy. Susan Wiggs wrote a powerful story of these young women who were confined to forced labor at a dark institution controlled by nuns.  Though this was fiction, it was based on those homes where the children were reformed. Wayward Girls was so very well written by Susan Wiggs.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs – a Review

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Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs – a Review

 

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Description:
Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.

When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.

Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.

Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her…

 

 

Review:

Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs is another one of her wonderful standalone novels. The story revolves around Margot Salton, our heroine, who at the start has moved from Texas to open her dream barbeque restaurant; Margot has developed a special sauce that has become a masterpiece. The story is told in two timelines; the success in opening her new restaurant in San Francisco and meeting Jerome, who runs the local bakery next store; and her past in Texas, which was a harsh period in her life. This did start as a lighthearted story, only to spend more than half to see the hardship and injustice she had to endure.  

In the past, a young Margie, helped out in a BBQ restaurant that started her into developing wonderful sauces. In between, she hanged out with friends, including one older boy, who she decided she did not want to continue their relationship, since he was very arrogant and only cared about what he wanted.  One evening, making more sauces, the boy, after her telling him it was over, he then rapes her, in the process of choking her; Margie desperate for her life, manages to grab hold of his gun and shoots him.  This was self-defense, as he was killing her; but the laws in Texas only cared that she killed him.  Everything changed for Margie, as the victim’s family was wealthy and powerful, and Margie was treated horribly; with the police, judicial system and bad lawyers.  Almost a year will pass with a friendship that will bring a very good lawyer to finally free her, and eventually move away, under a different assumed name.  The past story was long and very a dark story to read.

When we finally go back to the present, we learn more about Margot’s successful new business and her relationship that will grow with Jerome, who owns the bakery.  Margot got to know Jerome’s mother, Ida, as they became close; with us getting a backstory about a love from the past. It was a nice story with Ida and Frank.  I really did like how Jerome was patient and caring with Margot, and when she reveals her horrific period of the past, he still professes his love.  The past will rear its ugly head again, but Margot will stand up to fight the evil. The food (barbeque and bakery) was fun to read, leaving us a bit hungry.

Sugar and Salt was very well written by Susan Wiggs. It is a story of tragedy, second chances, as well as love and friendship.  Though there was a long and tragic storyline from the past, but overall this was a great story line.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs – a Review

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The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs – a Review

 

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Description:
There is a book for everything . . .

Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.

In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.

But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.

After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.

To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.

 

 

Review:

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs is a wonderful standalone novel. We meet our heroine, Natalie Harper immediately, as she is being honored for a promotion at her job.  Natalie learns a short time after the announcement, that her mother and her boyfriend, who were flying to be at the announcement were killed in a plane crash. 

When Natalie inherits her mother’s bookstore in San Francisco, she realizes it is financially strapped, and when she inquires about selling the store, she learns her grandfather is actually the owner.  Grandy (her grandfather is in stages of dementia) and he refuses to see the bookstore.  Natalie decides to quit her job, and see if she can bring the bookstore back to its former glory, as well as become the caregiver for her beloved Grandy.  Though she is in financial straits, Natalie slowly begins to remember the good old days when she loved staying at the book store.   She meets Peach Gallagher, a contractor, who is willing to help her renovate the old historical building, especially areas that need immediate care. 

What follows is a heartwarming story, revolving around the past, as far back as Grandy’s father, with discoveries of artifacts, journals behind the archaic walls that were falling apart.  These discoveries lead to stories of how and why they were hidden, leading to treasures to be given back to those who may have lost it years before.  It is a story of the present, with Natalie, Grandy, Peach, Dorothey (Peach’s sweet young daughter) and Trevor (a possible romantic interest for Natalie, who is a famous author); and a story of the family’s history back to the days after the 1906 earthquake and how the bookshop started.

I really liked Natalie, as she made a great heroine, especially as her life changed, and she found herself happier than ever.  There is a little romance, and I liked both Peach and Trevor.  Of course, Dorothy was an adorable cute girl. Grandy was terrific as a wonderful kind hearted grandfather, who we enjoyed in his lucid days.  Susan Wiggs did a wonderful job creating these wonderful characters.

The Lost and Found Bookshop was a very good story that kept your attention throughout.  This story revolved around the present and the past, with a bit of everything;  history, romance, mystery, and wonderful characters that you couldn’t help but care for.   The Lost and Found Bookshop was so very well written by Susan Wiggs. I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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