The Foundling by Ann Leary, set in 1927, weaves dark and disturbing facts from American history into a compelling historical novel inspired by a true story about the author's grandmother. Imagine an institution that warehouses "feebleminded" women aged 16 to 45 to prevent them from having children who would surely be "burdens" on society. Imagine that men could admit wives, female relatives, and other women to such an asylum for any reason. Such an asylum existed in Pennsylvania (until 1998!) and was the author's grandmother's employer as documented by the 1930 Federal Census.
The plot of The Foundling has a growing sense of unease and is difficult to read as it features the barbaric practice of eugenics and includes terms such as feebleminded, moron, idiot that were clinical diagnoses in the 1910s and 1920s. I felt a bond with Mary, the 17-year-old main character, who seemed to overcome her difficult childhood in an orphanage by working as secretary to the prestigious leader of a state-of-the-art institution. But from the moment she arrived, Mary had doubts about The Nettleton State Village which grew the more she learns.
One day Mary is shocked to see a face she recognizes among the imprisoned dairy workers, and she must make a difficult decision - will she risk her high-profile position to help a person from her past? I was also interested to see the early days of investigative journalism as part of this plot.
Thank you to Scribner Books for the review copy.
The plot of The Foundling has a growing sense of unease and is difficult to read as it features the barbaric practice of eugenics and includes terms such as feebleminded, moron, idiot that were clinical diagnoses in the 1910s and 1920s. I felt a bond with Mary, the 17-year-old main character, who seemed to overcome her difficult childhood in an orphanage by working as secretary to the prestigious leader of a state-of-the-art institution. But from the moment she arrived, Mary had doubts about The Nettleton State Village which grew the more she learns.
One day Mary is shocked to see a face she recognizes among the imprisoned dairy workers, and she must make a difficult decision - will she risk her high-profile position to help a person from her past? I was also interested to see the early days of investigative journalism as part of this plot.
Thank you to Scribner Books for the review copy.
