Please help ID a novel about a woman who was in a magdalen laundry.
December 12, 2014 9:15 AM Subscribe
I read the book about 6 or 7 years ago and it was to do with a woman in her late 40's to 50's who became pregnant when she was a teenager and was sent to a Magdalen laundry type place where she stayed for a quite a long time. After she left she became a midwife.
I can't remember much about the actual plot apart from the fact that the woman in question became friends with a woman whose baby she'd delivered, a working class family, and the father died when he fell off his chair and hit his head.
My description probably makes it sound terrible but it was a really well written novel about a subject which interests me greatly and I'll be damned if I can find it again on my bookshelf, although I can't imagine getting rid of it. I may have loaned it to someone. I'd love to read it again so all help in identifying it would be gratefully received.
I can't remember much about the actual plot apart from the fact that the woman in question became friends with a woman whose baby she'd delivered, a working class family, and the father died when he fell off his chair and hit his head.
My description probably makes it sound terrible but it was a really well written novel about a subject which interests me greatly and I'll be damned if I can find it again on my bookshelf, although I can't imagine getting rid of it. I may have loaned it to someone. I'd love to read it again so all help in identifying it would be gratefully received.
Response by poster: Nope, unfortunately that's not the one I'm looking for, sockermom. I'm pretty sure the book was set in the UK.
posted by h00py at 9:35 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by h00py at 9:35 AM on December 12, 2014
Is it The Magdalen by Marita Conlon-McKenna?
posted by Beethoven's Sith at 9:39 AM on December 12, 2014
posted by Beethoven's Sith at 9:39 AM on December 12, 2014
The plot you describe reminds me of the film The Magdalene Sisters. After I watched this movie, I did a bit of digging to find out more about the whole unwed mother/laundry labor thing and found this June Goulding book. Might it be the one you're thinking of?
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:14 PM on December 12, 2014
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:14 PM on December 12, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks for all the guesses. Unfortunately the book I'm looking for hasn't been mentioned so far. The story is far more to do with her life many years after she has left the laundry. I'm pretty she meets a fellow and the story of their relationship and how she interacts with him and this other family (the one with the young guy who dies by falling off his chair) makes up the bulk of the story.
posted by h00py at 9:48 PM on December 12, 2014
posted by h00py at 9:48 PM on December 12, 2014
Response by poster: Oh, and I've just remembered. There was a niece fairly closely involved in her life. Damn, I wish I could find this book!
posted by h00py at 5:17 AM on January 15, 2015
posted by h00py at 5:17 AM on January 15, 2015
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posted by sockermom at 9:22 AM on December 12, 2014