A review by pepper1133
The Magdalen Girls by V.S. Alexander

3.0

I first learned of the Magdalen laundries about a year ago, when I read "Christine Falls" by Benjamin Black. I was horrified to discover this often erased part of history and I wanted to learn more about the experiences of the women who had to suffer within these convents. While this book does give the perspective of three different teenage girls, overall the book is a bit melodramatic. Yes, the things that happened in the laundries were horrific. But the details herein turn all of that into a soap opera, complete with long lost family members and visions of the Virgin Mary. I know the history of the laundries is now becoming public knowledge after being hidden for so long, and I hope that perhaps someone else can come along and give a more accurate representation of the lives of the Magdalens.