The Foundling A Novel
The Foundling A Novel by Ann Leary, published by Simon and Schuster on April 4, 2023, is a historical fiction work that delves into the complexities of friendship and loyalty against the backdrop of a little-known aspect of American history. Set in 1927, the narrative follows eighteen-year-old Mary Engle, who begins her role as a secretary at the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. As she becomes acquainted with her employer, the esteemed Dr. Agnes Vogel, Mary is drawn into a world where the treatment of vulnerable women raises profound ethical questions.
Readers will find themselves immersed in a story that explores the bond between Mary and her childhood friend Lillian, who is now an inmate at the institution. As Mary grapples with Lillian’s plea for help and the dark secrets of their past, the plot unfolds with tension and moral dilemmas. This edition, comprising 352 pages in English, invites readers to reflect on themes of trust, societal norms, and the struggles faced by women during this era. The Foundling presents a thought-provoking exploration of personal and historical narratives intertwined with the challenges of understanding mental health and autonomy.
Official synopsis Publisher
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House, the “harrowing, gripping, and beautiful” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author) story of two friends, raised in the same orphanage, whose loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they meet years later at an institution—based on a shocking and little-known piece of American history.
It’s 1927 and eighteen-year-old Mary Engle is hired to work as a secretary at a remote but scenic institution for mentally disabled women called the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. She’s immediately in awe of her employer—brilliant, genteel Dr. Agnes Vogel.
Dr. Vogel had been the only woman in her class in medical school. As a young psychiatrist she was an outspoken crusader for women’s suffrage. Now, at age forty, Dr. Vogel runs one of the largest and most self-sufficient public asylums for women in the country. Mary deeply admires how dedicated the doctor is to the poor and vulnerable women under her care.
Soon after she’s hired, Mary learns that a girl from her childhood orphanage is one of the inmates. Mary remembers Lillian as a beautiful free spirit with a sometimes-tempestuous side. Could she be mentally disabled? When Lillian begs Mary to help her escape, alleging the asylum is not what it seems, Mary is faced with a terrible choice. Should she trust her troubled friend with whom she shares a dark childhood secret? Mary’s decision triggers a hair-raising sequence of events with life-altering consequences for all.
Inspired by a true story about the author’s grandmother, The Foundling is compelling, unsettling, and “a stunning reminder that not much time has passed since everyone claimed to know what was best for a woman—everyone except the woman herself” (Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author).
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