Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House, the story of two friends, raised in the same orphanage, whose loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they meet years later at a controversial institution — one as an employee; the other, an inmate.
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 offers a rare look at a shocking chapter of American history. This gripping page-turner will have readers on the edge of their seats right up to the stunning last page...asking themselves, "Did this really happen here? "
Review
Leary makes an engrossing drama....[and] ends with an impressive twist. Readers will rip through this tale of historical injustice."
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"Ann Leary's The Foundling is a compelling, shocking record of a too-hidden piece of history — when eugenics was commonly applauded as progressive social science.... 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 of Wish You Were Here
Review
"Leary's latest is a stunning tale of corruption, compassion, and hope, and includes one of the best endings I've read in ages. She's reached back in history and uncovered a shockingly true story, one that resonates strongly today. Full of jaw-dropping twists and intriguing characters - you won't be able to put it down."
Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
Review
"Leary's (The Children, 2016) richly rendered, tender tale of friendship and loyalty, based on her own family history, brings into sharp focus the horrors of such punitive institutions, which proliferated in early-twentieth-century America."
Booklist
Review
"A fascinating, unsettling, page-turning story inspired by the little-known and horrifying practice of eugenics in 1920's America."
Lisa Genova, New York Times Bestselling author of Still Alice and Remember
Review
"Ann Leary is a remarkable storyteller, and The Foundling is harrowing, gripping, and beautiful. You'll be thinking about these characters long after you turn the last page."
Laura Dave, New York Times Bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
Review
"The Foundling is a gripping account of the ways big, structural decisions can change the intimate lives of ordinary people. Deeply empathetic to its characters with a sense of awe for the ironies of history, Ann Leary explores the complicated ties of community for those who have none, in a world determined to punish the most vulnerable. Through it all, her characters never lose their sense of humanity or sight of what it means to care for one another."
Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie
About the Author
Ann Leary is the New York Times bestselling author of a memoir and four novels including The Good House. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages, and she has written for The New York Times, Ploughshares, NPR, Redbook, and Real Simple, among other publications. Her essay, "Rallying to Keep the Game Alive," was adapted for Prime Video's television series, Modern Love. She lives with her husband in New York. Visit her online at AnnLeary.com.