Yahoo Lifestyle “Wayward Girls” Is a 'Wrenching but Life-Affirming Novel': See the Cover! (Exclusive)
The latest from bestselling author Susan Wiggs is based on a true story of "survival, friendship and redemption"
When six teens are locked away in a secretive institution run by Catholic nuns, their story becomes one of survival, solidarity and redemption in bestseller Susan Wiggs' latest novel.
“I was born in a small town near Buffalo, and in the late ’60s, the Catholic church was a heavy, intrusive presence," Wiggs explains, telling PEOPLE about the her inspiration for the book. "I was vaguely aware of the girls who 'went away' when they became pregnant, but it was only recently that I learned of the existence of the facility at 485 Best Street, run by strict nuns."
Out July 15, 2025 from William Morrow, Wayward Girls is a "wrenching but life-affirming novel" that's based on the true story of that institution in the turbulent Vietnam War era in Buffalo, N.Y.
It starts in 1968 at the "dark and secretive" Good Shepherd controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns. There, girls are — "locked away merely for being gay, pregnant or simply unruly," according to the publisher's official synopsis.
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The story follows meet Mairin, the free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants who's sent there to protect her from her stepfather; gay teen Angela who finds herself the victim of a predator; Helen, the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China; Odessa who's sent there by police after a racial incident; Denise who got caught brawling in a foster home; and the deeply insecure Janice, who protects her childlike friend Kay.
Then there's Sister Bernadette, who the Sisters rescued from a dreadful childhood, and now feels her conscience weigh on her.
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Author Susan Wiggs"Decades later, survivors are finally speaking out, and I was struck by how fierce and beautiful these women still are," Wiggs says of those who were at 485 Best Street.
She adds, "This book highlights a time when women had limited access to contraception, sex education and reproductive care, yet it celebrates the grace and humanity of girls whose irrepressible spirit shines through."
Wiggs is also the author of more than 50 novels, including the Lakeshore Chronicles series as well as the recent New York Times bestsellersThe Lost and Found Bookshop, The Oysterville Sewing Circle and Family Tree.
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Wayward Girls comes out July 15, 2025 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
