Another Historical read for me that I never would have even looked at if it hadn't been recommended in a Facebook group I am in (Thanks Cyndi)

This story was one that made me absolutely stunned, I had no idea that this was something that was practised, and also that it was STILL being practised up to the 1980's!!

I was crazy mad listening to this book, how people can have been given this much authority over other human beings is just mind blowing.
If you are a Jodi Picoult fan then you will probably love this one too.

Anyhoo, back to my review!

Set in the 60's in Rural Grace County, Jane Forrester goes for an interview for a job as a social worker, much to the dismay of her fiance, he is unhappy in the fact that she is getting a job, let alone a job that might undermine his position as a doctor, and make him a laughing stock at the Golf Club, none of his friends wives work after all!

Jane wants to work, and feels that this would be an ideal position for her, that she may be able to do some good, she may even be able to help people less fortunate than her.

She gets the position and shadows another worker until an accident sets her on her own to carry on the job.

Ivy is one of her cases.

15 year old Ivy lives on a Tobacco farm with her family, her parents both died so she is now in the full time care of her grandmother, but her grandmother is ill, so it is Ivy that is doing the caring. Looking after her grandmother, her mentally ill sister and her sisters 2 year old son William is no mean feat, they rely on Welfare to get money for the family, they work on the Tobacco farm to pay for their lodgings.

Ivy has her own problems, she is epileptic, and because she is 15, she is "obviously" going to start sleeping around, I mean, look at Mary Ella her "feeble minded" sister, she had William after all!
They managed to fix that though, at least she won't be bringing any more "retards" into this world! Ivy is an ideal candidate for the program, it just needs to be signed off by the Social Worker, of course you don't tell her what it is you are doing, just tell them that they look ill, Mary Ella had her "appendix" out, and look, she's perfectly fine now!!

Jane cannot believe what is happening to these young girls, but what can she do, she's already been reprimanded for something she did wrong, she may even lose her job.

This story is based on true events that happened, in the authors notes she does say that she didn't want to focus on the actual deed, but to focus on the families and the aftermath, but some of the stories that she read about it were truly horrifying.

🎧🎧 - Brilliantly narrated by Alison Elliot, this story is one that will probably stay with you for a while!