The Forgotten Midwife - a moving story set in present-day and 1950s Ireland.

In the present-day, Riley is preparing for her wedding to Sam. While he has a large family, her only family member is her grandmother, Betty, who suffers from dementia. During a period of clarity, Betty reveals clues about Riley's long-deceased mother's true heritage. Following this shocking discovery, she and Sam travel from New Jersey to Tipperary, Ireland. The story shifts to 1956. Margaret Lannigan is in love and eagerly awaits marrying Joseph. Her sister Sheila had always known that one day she would uphold the family tradition of the eldest Lannigan daughter devoting herself to the Catholic Church. When Sheila falls ill and dies, Margaret has no choice but to enter the Ballyvale Convent, leaving Joseph and her previous life behind. She discovers that the church runs a home for unwed mothers and is sent there to assist in the care of the "fallen young women" and help with the births. To the community, the building is simply a place where laundry is done. Arrangements are made with mostly American couples who are desperate for a child. In the present, one of the items Riley brought with her is a birth certificate from 1959, which leads her to the family of a woman who had given birth at Ballyvale.  

Having loved Laura Anthony's debut novel, The Women on Platform Two, I was prepared for another emotional journey set in Ireland with The Forgotten Midwife. It is a heartbreaking story based on the Magdalene laundries and similar institutions which operated in Ireland, where pregnant, unmarried Catholic girls were sent and hidden to avoid bringing shame to their families. It might not have been known that the girls worked in the laundries right up to giving birth, under terrible conditions. Tragically, some of these young women, mostly teenagers, and their babies did not survive. While this story highlights a horrible chapter in history, it is ultimately a tale of hope and resilience. The mark of good historical fiction is when it leaves you with the desire to learn more. This book will surely encourage delving deeper into this somber part of Irish history, which has inspired numerous books and movies such as the film Philomena.

Many thanks to Gallery Books for the advance of this powerful book.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction.

Publication Date: May 12, 2026.

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