Why a Booktrail?
1956, 2016: Read her letter. Remember her story…
The Girl in the Letter
What you need to know before your trail
1956. When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret’s, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave.
Present day. Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret’s. Before it is too late.
Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret’s set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost for ever.
Travel Guide
Based on the very sad true stories of the Mother and Baby homes.
“Mother and baby homes first appeared in England in 1891. By 1968, there were a total of 172 known homes for unmarried mothers, the majority run by religious bodies,. Many young women were pressured by their parents or social workers into giving up their babies against their will, with an all time peak in 1968 of adoption orders granted in England – 16, 164 in total.”
“The abuse that was so prevalent in Ireland was less common although not unheard of) in the UK. What was undeniable was the pressure that was put upon young unmarried mothers to have their babies adopted.”
Booktrailer Review
This is so emotional ! Whilst fictionalised, the author points out that much of what she put into the book is based on real facts and/ or reports of events since. This is such a disturbing story and despite what you’ve read about the Mother and Baby homes in Ireland, this one, in England takes on an even more horrific turn if that’s even possible.
Very emotional reading!
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Girl in the Letter
Destination: London, Preston Author/guide: Emily Gunnis Departure Time: 1956, 2000s
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