The Foundling

The tale of two friends who were nurtured in the same orphanage and whose devotion is put to the ultimate test when they reunite years later in a notorious institution—one as an employee and the other as an inmate—comes from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House.

In 1927, Mary Engle, at eighteen, is employed as a secretary at the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age, a picturesque but isolated facility for women with mental disabilities. She is instantly in admiration of her boss, the sophisticated, intelligent Dr. Agnes Vogel.

In medical school, Dr. Vogel was the only female student in her class. She was a vocal supporter of women's suffrage throughout her early career as a psychiatrist. At forty years old, Dr. Vogel now oversees one of the nation's biggest and most independent public asylums for women. Mary is in awe of the doctor's commitment to the underprivileged and defenseless ladies under her care.

Mary finds out that one of the prisoners is a girl from the institution she was raised in shortly after being employed. Mary recalls Lillian as a lovely, free-spirited person with a sometimes turbulent side. Is she intellectually impaired? Mary is forced to make a dreadful decision when Lillian begs her for assistance in leaving the institution, claiming it is not what it looks. Should she put her dark childhood secret with her troublesome friend? Mary's choice sets off a terrifying chain of events that affect everyone's life profoundly.

A unique look at a startling period of American history, The Foundling is based on a real tale of the author's grandmother. Readers will be glued to the page until the very spectacular last page of this suspenseful novel, wondering, "Did this really happen here?"