The Magdalen Laundries

a novel inspired by true events

By: Lisa Michelle Odgaard

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Maren Bradigan is just sixteen years old when she is taken under false pretenses from her comfortable life on her family farm. Concerned at the level of intimacy developing between Maren and the boy who helps her father with his farm work, the village priest takes it upon himself to remove her from school and bring her to one of the convent laundries, where he delivers her into the care of the nuns. Now, alongside many other "Magdalens" - named for Mary Magdalen - Maren must spend her days washing dirty linens, symbolically cleansing herself of her sins while repeating endless penance to a God that she soon comes to feel is no longer listening to her. Only the presence of Ceara, a young pregnant girl who befriends her inside the institution, gives Maren strength to continue through abuse, humiliation, beatings and near-starvation. Set in Ireland in 1961, The Magdalen Laundries is based on the true stories from one of the most shameful chapters in Ireland's history, and tells of the redemptive power of faith, friendship and forgiveness. NEW EDITION now includes pronunciation guide. Recent Reviews: If you began reading this book without seeing the cover or knowing what it was about, you would guess that you were reading a future dystopian fantasy about a horrific, oppressive torture prison. However, you are not reading fantasy, you are reading a novel based on a true story. It doesn’t take place in the future, instead the sad pitiful events took place in Ireland, and other English-speaking countries, including America, for over 100 years. “There is hope in Christ, not despair.” Author Odgaard’s story is set in 1961 at [a convent] near Dublin. Young and pretty, Maren grows up on her family farm, loved and cherished. Maren begins to awaken to feelings of love, when a hired farm hand catches her eye. Her innocent feelings lead her parish priest to commit her, without her family’s knowledge, to what were called the Magdalen Laundries. These laundries were ostensibly places for “fallen” girls and women to redeem themselves. But too many ended as victims of a system of torture and deprivation. At times slow-moving at the beginning, most of the book is compelling and engrossing. Maren and her best friend at the laundry are described with love and compassion by Author Odgaard. While not sugar-coating or endorsing the practices at the laundry, the author also extends this same understanding to the Catholic Church. The story features a heartfelt affirmation of the Gospel message. While, many elements of this book are difficult to read about, overall there is a message of hope. I am grateful to the Author for opening my eyes to the Laundries and the plights of the young girls. In the afterward of the book, the Author presents more information about the Laundries and encourages readers to research more on the internet. I did look up some information about the history. “She felt a joy in her heart and knew that her journey to find peace had ended here, In Glasvenin cemetery.” – Jena C. Henry, Readers Review Room

Computer Read

It's a great story but the computer voice lacks good reading inflection and code switching between characters. otherwise, a good story.

Screw AI

What could have been an overall great novel was lost with emotionless AI voiceover. There was no power, feeling, emotion… nothing! Just mindless robot narrating. This wasn’t some scientific journal that AI voiceover could have been used for. This was a heartfelt and emotional novel with heavy topics that needed emotion! I needed to feel those tears in the characters voices! I needed to feel the terror and hurt. What world are we in that all the hard work and effort that is needed to write a historical novel is blown off in the end by narrating it with cheap AI? Heck- they could have called me and I would have made a better narrator with zero experience.

AI aside, having read a few laundry novels, I enjoyed the book and I think it captured the essence of the horrors that endured in those places. It felt short though. I’m a details kind of a gal and think it could have gone even more in depth with the realities and horrors the laundries forced modern women to endure. After all, it wasn’t just the women that suffered but the children too. Not immediately taken in many cases, they forced the mothers to nurse their babies sometimes two years before taking them and putting them up for adoption. Many were buried right along side their mothers. Oh well- on to another novel.

Don’t feel like it’s not worth the listen. It’s good, but just dips a toe into the horrors of the laundries. Just don’t pay anything for it. Not AI. I refuse to pay for that. Wait till it’s on the plus catalog. Or buy the actual book and enjoy it that way.

Virtual Reading?

Virtual reading is not how I'd have wanted this novel presented to me. When selecting audiobooks, it is crucial to listen to the sample audio before making a purchase. Despite discovering intriguing titles recommended by others, I have often neglected this important step. As a result, I have encountered audiobooks with narration that lacks emotional depth, appropriate dialects and pronunciations, which significantly diminishes the storytelling experience. In several instances, I found myself unable to progress beyond the second chapter due to the narrator's delivery. While the book's content appears promising, the audio performance did not meet my expectations. I typically choose Audible as a convenient alternative to traditional reading, given my limited down-time.