The Magdalen Girls

I thought long and hard about posting a recommendation for this book by V.S. Alexander that I have just finished reading on my Kindle. That being said, it finally won out that I feel that I must, to spread awareness about a terrible, terrible, evil that for centuries, millions of girls and women were sentenced to.
"The Magdalen Girls" by V.S. Alexander takes place in 1960s Dublin and details the life of two young women sent to a Magdalen laundry for what was deemed "immoral" behavior-which could include simply talking to a boy! These girls were subject to abuse and torture from the nuns who ran the laundries, as well as stripped of their identity and overall dignity. In this particular story, the nuns were hesitant to inflict actual physical pain on the inmates "because they loved them" however they used methods of humiliation (such as forcing girls to lie on the floor for hours in the shape of Christ on the cross) and mental abuse that actually caused more damage than physical abuse. Women went mad and lost their minds in these laundries. Mass graves of women, girls, and children have been found on the grounds of these institutions...and the most sobering fact is the last Magdalen laundry only closed in 1996. That's cutting it way too close for comfort. Singer Sinead O'Connor was actually incarcerated in a laundry in her early years, and even she admits that she still suffers from mental issues to this day from her time there.
Overall, "The Magdalen Girls" is a worthwhile read, just be aware that there are triggers if you're sensitive. The character of Lea was heartbreaking-she was deemed to be "mad" but there was obviously more to her than met the eye...