Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is the story of three women brought together by circumstance as children, and sisters by choice going forward to adulthood.
Told from multiple points of view, and with dual timelines we follow these women through their childhoods in the foster care system, as they are placed with a sadistic, manipulative woman, Holly Fairchild, who should never have been given the responsibility of caring for any child.
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia spent years under the thumb of Miss Fairchild, and they bear the trauma of her actions into their adulthood. The only good thing about their time with her is the close knit bond that developed between the three.
Now, twenty-five years after leaving her care they are called back to the place they were forced to call home for so many years, and are forced to face the traumas inflicted on them. Trauma inflicted on them not only by Holly, but also by those who should have been looking out for their best interests as children, and instead questioned their integrity solely because they were foster children.
This was not a light read, and given the topic and events in the book, it feels strange saying how much I enjoyed it, but I did. At times I felt joy, sorrow, and frustration for the characters as we saw the events of their lives as children, and their lives in the present day.
Darling Girls will be available on April 23 2024.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Life, Tea, and Everything 