The Magdalen (Paperback)

From the Publisher: Betrayed by her lover and rejected by her family, a pregnant Esther Doyle is sent to join the fallen women of Dublin's Holy Saints Convent, where she spends her time working in the Magdalen laundry while awaiting the birth of her baby. The wide open spaces of Connemara, filled with nothing but sea and sky, are all lost to Esther Doyle when she is betrayed by her lover, Conor. Rejected by her family, she is sent to join the 'fallen women' of the Holy Saints Convent in Dublin where, behind high granite walls, she works in the infamous Magdalen laundry while she awaits the birth of her baby.||At the mercy of nuns, and working mostly in silence alongside the other 'Maggies,' Esther spends her days in the steamy, sweatshop atmosphere of the laundry. It is a grim existence, but Esther has little choice--the convent is her only refuge, and its orphanage will provide shelter for her newborn child.||Yet despite the harsh reality of her life, Esther gains support from this isolated community of women. Learning through the experiences and the mistakes of the other 'Maggies,' she begins to recognize her own strengths and determination to survive. She recognizes, too, that it will take every ounce of courage to realize her dream of a new life for her and her child beyond they grey walls of the Holy Saints Convent.| Esther Doyle is a true child of Connemara. She is a simple girl with a true heart, and the wild and tangled land of the West sings in her bones. But when Esther is betrayed by her lover and left unmarried and pregnant, the sea and sky are both lost to her. She is sent by her shamed family to the Holy Saints Convent in Dublin, where, trapped behind its high granite walls, she works in the infamous Magdalen laundry while she waits for the birth of her baby.|At the mercy of the nuns, and working mostly in silence, Esther spends her days in the steamy laundry. It is a grim existence, but Esther has no choice: the convent is her only refuge, and the orphanage next door will provide food and shelter for her newborn child.|Despite the harsh realities of her life, Esther gains the support of this isolated colony of women. Learning through the experiences and mistakes of the other "Maggies," Esther begins to realize her strengths and her determination to survive. It will take every ounce of her courage to realize her dream of a new life for her child and herself, beyond the grey walls of the Holy Saints Convent. The wide open spaces of Connemara, filled with nothing but sea and sky, are all lost to Esther Doyle when she is betrayed by her lover, Conor. Rejected by her family, she is sent to join the 'fallen women' of the Holy Saints Convent in Dublin where, behind high granite walls, she works in the infamous Magdalen laundry while she awaits the birth of her baby. At the mercy of nuns, and working mostly in silence alongside the other 'Maggies,' Esther spends her days in the steamy, sweatshop atmosphere of the laundry. It is a grim existence, but Esther has little choice--the convent is her only refuge, and its orphanage will provide shelter for her newborn child. Yet despite the harsh reality of her life, Esther gains support from this isolated community of women. Learning through the experiences and the mistakes of the other 'Maggies,' she begins to recognize her own strengths and determination to survive. She recognizes, too, that it will take every ounce of courage to realize her dream of a new life for her and her child beyond they grey walls of the Holy Saints Convent. Betrayed by her lover and rejected by her family, a pregnant Esther Doyle is sent to join the fallen women of Dublin's Holy Saints Convent, where she spends her time working in the Magdalen laundry while awaiting the birth of her baby.