If you’re familiar with Grady Hendrix’s work, please go into this book without thinking of those books at all. This book is nothing like the campy, humorous books that we are used to from this author. This book is real life. This book is historical fiction, with a magic sprinkling. Letting go of the idea of what Grady has written before, reset my perspective on this book. 

Starting this book dragged on for me. It took awhile for any magic to happen, there was a slew of characters being named, and frankly I was just as sick as the main character with how much she had to pee. I got every character mixed up with another character at least once and would have to go back to see who they were. I don’t know if it was necessary to try to include them as more than just background. And there was quite a bit of repetitiveness. 

This book is also problematic with the way it handles the nonwhite characters. This was pointed out in a review and I don’t know how much I can speak on it without giving away character traits and spoiling what they do. And of course the book is written by a white man, and there are privileges with that, and he definitely hasn’t experienced the things in this book as far as prejudices and pregnancy, though he does apologize for that in his acknowledgements. 

So, what did I like? I did like the magic when it happened. I liked the side flowers of Zinnia and Holly. I liked that some characters got what they deserved. The sisterhood of the girls in the home. I like that we are bringing up the history of these terrible places women were subjected to while men still got to live their lives. That women had to go through birth and giving up a baby, that they were just supposed to move on with their lives. And the ending really worked as well.