By Kaylie Seed
Content Warning: child sexual abuse, language
Author Ann Leary’s newest novel, The Foundling, follows eighteen-year-old Mary Engle as she works under Dr. Anges Vogel, an accomplished woman psychiatrist who runs Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. Mary is keen to make a good impression and quickly wins over Dr. Vogel’s trust, but at the same time, Mary discovers that one of the young women at Nettleton may not actually belong there. This leads Mary to discover that the Village isn’t as wonderful as it seems. Inspired by her grandmother and real-life events, The Foundling is meant to show readers a glimpse into the past and how dark this period in history was towards women in asylums.
I found the characters to be interesting, and it is clear to the reader that Leary had done her research when it came to language, clothing, events, beliefs, and mannerisms found in the early 20th century. As this is historical fiction, Leary stayed true to this era which gave The Foundling even more of an authentic feel. Mary was a delightful character to follow throughout, and I found her extremely likeable and believable. There were definitely elements of a coming-of-age story to The Foundling as the reader could see Mary blossom into a strong young woman as the story came to an end.
Leary’s prose was a big reason why I enjoyed this novel. While at times, I felt that the story was lacking, Leary still managed to capture the reader’s attention through beautiful storytelling. I was expecting a darker story, and even though there were dark elements, Leary could’ve gone further in some parts.
The premise had me wanting to know more, and while the beginning of the novel moved quickly, when I read to the third-waypoint, there was a disconnect in the plot. It took a while for the plot to get moving again, but once it did, I became invested in the remainder of the novel. There were some redundant plot points that did not add to the overall story and felt like forced add-ons simply because of the prohibition era that was happening at the same time. I was expecting more regarding the history of the fictional Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. Leary could have gone into more depth with the historical contexts of asylums, especially eugenics which was brought up throughout the novel. That being said, it was a lovely piece of historical fiction with a dash of romance and coming-of-age elements.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.