The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

Ellen Marie Wiseman

Publication date: August 30, 2022 by Kensington Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 👢👢👢👢👢

Summary: Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world.

Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing.

Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined...

My Thoughts: This book read more like a suspense/thriller/mystery as opposed to a more traditional historical fiction. As Sage sought answers about her sister Rosemary she became embroiled in a battle to save herself. Sage unknowingly uncovered more than just the dismal oppression found in the underfunded state run mental institution. Her mistaken identity exposed her to the brutal reality of the disreputable treatment of the patients , the extreme conditions that staff had to endure, the cutthroat underhandedness of both the administration and the staff, and the desperate measures some were willing to take to escape.

Wiseman wrote this book in such a way as to invoke nothing less than a visceral response from the reader. The book was raw, unfiltered, and shocking. It will potentially enlighten the reader on a dark time in mental health awareness and treatment. Absolutely blown away by this one! 

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy of this title.