The Foundling: A Novel

Written by Ann Leary

Narrated by Laura Benanti

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good House, the “harrowing, gripping, and beautiful” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author) story of two friends, raised in the same orphanage, whose loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they meet years later at an institution—based on a shocking and little-known piece of American history.

It’s 1927 and eighteen-year-old Mary Engle is hired to work as a secretary at a remote but scenic institution for mentally disabled women called the Nettleton State Village for Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age. She’s immediately in awe of her employer—brilliant, genteel Dr. Agnes Vogel.

Dr. Vogel had been the only woman in her class in medical school. As a young psychiatrist she was an outspoken crusader for women’s suffrage. Now, at age forty, Dr. Vogel runs one of the largest and most self-sufficient public asylums for women in the country. Mary deeply admires how dedicated the doctor is to the poor and vulnerable women under her care.

Soon after she’s hired, Mary learns that a girl from her childhood orphanage is one of the inmates. Mary remembers Lillian as a beautiful free spirit with a sometimes-tempestuous side. Could she be mentally disabled? When Lillian begs Mary to help her escape, alleging the asylum is not what it seems, Mary is faced with a terrible choice. Should she trust her troubled friend with whom she shares a dark childhood secret? Mary’s decision triggers a hair-raising sequence of events with life-altering consequences for all.

Inspired by a true story about the author’s grandmother, The Foundling is compelling, unsettling, and “a stunning reminder that not much time has passed since everyone claimed to know what was best for a woman—everyone except the woman herself” (Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781797141473

Ann Leary

Ann Leary is the New York Times bestselling author of a memoir and four novels including The Good House. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages, and she has written for The New York Times, Ploughshares, NPR, Redbook, and Real Simple, among other publications. Her essay, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive,” was adapted for Prime Video’s television series, Modern Love. Her novel The Good House was adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. She lives with her husband in New York. Visit her online at AnnLeary.com.

Reviews for The Foundling

[Debra Warner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While the plot kept me wanting more, the main character got on my nerves several times. I get that she was young and naive, but at points I wondered if she really did belong at the Village. She ultimately resolved her naïveté but not before taking the reader on a roller coaster of emotions.

[Louise Dewhirst · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Had potential but not as good as I had hoped. Also the version I got had many places where the narration clearly skipped ahead and left portions out.

[garza_912572689 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Reader is egregiously over the top but I'm hooked on the story so hopefully I will make it through.
Nope, no way. Every other syllable emphasized; drama injected into the most ordinary observations. Good grief. Giving it 2 stars for the story itself, which does seem interesting. Maybe I'll read this in print eventually.

[Justine Lichtenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Flowed well, good story and storytelling. Good character development. Would recommend.

[Leah Barton Tew · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting plot line, but overall predictable and formulaic. Poor character and relationship development. If anyone in this story is actually “feebleminded” it’s the main character, Mary.

Narration was poor and annoying. I realize that the narrator had to do a lot of different voices, but most of them were either horribly over acted (usually just came off as being stereotypically boorish), or they were just completely wrong for the character. For example, Birdie just comes off as being an air headed flirt with no substance. Even Mary was portrayed as being a wide eyed ingenue throughout the entire story, which made it very difficult to take her seriously, or to even want to.

[Leslie Cohen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting, revealing, about a type of institution that I had never heard of. I don’t know about its historical accuracy, but I imagine that it has a good basis in fact.