White Linen

I can still remember the women's stories two years after reading Howe's beautifully written novel. Howe is able to capture the dehumanizing horror that young women endured with an unwanted pregnancy not that long ago. Equally tragic was how these women were treated later in life when the convent they had been locked up in allowed them to leave. At this point they had acquired few skills with which to find employment or to survive on.

A great read shining a light on a terrible injustice. Excellent characterisation and a sympathetic, credible portrayal of the women whose lives were destroyed by one of the greatest injustices in recent history. This well crafted novel tells the story through the eyes of those who were let down and abused by the institutions that they most trusted.

A moving and vividly told story. Highly recommended - I loved this book. Initially I'd been wary as to whether we needed another story about the Magdalen Laundries but the premise of the final closure of one of these places ( so late!) and the dispersal of 5 women whose lives were so cruelly diminished gives this book an original angle. The characters are beautifully drawn and their stories totally believable. The writing has some of the feel of Graham Swift in its capacity to conjure up a sense of time and place so vividly - it drew me in and kept me in thrall till the final page with its moving revelation. A testament to the power of love, friendship and the human spirit, despite everything. I highly recommend this book.

Outstanding!

Martin Howe perfectly captures the stultifyingly narrow world, tedious and harsh conditions endured by five women forced to live a life of servitude in the Magdalen Laundries. Despite having spent their entire adult lives working in this environment under the punitive eye of the Catholic church, with very little outside stimulus or freedom to expand their lives, the different characters of the women come to life and are beautifully drawn. By slowly revealing their background stories, we are given a glimpse of the lives they might have led, of lost opportunities. White Linen is a moving account of one of our history's great injustices.