Overview

Set in the real-life women-run charitable institution in Louisville, Kentucky, which took in pregnant, unmarried women from 1876 to 1919, A HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN is an evocative and nuanced blend of archival research and fiction that delves into the darker truths of nineteenth century American white feminism through three women's stories. In Victorian-era Louisville, the Home for Friendless Women is run by benevolent benefactors with one mission- to reform the fallen women who live there into pious mothers and wives through religious lessons and hard work. For Ruth, a college student who's expelled after a campus sexual assault, the Home is a purgatory to endure before she can get her life back. For Belle, a queer sex worker who exchanged her bed at a brothel for one in the Home, it's a safe place to rest her feet until she can track down her missing lover. And for Minnie, the daughter of the religious couple who founded the charity, the Home is her mother's idea of a cautionary tale. But as Minnie prepares for the Home's silver anniversary party, she finds herself questioning the true cost of good intentions-and grappling with a terrible secret that has the power to unravel the Home entirely.

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9780593685815

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Reviews

"“Hill is deliciously unsentimental and humanist in her rendering of these women and their world, resulting in a historical novel that feels both accurate and strikingly modern. A delight from start to finish.” —Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen, a PEN/Faulkner finalist ""With meticulous research and concise writing, Kelly Hill draws us into a world where—as is so often the case—good intentions belie painful shortcomings on both the individual and societal levels. Realized deftly and with an unflinching hand, her character studies entertain and enlighten. A great read on so many levels."" —David Dominé, author of A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City ""Founded in 1876, the Home for Friendless Women in Louisville offered refuge to “fallen” women—those who were pregnant and had no other options. Intrigued by the cryptic historical records, debut author Hill creates a story spanning from 1877 to 1901 and imagines the personalities and circumstances of several of the mothers (“inmates”), such as bluestocking Rose and queer, worldly-wise sex worker Belle, as they pass through the Home. . . .  The memorable characters who emerge from the pages leave little doubt in the reader’s mind that while they may be oppressed, they aren’t fools. . . . Share this with those seeking historical novels that focus on women’s lives and social inequity."" —Booklist"

“Hill is deliciously unsentimental and humanist in her rendering of these women and their world, resulting in a historical novel that feels both accurate and strikingly modern. A delight from start to finish.” —Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen, a PEN/Faulkner finalist

Author Information

Kelly E. Hill has a PhD from the University of Louisville and an MFA in fiction from Spalding University. She lives in Louisville with her family. A Home for Friendless Women is her first novel.

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