The Fallen Woman's Daughter - by Michelle Cox (Paperback)

About the Book

"When eight-year-old Nora arrives at the Park Ridge School for Girls in 1932, she is sure there's been some mistake. She can't imagine why she and her little sister, Patsy, were torn from their mother only to be subjected to the cruel whims of the house matron, Mrs. Morris. When their mother fails to rescue them week after week--and Mrs. Morris drops hints that their mother may be a "fallen woman"--Nora begins to doubt they will ever see her again. Nine years prior, at seventeen, Gertie Gufftason runs off with Lorenzo, the barker for the traveling carnival passing through her small coal-mining town in Southern Iowa. Thinking she is embarking on a fantastic adventure, Gertie is bitterly disappointed by the life that follows and is thrown into despair when the State removes their two daughters. Gertie eventually tracks down her girls at the Park Ridge, but, expecting a warm welcome, she is shocked by Nora's cool reception. Nora reluctantly returns home with Gertie and Patsy, determined to live a more perfect life than her mother. It is only when she discovers a secret Gertie has kept hidden all these years that Nora begins to fully understand--and forgive--her mother's tragic choices . "--Amazon.

Book Synopsis

When eight-year-old Nora arrives at the Park Ridge School for Girls in 1932, she is sure there's been some mistake. She can't imagine why she and her little sister, Patsy, were torn from their mother only to be subjected to the cruel whims of the house matron, Mrs. Morris. When their mother fails to rescue them week after week-and Mrs. Morris drops hints that their mother may be a "fallen woman"-Nora begins to doubt they will ever see her again.

Nine years prior, at seventeen, Gertie Gufftason runs off with Lorenzo, the barker for the traveling carnival passing through her small coal-mining town in Southern Iowa. Thinking she is embarking on a fantastic adventure, Gertie is bitterly disappointed by the life that follows and is thrown into despair when the State removes their two daughters.

Gertie eventually tracks down her girls at the Park Ridge, but, expecting a warm welcome, she is shocked by Nora's cool reception. Nora reluctantly returns home with Gertie and Patsy, determined to live a more perfect life than her mother. It is only when she discovers a secret Gertie has kept hidden all these years that Nora begins to fully understand-and forgive-her mother's tragic choices . . .

Review Quotes

"THE FALLEN WOMAN'S DAUGHTER is a compelling, poignant story of mothers, sisters, and daughters spanning three generations from the roaring twenties to the swinging sixties. Starstruck Gertie yearns to escape the dreary mining town of her youth, but a hasty marriage only leaves her a desperate young mother-and when her daughters Nora and Patsy are torn away and sent to a girls' home, they learn to rely on no one but each other. By the time Gertie comes back into their life eager to make amends, Patsy's wildness and Nora's bitterness are ingrained, changing the lives of all three women as war envelops the world and daughters become mothers in turn. Michelle Cox writes flawed, fascinating women with understanding, compassion, and grace-I rooted for them with every turn of the page!"-Kate Quinn, NYT best-selling author

"An addictive read!"-Kirkus Reviews

". . . An emotional tale that grabs you by the throat and carries you through to the exhilarating end."

James Conroyd Martin, author of The Poland Trilogyand Fortune's Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora