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Book Summary and Reviews of The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony

The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony

The Women on Platform Two

by Laura Anthony

  • Critics' Consensus (7):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Mar 2025, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In 1970s Dublin, all forms of contraception are strictly forbidden, but an intrepid group of women will risk everything to change that in this sweeping, timely novel inspired by a remarkable and little-known true story.

Dublin, 1969: Maura has just married Dr. Christy Davenport and they look forward to growing their family. But as her husband's vicious temper emerges, Maura worries that her home might never be safe for a child. Meanwhile, her close friend Bernie, a mother of three, learns the devastating news that if she conceives again, her health complications could prove fatal.

Dublin, 2023: A close call makes Saoirse realize that she may never want to be a mother. Little does she know that only a few decades ago, a group of women made this option possible for her. And she's about to meet one of them…

The Women on Platform Two is a haunting, powerful story of feminine resistance and resilience that reminds us all of where we started—and how far we still have to go.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. In the opening chapter, engaged couple Saoirse and Miles argue about their future; Miles can't wait to be a father, but Saoirse is reluctant to become a mother. Do you think family planning is something couples should discuss as soon as they start dating? Or, do you think it's better to wait until the relationship is stable and serious before talking about wanting or not wanting children?
  2. In Chapter 3, Maura mentions overhearing colleagues discussing her friend Ger. She can't remember what they called her but she knows it's something beginning with an "L." Discuss how you think Maura feels about this, keeping in mind that homosexuality was illegal in Ireland at the time. How would you describe the trajectory of Maura's ...
Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

See what our members are saying about this book in our Community Forum.

What are you reading this week? (4/17/2025)
I just finished the audiobook of, The Women on Platform Two, by Laura Anthony. I really enjoyed this debut and the narrators were very good. I am just starting the ebook of, The Famine Orphans, by Patricia Falvey, that will be published May 29. So far, I am enjoying this. I will start listening t...
-Jill

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Based upon a little-known true event, this haunting and emotional story...could not be timelier. Women in the United States are not the only ones who must fight to protect personal rights, and this powerful novel will remind readers of the fragility of those freedoms." —Library Journal (starred review)

"An inspiring novel about the liberating paths blazed by Irish women." —Kirkus Reviews

"Based on actual events, this startling reminder of the recent past and its consequences is well worth reading." —Booklist

"A hopeful and celebratory tale that demonstrates the non-negotiable imperative that women have control over their own bodies and lives." —Heather Marshall, #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane and The Secret History of Audrey James

"Heartbreaking, powerful, and ultimately uplifting, I finished it in one giant gulp." —Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House

"Completely unputdownable--pacy and thrilling and really touching." —Tracy Rees, author of The Rose Garden

This information about The Women on Platform Two was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Jill

Based On A True Event
THE WOMEN ON PLATFORM TWO
By Laura Anthony

Narrated by: Jessica Regan, Shakira Shute, and Maeve Smyth The narrator’s all did a fine job reading this story.

1970s Ireland —— a time when women had no rights to their bodies and forms of contraception were prohibited.

Dublin, 2023 we meet Saoirse who realizes she may never want to be a mother. It was only a few decades ago that a group of women made this option possible for her. Saoirse meets Maura, a woman on the same train she is on; Maura recounts a story from 1969 of herself and a friend of hers named Bernie.

Based upon a little-known true event this haunting story …could not be timelier. A powerful read of resistance and resilience. A group of trailblazing women who shaped history. I thought this was a very good debut and enjoyed her writing. She brought the characters to life and kept me engaged. I look forward to future books by this author. Touches upon relationships, domestic abuse, misogyny, friendships, contraception, and rights to choose.

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Author Information

Laura Anthony

Laura Anthony is a pseudonym for a published author of emotional women's fiction. She lives in Kildare, Ireland, with her husband and children.

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