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by Donna Everhart
Girl, Interrupted meets The Handmaid's Tale in 1940s North Carolina, as a young woman is accused of "promiscuity" and unjustly incarcerated at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women…
Based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, this powerful and shockingly timely story of resistance and resilience exposes the real government program designed to regulate women's bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.
On a brisk February morning while walking to the diner where she works, 24 year-old Ruth Foster is stopped by the local sheriff. He insists she accompany him to a health clinic, threatening to arrest her if she doesn't undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.
Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day's end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some are there because they were reported for promiscuity by neighbors, husbands, strangers. Some were accused of prostitution. Others were just pretty and unmarried. Or poor and "suspicious." One was eating dinner alone in a restaurant. Another spoke to a soldier.
Josephine's sin was running a business as a single woman. Maude's was trying to drown her sorrows. Frances had lost her mind. Opal married a man with a mean streak. Some, like 15-year-old Stella, are brought in because they're victims of assault. She's too naive and broken to understand how unjust this imprisonment is.
Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she's transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women's medical treatment and "training" until they're deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker's rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.
Ask the Author mug winners
Congrats to our latest BookBrowse mug winners, chosen at random from the members who very kindly stopped by the Q & A area to ask our visiting authors questions about their work. Thank you very much to all who participated, it's very much appreciated. Donna Everhart ( https://www.bookbrowse.com/b...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/7/2026)
I had a good reading week! I finished https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/25431/shelter-island Shelter Island by Jill Wisoff for our indie/self-published program. It was a YA adventure, but it was quite entertaining. It might be the first five-star book I've...
-kim.kovacs
BookBrowsers ask Donna Everhart, author of Women of a Promiscuous Nature
Thank you all so much for having me! I really enjoyed every part of the conversation. I think the only thing I can think of is that book #8 (no title yet that I'm happy with) will be out probably some time in 2028, so if you enjoy my work, I hope you'll be on the lookout for it. Also, for those o...
-Donna_Everhart
Baker tells others that she feels the Colony is better for the women than sending them to prison. Do you think this is true?
The Colony was a societal prison with little or no justification for "kidnapping" women and girls based on a whim of their looks, actions, or lives. Disgraceful!
-NanK
Posters and graphics from the era
You're welcome. Some, like the one of the woman above were unbelievable! At any rate, here are a few more: 255px-Fight_Syphilis_and_Gonorrhea_-NARA-_514250 This is intended for the armed forces, but as you can see there was no quarantining, no being held in a facility. A-Blood-Test-For-All-Poster...
-Donna_Everhart
Great discussion going on!
I encourage you to stop by the author Q & A with Donna Everhart , author of seven novels, including the BookBrowse Book Club selection, Women of a Promiscuous Nature . She's posting a lot of information about the book and her writing process that's quite interesting. It's worthwhile stopping by t...
-kim.kovacs
Donna Everhart is available 4/27-4/29 to take your questions!
Hi fellow readers! Donna Everhart, author of Women of a Promiscuous Nature (and six other novels) is visiting Monday - Wednesday. Please stop by & say hi, and ask her a question about her work. She'd love to hear from you.
-kim.kovacs
Upcoming author Q&As
Wow, we've got some great authors dropping by over the next couple of months: 04/27-04/29: Donna Everhart ( https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22747/women-of-a-promiscuous-nature Women of a Promiscuous Nature ) 05/07-05/09: Amelia Ireland ( https://www.book...
-kim.kovacs
Donna Everhart taking questions next week!
Just a heads-up that Donna Everhart, author of Women of a Promiscuous Nature, will be here for a Q & A next Monday-Wednesday (4/27-4/29). Please drop by the discussion here when it opens!
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (4/16/2026)
Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell sounds really good, @Roberta_Winchester ! I'll have to add that one to my list. I finished up https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4840/the-flower-sisters The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson, which I really enjoyed. I al...
-kim.kovacs
Other than the main trio (Baker, Ruth, and Stella) which character struck a chord with you and why?
Lucy, for being strong, speaking out, being true to herself, knowing that what was being done was wrong. Yet had a heart, was kind to Stella in the laundry. Frances, for seeing that her "freakiness" act could help shield her or save her.
-Sherie_W
Many women were scared or intimidated into submitting themselves to these facilities. Women didn't receive due process through a court system. Why do you think women were the primary focus of immoral behaviors and not men?
Because women were easier targets. They didn't have all the rights that men had back then. They didn't have the legal standing and no one would believe their experiences anyway. Look at the way that Baker cowed Ruth's mother into believing that she did bad things and deserved, no, needed, to be i...
-Sherie_W
Why do you think Baker refuses to believe Stella has made progress with Frances? Does Baker deliberately uses the girl in her attempt to oust Mrs. Maynard? Why do you suppose Stella is willing to align herself with Baker again after such treatment?
Francis has fooled everyone and no one has been able to get her to learn or demonstrate that she has learned anything. I think perhaps because Francis and Stella were about the same age, and Stella is kind and patient, she thought maybe something could work between the two of them. I think Stella...
-Elizabeth_L
Dorothy Baker is passionate about what she sees as her mission. Her beliefs are typical of the day. Considering the time period, do you believe Baker was cruel? What similarities do you recognize within these institutions as compared to an actual prison?
I just finished this book while on a vacation to Munich and other European cities. While in Munich, I toured the Dachau concentration camp and immediately thought that what they were doing at the reformatory held many parallels to what happened in the concentration camp. Personally, I found it di...
-Elizabeth_L
Stella's intelligence and eagerness to please win Baker over. What did you think of their relationship? Do you think it was helpful to Stella, or do you wish her outcome were different?
I actually found myself hoping that Mrs. Baker would take Stella to live with her. I was very sad and disappointed that she wanted to groom her to become someone who would work in a similar colony or reformatory. Stella's life was better overall because she did not have to give birth to her fathe...
-Elizabeth_L
Stella is ostracized even before she becomes a snitch. Why do you believe the others don’t like her?
Stella appears to be very happy to be at the colony and wants to do everything expected of her. She memorize all the rules and follows through on directions and expectations. It is easy to understand why the others would find her to be a pleaser and ostracize her.
-Elizabeth_L
Overall, what did you think of Women of a Promiscuous Nature? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
While I found the topic interesting and was completely unaware of this part of our American history, I felt the book was somewhat repetitive, and that certain statements and thoughts were reflective of the author taking facts from previously published materials and giving them back to us. I would...
-Elizabeth_L
The novel is about the mass incarceration of women suspected of promiscuous, immoral, or lewd behavior. Were you aware of this history? Are there other similar instances mass incarcerations in the US that you know of?
I was totally unaware of this history–and appalled!! So much of 'women's history' is untold and yet so important to learn about! Other books that were similarly 'eye-opening' that come to mind: In Our Midst by Nancy Jensen The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Both of those examples displayed the ...
-Debra_L
Stella Temple lives in a highly dysfunctional home with a mother suffering from mental illness and an abusive father. In her case, do you think placement at the Colony was beneficial?
As is the situation today, there are not many palatable solutions for such dysfunctional families. Foster care often fails to meet the needs. I suspect for Stella, the Colony provided a relatively 'safe' environment, at least to avoid sexual abuse from her father. To have some structure in her da...
-Debra_L
Men, whether in the service or not, if found carrying an infection, underwent treatments while going on with their lives. Considering the era, do you find this disparity "normal"? Why?
No, it's not normal, but it is the way things were. I'm 75 and I remember my public school having a boys playground and a girls playground, with a fence between. Tha boys playground had all the playground equipment because the girls HAD to wear dresses and shouldn't show their underwear. We were ...
-Kathleen_M
Ruth Foster lives independently and doesn't understand why this is a problem. Why do you believe it was?
I had two Aunts that never married living during WWII. One lived with a married sister and her family. The other lived independently. She had polio as a child and ended up with one leg shriveled so she walked with a limp. She had a good job. Of my six aunts, plus my mom, she lived to be the oldes...
-Kathleen_M
What future do you see for Baker, Ruth, and Stella?
All three have survived traumatic experiences, even Baker. When she realizes what she had done, and she will, it will be a horrific awakening. Stella will grow up traumatized and will, hopefully, pull away from Baker. I think Ruth will be the most traumatized of the 3. She knows what her free lif...
-Kathleen_M
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (4/02/2026)
Has anyone read any of Donna Everhart's books, other than Women of a Promiscuous Nature ? If so, is there one in particular you'd recommend? She's visiting us later in the month for a Q & A, and I'd like to read at least one more of her novels, but she's got several so I'm looking for suggestions.
-kim.kovacs
Have you read any of the author’s other novels? If so, how does Women of a Promiscuous Nature compare?
For those who've read other books by this author, is there one in particular you'd recommend? She's visiting us later in the month for a Q & A, and I'd like to read at least one more of her novels, but she's got several so I'm looking for suggestions.
-kim.kovacs
For what audience would you recommend Women of a Promiscusious Nature? Are there other novels or authors you’ve read that are similar in style or content?
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction or women's fiction. I think that it would be a wonderful book for a Book Club discussion, but it might not appeal to all readers. Other read alike authors that came to my mind were Leah Weiss, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and Kim Michel...
-Deborah_C1
With the exception of Stella and Ruth, Baker disparages the girls in her care, thinking of them as “low-class degenerates” and “promiscuous, diseased, and immoral.” Why do you feel she is unable to find value in more of her charges?
Yikes, it seems that the first thing a person who mistreats others does is to no longer see those individuals as people of value. They ridicule them, use derogatory names for them and then remove their individuality. When someone is not an individual of value it is acceptable to cause physical an...
-Dee_Driscole
In the book, the only parent who attempts to visit the Colony is Ruth’s mother. Why do you suppose most parents accepted what was happening to their daughters?
I had really hoped Ruth's mother would have pursued options to try to get Ruth released. She had been so supportive and proud of Ruth for being independent before the incarceration in the Colony. Her mom wanted to believe Ruth but Mrs. Baker was so persuasive and the truth of what really happened...
-Kathy_D
Some of the same laws are still in effect today. Can you think of a recent time period when the law/s allowed the government control over individuals?
Kim.Kovacs, You are correct in the representation of women. There are only 26 women senators! No law is passed or changed without the Senate, and with only 1/4 female representation it is hard to have a female block of voting power. I am embarrassed to say I know of several women that do not vote...
-Dee_Driscole
Why do you think Baker is so hostile toward Ruth, who she acknowledges is “attractive without knowing it, strong-willed, intelligent, and knows her own mind”?
Baker had it out for Ruth day one as she was jealous of her beauty, intelligence, and she stood up to her, despite the punishments received. She also thought she was similar to the type of woman that her husband had an affair with, so wanted to teach her a lesson.
-Susan_P
Baker's personal and professional life is filled with triumphs and failures. What did you admire most about her? What did you dislike most? Do you think she got away with too much?
Baker's administrative talents were her best feature. She also rescued Stella in the end, after exploiting and using her. I disliked her rigidity in relation to the procedures she set in place. Yes, she was left fairly unsupervised and definitely got away with too much.
-Harriet_T
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/5/2026)
...ve on to the upcoming discussion book, https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22747/women-of-a-promiscuous-nature Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart (visiting in April) followed by Nicola Solvinic's https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22292/the-sisters-curse...
-kim.kovacs
About the Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart category
...se join BookBrowse for a discussion of https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22747/women-of-a-promiscuous-nature Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart.
-system
"Eye-opening…Everhart writes movingly about the American Plan (a real government program that tried to regulate women's bodies and sexuality) and its consequences in the first part of the 20th century. With its strong women characters, the novel is a brutal but unforgettable read." —Library Journal
"Both a cautionary tale and a deeply compassionate rendering of women wrongly imprisoned in a system designed to break them, Donna Everhart's propulsive story is filled with injustice, intrigue, and the determination to fight back. Book clubs will find themselves discussing Women of a Promiscuous Nature late into the night, and readers will long remember the remarkable women so aptly rendered within its pages." —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood
"A remarkable fusion of research and imagination, all that we hope for in the best historical fiction, but there is much more to admire here—vivid scenes, compelling characters, perfect pacing—but most impressive of all is Everhart's creation of Dorothy Baker, a woman who, as her past is slowly revealed, becomes so multifaceted that even in her most appalling moments we cannot ignore her humanity. She is one of the most memorable characters I've read in recent fiction, and further proof of Donna Everhart's immense talent." —Ron Rash, award-winning author of Serena
"In a time when the darkest chapters in American history are being erased, books are being banned, and women's bodies policed, Women of a Promiscuous Nature is a must-read. I learned so much from Everhart's larger-than-life characters, whose stories will make you gasp and wonder if this could ever happen again in America. The best and most important historical novel I've read in years!" —Minrose Gwin, author of Beautiful Dreamers
This information about Women of a Promiscuous Nature 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.
Donna Everhart is a USA Today bestselling author known for vividly evoking challenges of the heart and the complex heritage of the American South in her acclaimed novels Women of a Promiscuous Nature, When the Jessamine Grows, The Saints of Swallow Hill, The Moonshiner's Daughter, The Forgiving Kind, The Road to Bittersweet, and The Education of Dixie Dupree. A finalist for the Southern Book Prize, she is the recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Society of Historians Award of Excellence, the SELA Outstanding Southeastern Author Award from the Southeastern Library Association, and her novels have received a SIBA Okra Pick, an Indie Next Pick, and three Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books selections. Born and raised in Raleigh, she has stayed close to her hometown for much of her life and now lives just an hour away in Dunn, North Carolina. Please visit her online at DonnaEverhart.com.
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