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A Novel
by Kate Schatz
They were sent away to be forgotten. This is their story.
In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.
It's 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth "Baker" Phillips: She's the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.
Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family's shining star to their embarrassing secret. Without any other options, Baker is sent to a home for unwed mothers, and finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she grapples with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the "girls who went away."
Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society's expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.
"The illuminating latest from Schatz...looks back on the impact of the sexual revolution before Roe v. Wade...Schatz convincingly evokes the confusion and conflicting emotions of an unplanned pregnancy at a time when abortion was outlawed across the U.S. This resonates." —Publishers Weekly
"Affecting...The stories of all the young women whose choices have been winnowed are important to remember, and Schatz memorably brings one to light...Excellent historical fiction about women's reproductive choices." —Kirkus Reviews
"1968 may not feel so very long ago to some, but in terms of attitudes toward women and their rights it may as well have been a century ago. And yet, Schatz's book feels timely for these difficult times." —Booklist
"Where the Girls Were is an important, compelling, immersive, and masterfully told work of art. The motley crew of beautiful women and girls in this novel offers an urgent and nuanced glimpse into the experience of womanhood in America, the impact of secrets, and the insidious harm of shame. The maternity home setting invites us into a hushed but large pocket of history that every American should understand. Kate Schatz leads us on a breathtaking journey with these thoughtful, fully realized characters, and I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know." —Sarah Damoff, bestselling author of The Bright Years
"Riveting and exquisitely written, intimate and visionary, Where the Girls Were made me cheer, weep, and plumb, as well as heal, my own heart. Kate Schatz is a national treasure, and with this novel she's given us a gorgeous, moving, unforgettable tale of what it means to come of age, claim your power, and defy the forces of injustice against the odds." —Caro De Robertis, author of The Palace of Eros
This information about Where the Girls Were 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.
Kate Schatz is a feminist author from California. She's the New York Times bestselling author of Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, with W. Kamau Bell, and the "Rad Women" book series (including Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, and Rad American History A-Z). Her book of fiction, Rid of Me: A Story, was published as part of the cult-favorite 33 1/3 series.
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