Darling Girls: A Novel

Another hard to put down book that is both thought and emotion evoking. As with her other books, Darling Girls is well written, well thought out, gripping, twist filled, moving and shocking. You won’t be able to put this down.

Three girls, Norah, Alicia and Jessica are placed in the foster home of Miss Fairchild. All seems fine to the outside world, but behind closed doors it is a nightmare. They suffered together under the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel and abusive Miss Fairchild. When small infants were placed in Miss Fairchild’s care, the girls would take care of them and try and keep Miss Fairchild happy so they were not abused. The three girls figured that they needed to stick together to get through this. They formed an unbreakable bond. Now as adults they’ve kept that bond alive, always vigilant for one another. They still wondered what happened to the infants that they had to leave behind once they “aged out” of foster care.

The women, Norah, Jessica and Alicia are contacted by police when bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's former home. Miss Fairchild and the sisters return as requested by the police. Maybe they’ll find some answers of their own. Could this be one of the foster children that was there before them? After all they did find clothes and toys with “Amy” on them in the basement.

Sally Hepworth wrote such a gripping and suspenseful story with this one, that it will keep you guessing until the end. THE END!! Oh boy, it got me. I could have never guessed.

This was an emotionally gripping read that delves into the complex lives of three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who bonded during their time at Wild Meadows, a seemingly idyllic farmhouse run by Miss Fairchild. The chapters alternate between their traumatic past and their present struggles, revealing the deep scars left by their childhood. As adults, they are summoned back to Wild Meadows when human remains are discovered, forcing them to confront their painful memories and the lingering effects of their shared trauma. The narrative is a slow burn, filled with suspense and emotional depth, as it explores themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the long-lasting impact of childhood experiences. The characters are well-developed, each grappling with their own demons, and the plot is tight, exposing the flaws in the foster care system and the strength of their bond as they seek closure and healing.

This was a compelling book to read. There is a mystery surrounding the unexplained death of a small child under a house that used to be the home of Ms. Holly Fairchild, someone who took in foster children. It is a bit convoluted at the end, but the authenticity does tie up all the loose ends. Jessica, Alicia, and Noah were three former foster children who lived together with Ms Fairchild.

All three girls had been abuse but things got worse when a two year old named Amy came to live with them. Finally they decided to tell someone what had happened to them. However, when the police arrived, Amy was gone, and ther was no trace that a toddler ever existed.

There is also a woman talking to a psychiatrist about the abuse she received from her stepfather when she was a teen. Later, we find out this was Ms Fairchild who was the mother of the child who died and was buried under the house. But she was lying. The stepfather did not abuse her, she killed her sister due to jealousy. She was one sick and twisted woman.

There are other subplots as well. Jessica struggles with addiction to Valium and being stealing drugs from the clients she works for in her home organizing business. Noah has a problem with anger and has sex in return for household chores being completed by various boyfriends After she punches Kevin, one of her dates, he extorts her to send her nude photos.

Alicia is bisexual, but currently has a relationship with Meena. She works as a social worker. One of her clients, Aaron, is aging out of foster care. He’s also been helping with a toddler who is out of control. At the end, she marries Meena and adopts Aaron and Theo.

Jessica visits Ms Fairchild, who is in prison. She was the first child taken in by her and wanted to be loved. She is the one who told Ms Fairchild the police were coming and the girls were going to report her. Scott, the social worker, who also sold babies, helped her hide the evidence and took young Amy to be adopted by another family. Later, we find out that Zara, woman they the three girls meet in town, was “Amy”.

I really enjoyed Darling Girls. The story had a strong plot and really well-done character development. What I liked most is that the characters didn’t feel front-loaded at the beginning. Instead, you got to know them gradually throughout the book, which kept the pacing smooth and engaging. This story is a reminder that family isn’t always defined by blood and that your past doesn’t have to determine your future—you can overcome hardships and still build a happy life. On top of that, there’s a nice twist at the very end that reminds us we can’t always blame life events for how someone turns out—sometimes, when a person shows you who they are, you just have to believe them. Overall, it was a great read, and I’d definitely recommend it!

Darling Girls moves between the past and the present lives of 3 sisters who met in foster care and faced an abusive childhood with their foster mother. A body of a small child is found under the house they grew up in and the chapters that reflect back on their past and childhood kept me gripped! There are so many scenarios in the book that could explain the body under the house, this book kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to pick it up again and again to unravel more of the story. I would have liked to have known more about Jessica and Norah's lives before they were taken into care, but I loved how their stories brought them together. A really gripping read with a brilliant twist at the end!