And I can see the pain in your eyes: DARLING GIRLS.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes the strongest familial bonds aren't forged by blood

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters. Maybe not on a family tree, but in their eyes and hearts. They spent several years together at the same foster home under the care of Miss Fairchild. To an outsider, it looked like a perfect place: Wild Meadows Farm, a lovely house in the countryside. But Miss Fairchild could be erratic and even downright cruel. Then something terrible happened, and they never saw Miss Fairchild again. Now the police have come calling: bones have been found under their childhood home, and they want to know what Jessica, Norah, and Alicia may know. It's time to face Wild Meadows again.

This is a page-turner of a story. I found it very hard to put down. Hepworth makes it quite easy to get caught up in Jessica, Norah, and Alicia's story! GIRLS is packed with exciting twists and turns as we follow the story of Miss Fairchild and her wards. Is she a kind woman just looking to help kids have a better life? Or is there a more sinister side to Miss F?

Hepworth weaves the narrative through the eyes of each sister. There's anxious, overprotective, Jessica, now married and running a successful organizing business. She still plays the role of older sister/mama bear to the group. Norah is still the wild child, quick to fly off the handle at a moment's notice. Now Jessica can (usually) rescue Norah using her money or influence, whereas Norah typically wound up locked in the basement by Miss Fairchild as a kid. And then there's Alicia, who gravitated to the role of social worker as an adult. She just wants to protect kids from suffering from what she experienced, but she's too scared to make any changes or big steps in her own life.

We learn about each woman through flashbacks to their past at Wild Meadows, as well as the present-day story. Their stories are interspersed by an eerie interview of an unnamed character with a therapist. All of these devices function well to create drama, slowly release information, and effectively build suspense.

GIRLS deftly explores family dynamics, the various sides of motherhood, and found family. I loved how close the three foster sisters are, as well as how it explores both the negatives and positives of the foster care system. Being a thriller, it has quite a dark side, and it's filled with a ton of Sally Hepworth-patented surprises. It gets a little rushed near closing and everything ties up a little easily, but there's a good "what!!??" moment as well. I wouldn't say there's a ton of character development here, but it's worth it for all the shock and awe. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review. Look for DARLING GIRLS on 4/23/2024!


View all my reviews