HOME FOR ERRING AND OUTCAST GIRLS
By Julie Kibler
Home for Erring and Outcast Girls tells the story of real-life inhabitants of the Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls, established near the turn of the 20h century in Arlington, Texas. The home, run by the Reverand J.T. Upchurch and his wife, Maggie May, provided a safe place for women, who often arrived on their doorstep pregnant. These girls or women were considered “fallen,” either because they had lost their virginity due to rape, had become pregnant out of wedlock, or had lived lives of prostitution, drinking or drugs. Unlike other “Christian” establishments, these women were allowed to keep their babies, and were cared for as long as needed.
This historical novel centers around two main characters, Mattie and Lizzie, who found their way to the home and became lifelong friends after suffering abuse and rejection by their families. Mattie and Lizzie were both based on real women who lived at Berachah.
I sadly found that so much of how women were looked upon and treated during Mattie’s and Lizzie’s time still holds true today, roughly 120 years later. This book couldn’t be more timely, with so much in the news now about women and their reproductive rights, and with such loud male “Christian” voices making decisions for us. The Berachah Home was a religious establishment, and given the time in history, it was a safe haven that apparently followed true Christian tenets. I found it interesting and so important that the author was so able to present both sides of Christianity, “the underbelly,” as she calls it in her author’s notes, and the real premise – loving each other and believing that we are all worthy.
There is a parallel storyline in this book, as well, and one that’s just as important. Cate Sutton, a modern-day university librarian, discovers the archives of the Home and becomes absorbed in researching details of what happened during that time, and especially to Mattie and Lizzie. Cate hires and befriends a student, Laurel, to help her piece together the story of the Home and what happened to the inhabitants. Both Cate and Laurel have their own secrets, and working together, they build a trust that finally helps each of them deal with their past, allowing them to move forward.
Beyond the actual history of the Home itself, and its “girls,” I enjoyed this fictional story of Cate and her young friend Laurel. The author, Julie Kibler, skillfully weaves a tale of these two that expands on the ostracization and misogyny that Mattie and Lizzie were forced to endure and that shaped their futures. She did a wonderful job of surprising the reader with an important detail about Cate about midway through the book. I possibly should have guessed the detail early on, but I didn’t, and that’s to the author’s credit and writing skill.
I was enthralled by this story. I’m a Texan, yet I had never heard of the Berachah Home until I read this book. After finishing it, I’ve already begun googling to find out more about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this excellent novel in exchange for my honest review. I’m also deeply grateful for Julie Kibler for her sensitive portrayal of the way women, or those who follow different paths, are still often looked upon today.
Reviewed May 2019
House of Black and Blue 