1992: French-Canadian factions renew Quebec’s fight to gain independence. Véronique Fortin, the beautiful but wild daughter of a radical separatist convicted of kidnapping and murdering a prominent politician in 1970, has embraced her father’s cause. When she falls for James Phénix, a journalist of French-Canadian heritage who opposes Quebec separatism, it comes as quite a surprise. Their love affair is as passionate as it is turbulent—they constantly struggle struggle between love and morals.
James’s older sister, Elodie Phénix, is one of the Duplessis Orphans. She becomes involved with a coalition demanding justice and reparations for their suffering in the 1950s when Quebec’s orphanages were converted to mental hospitals. This heinous political act of Premier Maurice Duplessis affected 5,000 children.
Véronique is the only person Elodie can rely on as she relives her trauma fighting for retribution while Elodie becomes a sisterly presence for Véronique, who continues to struggle with her family’s legacy.
The Forgotten Daughter is a moving portrait of true love, familial bonds, and persistence in the face of injustice. Each character is pushed to their moral brink, discovering which lines they’ll cross and how far they’ll go for what they believe in.
Told through multiple third person point of view, The Forgotten Daughter is a story of love, loyalty, and friendship. Although it is a prequel to The Home for Unwanted Girls, it can function as a standalone novel, but I would recommend reading them in order.
Goodman is a compelling storyteller who puts a spotlight on the dark, scandalous parts of Canadian history that quite frankly, nobody has heard of (including myself). But as the story progresses, I found that my attention waned. It is not as gripping as The Home for Unwanted Girls—there is too much going on and it didn't quite have the same flow as the prequel. The flashbacks, although important, are not plotted properly and muddle the timeline which is confusing.
That being said, I highly recommend The Home for Unwanted Girls. Beautifully written with emotional depth, it is as close to perfect as a book can be.
JOANNA GOODMAN is the author of five novels, including #1 national bestseller, The Home for Unwanted Girls as well as The Finishing School, also a national bestseller.
Originally from Montreal, Goodman now lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.
