Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Fallen:
Talk about dirty laundry.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the Magdalene Laundries of Ireland where “fallen” women were confined.
Fact for Non-History People:
It is estimated the laundries confined an estimated 30,000 women and girls from the 18th to late 20th century.
Fact for History Nerds:
The last laundry didn’t close until 1996.
My Take on The Fallen:
Well, this certainly ruined my day. This is not Louise Brangan’s fault, unless you want to blame her for shining a light on a soul-crushing aspect of Ireland’s society post-independence. Brangan looks at the Magdalene Laundries of Ireland in her book The Fallen. What were they? Well, prison without a parole date, basically.
Long, sad story short, post-Ireland’s War of Independence, they went very, very Catholic. So Catholic that even the Church thought things were getting to be a bit much. What this led to was a purity culture that would almost indiscriminately toss young women into laundries (yes, where they did laundry) which acted as long term workhouses. These women would be forced into near total silence, without being able to create friendships, and held for indeterminate amounts of time. To put this in perspective, when I put the book up on my social media as my next read, an Irish friend responded:
“Jaysus Brendan, it’s a horrible tale. A true stain upon our nation.” Can’t really say it better than that.
Brangan has a complicated tale to tell, but she nails it. Parts are about Irish culture around this time, but she also focuses on specific women as they go through the laundries. What you are left with is a riveting but heartbreaking story. Highly recommend it.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Simon & Schuster.)
Verdict:
Sad and enraging, but important. Buy it here!
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