Ghosts of the orphanage : a story of mysterious deaths, a conspiracy of silence, a search for justice / Christine Kenneally.
"A shocking expose of the dark, secret history of Catholic orphanages--the violence, abuse, and even murder that took place within their walls--and a call to hold the powerful to account. More than 5 million Americans passed through orphanages in the 20th century alone. At its peak in the 1930s, the American orphanage system included more than 1,600 institutions, partly supported with public funding but usually run by religious orders, including the Catholic Church. Ghosts of the Orphanage is the result of seven years of investigation, and what Christine Keneally found was shocking, yet hiding in plain sight. Terrible things, abuse, both physical and psychological, and even deaths have happened in orphanages for many years. The survivors have been telling their stories for a long time, but no one has been listening. People are too often unwilling to accept their stories. And their options for recourse have been limited by the years it has taken many survivors to process their trauma, tell their stories, and pursue legal action. Centering her story on St. Joseph's, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Keneally investigates and shares the stories of survivors. She has fought to expose the truth and hold the powerful--many of them Catholic priests and nuns--to account. And it is working. As these stories have come to light, the laws in Vermont have been forced to change, including the statute of limitations on prosecuting them. Told with human compassion, novelistic detail, and a powerful sense of purpose, Ghosts of the Orphanage is not only a gripping story but a reckoning. It is proof that real evil lurks at the edges of our society, and that, if we have the courage, we can bring it into the light and defeat it" -- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781541758513
- ISBN: 154175851X
- Physical Description: viii, 367 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : PublicAffairs, an imprint of Perseus Books, 2023.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Catholic Church > United States > History. Orphanages > United States > History. Child abuse > United States > History. |
Genre: | Informational works. |
Available copies
- 12 of 13 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at North Kansas City.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 13 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Kansas City Public Library | 362.732 KENNEALLY 2023 (Text) | 0001012511024 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
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Ghosts of the Orphanage : A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice
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Summary
Ghosts of the Orphanage : A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice
The shocking secret history of twentieth-century orphanages--which for decades hid violence, abuse, and deaths within their walls For much of the twentieth century, a series of terrible events--abuse, both physical and psychological, and even deaths--took places inside orphanages. The survivors have been trying to tell their astonishing stories for a long time, but disbelief, secrecy, and trauma have kept them from breaking through. For ten years, Christine Kenneally has been on a quest to uncover the harrowing truth. Centering her story on St. Joseph's, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Kenneally has written a stunning account of a series of crimes and abuses. But her work is not confined to one place. Following clues that take her into the darkened corners of several institutions across the globe, she finds a trail of terrifying stories and a courageous group of survivors who are seeking justice. Ghosts of the Orphanage is an incredible true crime story and a reckoning with a past that has stayed buried for too long, with tragic consequences.