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Novelist Ann Leary's 'The Foundling' takes readers back to an institution for 'feeble-minded' women

Published August 9, 2023 at 5:40 AM PDT

Find a book excerpt here.

We revisit Robin Young’s July 2022 conversation with author Ann Leary. Leary’s book “The Foundling” centers around a young woman who gets a job at an institution where women considered morally or mentally defective were sent so that they would not reproduce.

Leary was inspired to write the book when researching her grandmother, who worked at a real-life institution for the “feeble-minded.” “The Foundling” is now out in paperback.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.