Home for Erring and Outcast Girls: A Novel
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Home for Erring and Outcast Girls: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Julie Kibler (Author), Karissa Vacker (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 705 ratings
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An emotionally raw and resonant story of love, loss, and the enduring power of friendship, following the lives of two young women connected by a home for “fallen girls”, and inspired by historical events.

“Home for Erring and Outcast Girls deftly reimagines the wounded women who came seeking a second chance and a sustaining hope.” (Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours)

In turn-of-the-20th century Texas, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls is an unprecedented beacon of hope for young women consigned to the dangerous poverty of the streets by birth, circumstance, or personal tragedy. Built in 1903 on the dusty outskirts of Arlington, a remote dot between Dallas and Fort Worth’s red-light districts, the progressive home bucks public opinion by offering faith, training, and rehabilitation to prostitutes, addicts, unwed mothers, and “ruined” girls without forcibly separating mothers from children. When Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride meet there - one sick and abused, but desperately clinging to her young daughter, the other jilted by the beau who fathered her ailing son - they form a friendship that will see them through unbearable loss, heartbreak, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.

A century later, Cate Sutton, a reclusive university librarian, uncovers the hidden histories of the two troubled women as she stumbles upon the cemetery on the home’s former grounds and begins to comb through its archives in her library. Pulled by an indescribable connection, what Cate discovers about their stories leads her to confront her own heartbreaking past, and to reclaim the life she thought she'd let go forever. With great pathos and powerful emotional resonance, Home for Erring and Outcast Girls explores the dark roads that lead us to ruin, and the paths we take to return to ourselves.

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  1. Listening Length
    14 hours and 24 minutes
  2. Author
    Julie Kibler
  3. Narrator
    Karissa Vacker
  4. Audible release date
    July 23, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07SVHBB19
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 14 hours and 24 minutes
Author Julie Kibler
Narrator Karissa Vacker
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 23, 2019
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07SVHBB19
Best Sellers Rank #184,765 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#43 in Epistolary Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#258 in Epistolary Fiction (Books)
#6,459 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
705 global ratings
Compelling Character-driven Historical Fiction
4 Stars
Compelling Character-driven Historical Fiction
Resonate story of love, loss, and friendship, inspired by historical events and connected by the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring GirlsIn the early 1900s, on a dusky speck of land just outside Arlington, Texas, a home is built and curated by Reverend J.T. Upchurch and his wife, Maggie May for the protection and redemption of 'erring girls,' whether by life circumstance, prostitution, rape, birth, poverty, addiction, widowhood, or more. At the time, the home is progressive, and perhaps shunned by townspeople. Who would want to do what the Upchurch's are doing? Who would take that on?That's the premise of Julie Kibler's second book, HOME FOR ERRING AND OUTCAST GIRLS (Crown, July 20 2019). The main difference with the Berachah Home is that offers faith/religion, a safe haven for these women (and their infants/children), training/work, and they don't force women to give their children up for adoption.Told by three vibrant narrators, spanning decades, we 'meet' present-day Cate, a university librarian working in the archive section, along with her mentee/workstudy student, Laurel. Both Cate and Laurel are fascinated with the Berachah collection, and both have a story of their own.Maddie McBride and her son, Cap arrive at the home in 1904 and Cap is not doing well. Neither is Maddie, really. They are befriended by Lizzie, (and her young daughter, Docie), who is struggling with her own demons. Together, we see them through unbearable loss, heartache, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.The author skips around in time--jumping forward to the flu epidemic (1917-18) and into the early-mid 1920s. It's clear Kibler has done her homework--meticulous attention to details and historically accurate events are peppered throughout the narrative, giving HOME FOR ERRING AND OUTCAST GIRLS an authentic feel. She tells the story of Maddie and Lizzie and Cate with insight and sensitivity. I found I connected with the story in a more intellectual than emotional manner--I really wanted to *be* Cate and delve into the archives myself. Some of the story felt a little 'long' and in some instances, I felt the author lost the thread. I was especially moved by the earlier chapters and wanted to know more about the origins of the home, the land, the remains, and the cemetery (it's all mentioned, but I now want to dive deeper--almost always a good sign that the author did just enough to whet my appetite).There were a few instances where the religion and faith aspect became a little too much (at least for me), but overall, HOME FOR ERRING AND OUTCAST girls is a 'clean' read, though it does allude to deeper, darker truths of rape/abuse/incest/prostitution but none of this is blatantly described. If you think the religion piece or the allusion to those 'seedier' sides of life will bother you, this might not be the book for you.Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to those who loved THE QUINTLAND SISTERS (Shelley Wood), THE ORPHAN TRAIN (Christina Baker Kline), Jamie Ford's LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES and also V.S. Alexader's THE MAGDALEN GIRLS with a tiny taste of THE DREAM PEDDLER (Martine Fournier-Watson).L.Lindsay|Always with a Book
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Top reviews from the United States

Kristin
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful writing, fascinating history
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2020
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Home for Erring and Outcast Girls is a page-turner that draws you deep into beautiful forgotten stories. I love that Kibler has shared the history of a home where unwed mothers could keep their babies instead of having to give them away. After you hit the “twist” in the middle, you really won’t be able to put it down. You will love this book.
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Stephanie McCall
4.0 out of 5 stars Wrenching, Beautiful, and Thought-Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2021
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I stumbled on Home for Erring and Outcast Girls among Kindle Unlimited titles, and I'm so glad I did. Its premise may sound typical; a lot of female authors these days are exploring the plights of historical women and children, as they should. However, Julie Kibler's treatment of these subjects stands out among its contemporaries for all the right reasons.

First, I want to give Julie kudos for making readers think. The depth and thought-provoking nature of this book might be the best part of it. The situations of the characters, as well as the themes and motifs, prompt age-old questions like, "How did we, and do we, treat unwed mothers or other 'outcasts,' and how should we do better?" Beyond that though, these questions have layers you see all over the story. For instance, the Home is a refuge and compassionate place. If we go by their determination to keep moms and babies together, and their sincere belief in Jesus and the desire to share Him, we could say the Home is the best place for unwed mothers. But...is it? Because within that compassion lies a lot of judgment, a lot of assumptions, and issues where well-meaning people purposely look the other way. What do we do with that? Do we say, "Well, no such thing as politically correct history"--because there wasn't? Or do we say that, and then say, "Yeah, but what have we learned from this?"

The characters too, pop off the page, even and especially because their societies want to stereotype them. Lizzie and Mattie will stick in my head for quite a while, and I loved the way Julie made them so different, yet so similar. Mattie is the dreamer, Lizzie is the practical one, Mattie ventures out, Lizzie stays safe...and yet, these familiar traits don't make them cardboard. Instead, Mattie and Lizzie are sisters in the best sense, in every sense. They also provide great touchstones for the other characters.

As for those other characters, they are a multifaceted cast you could easily meet in real life, even in the twenty-first century. Some reviewers have complained they didn't like Cate or the split time element, but I think Cate and especially Laurel work great as counterparts to Lizzie and Mattie. They work so well because they are their own women, not just 2021 versions of the other ladies. I also loved the other Home residents; even those who didn't get a lot of page time, got enough for their stories to matter. May was an unexpected favorite, just because she shows how complicated "charitable" efforts can become, and how fallible people are when they, in human effort, try to do the right things. Even the less than likeable, such as Miss Hallie V., had understandable motives and won my understanding.

As for the women's stories, they are as raw, unfiltered, and necessary as they come. Some of this comes from the "expected" stuff; there are a couple of instances of harsh profanity and frank talk of rape, plus the violence and desperation of things like prostitution or the unexpected birth of a fatherless child in an era that would not tolerate the circumstances. But what stuck out to me more was the rawness of everyday reality, especially in Cate's story. I shudder to think how many women like her really exist--how many women we've told to shut up because their rapists, their tormentors, were "good" guys or claimed to "love the Lord." (Seth, and his "prayer" after prom, made me sick). As for Lizzie, Mattie, and others...well, most of us don't send them to "homes" anymore. But again, have we really done any better in 2021, especially in our churches? Again, major conviction time.

I do want to talk about the spiritual threads, and yes, the lesbian element of this story (which I didn't expect. I actually went back through looking for hints that River was a guy--and then realized I had assumed. So bravo, Julie, for making me think again).

You can take the lesbian element one of three ways, I think. You can say, "It was poorly done and an attempt to be 'woke,'" and you could make a case. You could say, "That kind of relationship is sinful and you (meaning me, a Christian reader) never should've entertained it." And I'll admit, had I known going in, I might not have read Home for Erring and Outcast Girls at all. Or, you can take it a third way, which is, "Lesbian relationships are controversial. If you're a Christian, they're not approved of. But lesbian or not, these women were still real women, with real stories, who deserved a lot better. The Jesus Christ they were shown, is not the complete one." That's where I landed, and again, it pulled me into a lot of spiritual depth. I came away feeling like all these women knew Jesus in some way, even if it only meant "stamping their fire insurance cards," so to speak. But had they been shown who He really is? Do I know every facet of who He really is? No, and no. Again, it's a lot to chew on.

I do wish there had been more of some elements, especially Laurel's story or Lizzie's Native American heritage. I also felt we didn't need a back-loaded account of Lizzie's early years, and that the last bit of the story got way too long. Additionally, I'll admit, some of the lesbian subtext felt either anachronistic or a little too convenient for a story set in urban 2021, with Christians as easy targets (what would've happened if Cate had contact with Christians who cared more about her physical, emotional, and spiritual self than their own spotless reputations)? All that said, this book is definitely worth a read. I'd say it needs to be read. I also heartily thank author Lisa Wingate for the recommendation.
4 people found this helpful
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Accounting Troll
5.0 out of 5 stars awesome
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2021
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I loved this book until the end. I felt like there were a couple of significant loose ends. However the characters were wonderful and the writer made you feel like they were your friends. Cannot wait for her next book.
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JCU
3.0 out of 5 stars I almost liked this book
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2021
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Kibler has an amazing story of the rescue home and how it survived in a world that allowed it to grudgingly exist.
But the approach is floppy. Cate, the modern 'victim', is flat, and serves no purpose for telling the story. Instead, Cate wallows in her own self-pity, contrary to the story that is being told around her -- hundreds of women who were survivors, not retreating losers. Adding Laurel, an even bigger self-wandering nobody, does not improve this. I thought River was a cool character. She's just a stage puppet. Blah.
There isn't much reason to like Cate and (not spoiling this) her own turmoil from her high school seems irrelevant.
Berachah is a real place, powerful and flawed. There are too many stories there that, sadly, meet Kibler's own conclusion about them being "untold."
This book drags along, picks up, gets tedious, has a couple of oh-wow moments and then drifts off into its own form of self-loathing. If she'd just done Berachah, Kibler would have had a movie-level historical fiction.
2 people found this helpful
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Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing book
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2022
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While it took a little while to become engrossed in this book, I couldn’t put it down. The historical setting, the horrible situations the characters endured, and their ultimately successful lives were so satisfying.
One person found this helpful
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Miss White
4.0 out of 5 stars Not the book's fault
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2022
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It took me forever to finish this book because my time for reading has dramatically decreased. Any book suffers from taking too long to read it. I basically enjoyed the book, but the ratio of narration to dialogue did not suit me. I find myself zoning out when there's too much narration and not enough conversation. That said, it is very well written and the stories of Mattie and Lizzie are heart-rending.
2 people found this helpful
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John W. Weida
5.0 out of 5 stars engaging , Complex and full of feelings
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
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This. Book had me from the first page. The author writes so that the reader is learning and feeling and experiencing through her words a time when women were even more stereotyped then they are today.
I recommend the book for all students of women's rights and lovers of historical fiction. I read books about orphans, foster care, child abuse women's growth.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Women’s stories demonstrate finding courage and strength
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2022
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Well written and well woven stories of women across three generations. Our paths personal success and to recognize and accept ourselves is never straight but the destination brings one love and satisfaction.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed it
Reviewed in Mexico on March 15, 2021
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a perfect story for our times when women are still labeled y their actions (by men, of course and some women) I recommend it very much
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Nicmac
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting historical novel.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2020
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I loved Calling Me Home and have been waiting for this to be available in the UK. I gave up in the end and bought a copy that’s clearly an import.
I like a historical novel, and I enjoyed reading about the Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls. I worried that this would be a grim place, but it turned out to be rather lovely, within the confines of early twentieth century religious support.
The book follows the stories of two of the erring girls closely, alongside a story of a modern historian/librarian, who uses her research to draw parallels with her own life.
Would have been a five star read but the jumping of timelines and stories was somewhat difficult to get to grips with. So it was a bit of a slow burn. By the end I was fully immersed and will miss these women!
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