Ghosts of the Orphanage
A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice
by Christine Kenneally
Published by: PublicAffairs, March 21, 2023
Genre: Nonfiction | True Crime
Page Count: 384 (Hardcover)
Audiobook Length: 13 hours and 17 minutes
Audiobook Narrator: Jodie Harris
ISBN: 9781541758513
Publisher’s Description
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.
About the Author
Christine Kenneally is an Australian-American journalist who writes on science, language, and culture. Trained as a linguist, she has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Slate, New Scientist, and Australia’s Monthly, among other publications. She is a great-granddaughter of JJ Kenneally, an early popularizer of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly.
Featured In
