Welcome back! It’s the 21st week of First Sentence Friday and Free Book Friday!

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About Women of a Promiscuous Nature

Accused of “promiscuity” in 1940s North Carolina, a young woman unjustly incarcerated and subjected to involuntary medical treatment at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women decides to fight back in this powerful, shockingly timely novel based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, the government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.

The day Ruth Foster’s life changes begins the same way as many others—with a walk through her North Carolina hometown toward the diner where she works. But on this day, Ruth is stopped by the local sheriff, who insists that she accompany him to a health clinic. Women like Ruth—young, unmarried, living alone—must undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.

Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some, like 15-year-old Stella Temple, are brought in at their family’s request. For Stella, even the Colony’s hardships seem like a respite from her nightmarish home life.

Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she’s transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker’s rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.

But some refuse to be cowed. Against Mrs. Baker’s dogged efforts and the punishing weight of authority, Ruth and other inmates find ways to fight back, resolved to regain their freedom at any cost . . .

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First Sentence Friday Thoughts

This week I get to introduce you to a secondary character who played an important role in the book. Her name is Frances Platt and she’s yet another example of the sort of girl/woman that might be chosen for a stay at the Colony. What’s interesting is many family members, just like the reformers who ran these places, oftentimes believed they were helping the individual, as mentioned before. This is the case for Frances, whose parents are at their wits end with her. No one can say exactly what’s wrong with Frances. She has a temper. A stubborn streak.She doesn’t speak. Dorothy Baker classified her as a “moron,” a medical category used frequently along with varying levels of imbecility. These were terms that were commonplace in these institutions.

Frances makes those around her feel uncomfortable, and while some of this are her physical attributes, her mannerisms and behaviors don’t help. I attempted a bit of humor/levity in some of her scenes. One of my favorites is when she gets the best of Mrs Maynard in the dining hall.

Frances helps drive the narrative while also showing the history of various individuals who might have spent time at the Colony. She’s almost the same age as Stella Temple, and because of this, Dorothy Baker, as part of Stella’s reform, pairs the two of them together and this will result in several anxiety-inducing and dramatic scenes.

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Chapter 21

Stella

Stella sits in a small room with Frances Platt.

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Ask Donna!

Ask me anything you want!

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Free Read!  SIGNED Advance Reader Copy!

The winner is announced here Monday a.m.

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PRE-ORDER Information

Pre-orders gauge the interest and signal to the publisher readers are eager for an author’s next work. If you’re holding out because you might win an ARC or a finished copy from First Sentence Friday, remember you can always give away the extra as a gift to a reader friend. 😉

Pre-order links for your convenience:

• Bookshop.org
• Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Amazon
• Hudson Booksellers
• Target
• Walmart

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Social Media

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