where the girls were by kate schatz

“If men could get pregnant, I bet it would be different.” 
“That, my dear, is certainly true.”

Where The Girls Were is a historical fiction novel of a girl unexpectedly pregnant in the 1960’s. She goes to a girls home to have the baby and get back to her life. She is a smart and good girl, Baker gave her valedictorian speech then leaves her beloved cousin May and goes to a residential facility.

The overturning of Roe vs Wade has led to many historical fiction books in this very theme- 
The Girls Who Grew Big (Panhandle Florida)
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls (Rural Florida)
Wayward Girls (Buffalo, NY)

All books published in 2025, the gem of this theme is that you get multiple strong female characters. Some are more naive than others and there is usually one truly tragic situation. 

This book, while still tragic, is perhaps the least tragic of these 4, surprising only because the author is a self described queer feminist- but according to the authors note, she learned that her mother spent time in one of these homes and having a baby that went for adoption. It gives the story a kindness and a hopefulness that is endearing to the reader. This story is more of a characterization and doesn’t beat you over the head, this story is the quietest, the least self-righteous. 

Baker is our main character, this is her middle name that she goes by. Baker, as in, baking the bun in the oven. The father of her baby, Wiley, is literally just a dude. He is not at all a villain nor a romantic lead. I liked that- the father in this case is simply just not all that important. Baker considers breaking the law to have an illegal abortion but lacks the time and courage. She meets friends and goes through a process to have her baby, not being able to make phone calls or go outside for months. 

This story is a breath of fresh air, well written, and very readable. I can hardly believe it’s a debut, but the author is a skilled writer, just now publishing a novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC. Book to be published Mar 3, 2025.