Belonging

A Memoir of Place, Beginnings and One Woman's Search for Truth and Justice for the Tuam Babies

By: Catherine Corless, Naomi Linehan - contributor

Narrated by: Caitriona Hinds

One woman, the secrets of a small town and a quest for justice that rocked a nation.

Catherine Corless could not have known where her interest in local history would lead her as she began researching the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in Galway in 2010. Uncovering no less than 796 missing burial records of children born there, the stark truth of their place of rest became clear: a disused sewage tank on the old home site, where two boys had once stumbled upon bones.

But who were these lost children, and what had happened to them in the care of the Bons Secours order of nuns?

Determined to know more, Catherine's painstaking research led to a quest for justice that continues still, as, often against fierce resistance, she brought to light a terrible truth that shocked the world, impacted the Vatican and led to a Commission of Investigation in Ireland.

Part memoir, part detective story, Belonging is both a personal account - of identity, beginnings and Catherine's search for her own mother's lost story - and a recounting of her forensic crusade on behalf of the lost babies of Tuam. It speaks to the tender love of a mother and her child, to the unforgettable screams that echoed through the corridors as babies were taken against the parent's will and to a mystery that continues to this day, as so many still search to know where, and to whom, they belong.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Catherine Corless (P)2021 Hachette Books Ireland

READ and Recommend

Everyone needs to read this and then recommend it to everyone they know. I'm so glad Catherine brought this all to light. We can't forget it happened and all those responsible. This book should be read in women's study courses as well as general studies too.

Moving

This book is an exceptionally well written account of the long journey Catherine Corless has undertaken to give voice to the Tuam mothers and babies. Her heartfelt dedication to justice is inspiring. I truly enjoyed learning how this story of the lost children became a passionate quest for Catherine Corless, a humble soul with a big heart.

Sad past

Interesting- I love history- even when it’s hard to accept.
It’s very sad that in addition to all the horrible things these folks had to endure- their relationship with Jesus may well have been harmed because it was ‘the church’ that was responsible for. Fallen humans claiming to represent God and failing miserably.