An Excess of Love

by Cathy Cash Spellman

Elizabeth and Constance FitzGibbon, sisters from a wealthy Protestant family, become involved in the Irish struggle for independence

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Ireland, Historical Fiction

526 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Cathy Cash Spellman is a best-selling author of multiple books that have been on The New York Times Bestseller List and International Bestseller lists, in both hardcover and paperback. Bless the Child became a Paramount movie starring Kim Basinger and Jimmy Smits, and has developed a cult following since it's Paramount release in 2000. Cathy's books have been sold in 22 countries.

Cathy was born to two parents who loved to read and filled their home with books and poetry. The small town in which she grew up had a library that was a small castle, brought over stone by stone from Europe, and gifted to the town by a benefactor, replete with suits of armor, stained glass windows and a round tower that held the classics. It was to this fairytale place that Cathy biked every afternoon after school to immerse herself in stories and to dream of one day seeing her own books on the shelves of such a magical place.

Born with a caul, the Irish harbinger of Second Sight, Cathy has always been an ardent student and practitioner of multiple esoteric disciplines: astrology, metaphysics, and a wide variety of healing modalities including Qi Gung, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cranio Sacral Therapy, Homeopathy, and spiritual healing. She holds Black Belt rank in Goju-Ryu Karate has had the joy and privilege of studying with shamans, healers, Native American medicine men and women, a Jain saint and a Tibetan High Lama.

If you'd like to learn more about her adventurous life, Cathy invites you to visit her website at www.cathycashspellman.com

Reviews

[Fynn McFynnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite Epic Love Stories

This book remains my favorite in historical fiction and romance since I was 15 in 1986 and this reprint continues to be a classic keeper. The romances are epic and numerous including lifelong familial love between 2 sisters in the title, their romances and theirs children's romances. That is in addition to their collective romance with Ireland and revolution, independence plus women's suffrage and general rights. This is a rousing tale of passions tragedies I will always treasure and now get to read free on Kindle Prime, in addition to the tangible copy on my shelf.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending fell rather flat-it was a bit corny and cliched. That did nothing to ruin this book for me. I do have a soft spot for the Irish struggles against the English. It made enough of an impression on me that I still own my first yellowed copy.

[Dora]

φτάνει όσο διάβασα. δεν ήταν καλο

[Joan Hauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, one of my favorite authors, Cathy Cash Spellman, has zeroed in on Irish history. This time, it's the Easter Rebellion of 1916. Her tale of one family, its loves, passions, and sacrifices brings an era to life with amazing clarity. Not only did I follow the adventures of the main characters--two sisters--avidly, but I could imagine myself being present during a formative time in Ireland. I highly recommend this book.

[Asil_df · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5

Une belle fresque historique qui dépeint la prise d'indépendance de l'Irlande dans les années 20, les grandes rébellions et guerres civiles qui ont déchiré le pays à l'époque.
J'ai adoré le côté politique et historique malheureusement j'ai eu du mal à accrocher aux personnages que nous suivons et surtout aux histoires d'amour qui sont censées être centrales. Je n'ai pas été convaincue par le romantisme tragique que dégage le roman.

[Miriam✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro me ha gustado bastante pero se me ha hecho demasiado largo. Es de esperar de un libro así de largo pero es que en algunas partes se estancaba y miraba con frustración todas las páginas que me quedaban.
Pero ahora que lo he acabo puedo decir que en general he disfrutado de la lectura.
Había leído muy poco (casi nada) sobre la revolución irlandesa y ha sido una manera amena de entenderla, pues el conflicto está muy bien ligado con las historias personales de los personajes.

[Nita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I think it's a good book, but it has so many stories and characters that come and go that it can be hard to keep track of everything without getting a bit lost.
The timeline can also be confusing; between chapters, days or even years can pass, making it tricky to stay oriented in the plot.
That said, the story of Ireland’s struggle for independence is what really shines through, and it’s this aspect that gives the book its unique charm, making the read worth the effort.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really interesting and explained a lot of Irish history as well. But there were so many characters that I felt a bit lost sometimes and the story seemed to keep dragging on - although I did like the ending where Beth summarises everyone’s endings that was quite nice to know what happened after the events of the book.

[Mstoja_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Amanda Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book,have gone back to it many times over the years

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nederlandse titel: Zoveel liefde zoveel tranen

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you wish to learn the history of the Irish Rising of 1916, this is a great story about that with some great romance thrown in. It left me thinking about it and I had me looking into Irish history on the internet

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many real historical characters are mentioned.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make a miniseries out of this! Thank you, and bye.