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The Ireland of the 1930s is an unforgiving place for a pregnant unmarried eighteen-year-old. Bríd's baby dies during labour but she is still forced to emigrate due to the social stigma. Will a new life in America be a new beginning or will the shame and heartbreak of home haunt Bríd forever? Jackie Mac Donncha has produced and chronicled a captivating and intensely personal journey in this novella.
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
15 people want to read
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February 16, 2013
The story is set in the 1930's and is of a young, unmarried pregnant girl called Bríd who is forced by her family and the local priest to emigrate to America. The book is written in the Irish language by Jackie Mac Donncha a well known Connemara author and poet and the words flow easily in the true Connemara dialect. This is a good book to brush up on your Irish reading as the grammar and language is flawless and effortless.
The tension is apparent from the first page and tragedy comes early on in the story. It follows how Bríd carves out a new life for herself in America and the torment and shame she feels throughout. She comes across as a tragic and lonely figure but is well able to make her way. Her character develops from a scared naive girl into an intelligent independent women ahead of her time. Bríd is a kind, gentle, open minded person who never casts judgement on people but rarely lets anyone in.
The only fault I have is that Bríd goes from being a young girl to a middle aged woman and then to an elderly lady in too short a period. I was impressed by the high standard of writhing, the care and attention to detail and the tragic but charming character Mac Doncha managed to convey.
Unfortunately this is a story many Irish women can identify with. But the author has managed to take it further and give us an insight into the lives they lead in foreign shores after being cast out by the faith,family and community.
The tension is apparent from the first page and tragedy comes early on in the story. It follows how Bríd carves out a new life for herself in America and the torment and shame she feels throughout. She comes across as a tragic and lonely figure but is well able to make her way. Her character develops from a scared naive girl into an intelligent independent women ahead of her time. Bríd is a kind, gentle, open minded person who never casts judgement on people but rarely lets anyone in.
The only fault I have is that Bríd goes from being a young girl to a middle aged woman and then to an elderly lady in too short a period. I was impressed by the high standard of writhing, the care and attention to detail and the tragic but charming character Mac Doncha managed to convey.
Unfortunately this is a story many Irish women can identify with. But the author has managed to take it further and give us an insight into the lives they lead in foreign shores after being cast out by the faith,family and community.
Displaying 1 of 1 review