Not Forgotten: The Story of an Extraordinary Irish Woman

by Angela Byrne

AMAZON BESTSELLING SERIES
A truly remarkable account,   Not Forgotten  traces the growth of one family from a small Irish town to a wide network  stretching across the globe. 
 
From 1820 to 1860, nearly two million Irish migrated to the United States,  mostly due to the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1852.  Many died crossing the ocean  due to disease and dismal conditions of what became known as coffin ships. 
 
Not Forgotten  is the story of love and loss, enchantment and despair, joy and sorrow.  Nora Brown was smitten when she met Oliver McManus. After fathering six children with Nora, Oliver disappeared, joining the Irish Brotherhood and leaving his family behind, he never returned.
 
Behind in 1920s Ireland,  the whirlwind romance and marriage  ends in pain,heartbreak and poverty for Nora Brown. This pain will echo down through generations of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers,  leaving the family broken and scattered. 
 
Broken hearted and lost, Nora never lost hope of finding her beloved Oliver. Conversely,  one daughter named Kitty wanted only to find him to put him in his place.  Years passed and much of the family migrated to Canada and the United States. Kitty found her true love, who aided in her quest to find "the man her mother married."
This is the story of  Nora's daughter, Kitty , a girl whose suffering propelled her to grow into  a strong, independent woman, feisty and capable.  Kitty broke many rules of society with her  unwillingness to conform  but was highly regarded by all who knew this gifted woman. 
 This reveals  the story of the Irish  the lives, loves and losses of the thousands who left their homes and families behind to seek their fortune abroad.But most importantly, it is the story of a family.

254 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Mary Kile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this to be a quick read. It was very depressing but once I started I could not put it down.

[Linda Carmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have researched my family and continue to do so. My Canadian born German great grandmother had a similar situation where her husband abandoned her in the early 1900's. He was in Canada with the Royal Engineers and was deployed back to England. She was expecting their first child and never saw him again. The family story was that he 'died at sea'. However, through research I learned the truth - he abandoned her. I also have Irish roots, so I found this story fascinating for that reason too. The bond between the women in the family spoke volumes also. Hope you enjoy it.

[Mary Yerington-bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little hard to get into but was reading 3 books at this time. Finally abandoned the other books and found this to be quite intriguing. I like Irish history with some nonfiction intertwined. As I finished reading this book I felt that it was very informative and interesting as a non-fiction title.

[Karen Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read Angela. Hard to put down. Thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was sad.

[Rhona Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it’s just a joy to find a book you didn’t expect. I wandered across this in the library ebook collection. Intrigued, I was pulled into the complicated, horrific McManus family history mainly narrated by Kitty and describing her mother Nora’s experiences, before moving on to her own life story. This is concluded by Marie, Kitty’s niece. It’s a genuinely moving tale of love and abandonment, the ways of the old world which neither loved nor protected the vulnerable. But, it’s warm, human and full of flawed and damaged people. Definitely well worth reading.

[Martha McKiever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela Byrne did a wonderful job of portraying the lives of her Aunt Kitty and (Grandmother Nora) as they faced struggles in a small Irish town from the 1930's until recent times. As I read, I felt as if I was watching them, and was eager to find out what turns their lives would take. It was sad to watch them struggle against difficult situations, and not receive the support that they probably would have today. As a lover of family history, also interested in my Irish roots, I think Not Forgotten would appeal to many who have lost someone dear to them. It's a great testimonial to Kitty, a brave woman, who faced her difficulties bravely and worked hard to improve her life and that of her family.

[Terry Toukonen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some parts of the story seem to have just been straight from her notes. It was an ok, quick read.

[Marianne Browns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book when I knew I was coming to Ireland. Stayed at the author's bed and breakfast. She and her husband are charming and I picked up her second book.