Three Women

by Marita Conlon-McKenna

Kate Cassidy is about to celebrate twenty five years of marriage to Paddy. But the secret she has kept all this time is about to be discovered.

Erin Harris has always known that she is different from the rest of her family. Over the years she has begun to put the pieces together and now she has to discover who she really is and where she comes from.

Nina Harris has always put her marriage and family before everything. But now she must face up to the truth as her daughter is prepared to run off and search for a woman she doesn't know.

There is no escaping the past. Kate, Erin and Nina all have to come to terms with what happened so many years before, and to find their own way of dealing with it.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Ireland, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Born in Dublin in 1956 and brought up in Goatstown, Marita went to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Mount Anville, later working in the family business, the bank, and a travel agency. She has four children with her husband James, and they live in the Stillorgan area of Dublin.
Marita was always fascinated by the Famine period in Irish history and read everything available on the subject. When she heard a radio report of an unmarked children's grave from the Famine period being found under a hawthorn tree, she decided to write her first book, Under the Hawthorn Tree.

Published in May 1990, the book was an immediate success and become a classic. It has been translated into over a dozen languages, including Arabic, Bahasa, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Italian, Japanese and Irish. The book has been read on RTÉ Radio and is very popular in schools, both with teachers and pupils. It has been made a supplementary curriculum reader in many schools and is also used by schools in Northern Ireland for EMU (Education through Mutual Understanding) projects. It was also filmed by Young Irish Film Makers, in association with RTÉ and Channel 4. This is available as a DVD.

Marita has written more books for children which were also very well received. The Blue Horse reached No. 1 on the Bestseller List and won the BISTO BOOK OF THE YEAR Award. No Goodbye, which tells of the heartbreak of a young family when their mother leaves home, was recommended by Book Trust in their guide for One Parent Families. Safe Harbour is the story of two English children evacuated from London during World War ll to live with their grandfather in Greystones, Co Wicklow and was shortlisted for the BISTO Book of the Year Award. A Girl Called Blue follows the life of an orphan, trying to find who she really is in a cold and strict orphanage. Marita has also explored the world of fantasy with her book In Deep Dark Wood.

Marita has won several awards, including the International Reading Association Award, the Osterreichischer Kinder und Jugendbuchpreis, the Reading Association of Ireland Award and the Bisto Book of the Year Award.

Reviews

[Claire Sweeney · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was the biggest waste of time. Maybe that's because I like stories that actually grip me and make me want to read more, and find out what happens. This book did not do that, at all. The characters are vapid, and shallow, and if they do really have back stories, or anything interesting about them at all, they stayed in the author's head.
For a story that really could have been so much more, it's disappointing that an author who, as a child, I absolutely loved, didn't take the time to really fill it out, and write a moving book.

[Katrina Vanderhulst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not super well written as far as the English language, but a great and interesting read. Took me through 3 characters, the birth mother, adoptive mother and the adopted daughter. I recommend as a great read!

[Lisa W. Lindblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intressant historia om en ung kvinna som letar upp sin biologiska mamma. Extra intressant blir det när den sätts in i det irländska samhället och synen på ensamstående mödrar, utifrån det katolska synsättet.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolute fluff. Overly simplistic, but good to listen to if you don't want to engage too much with the material.
Loose ends not tied up, interesting story points not explored, things rushed that should have been expanded and vice versa.
Potentially this could have been better than what it was.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok book. Enjoyable story, but not the best written book I have ever read.

[Emelie Kellnberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Det var trevligt att läsa boken men det blev aldrig mer än trevligt. Berättelsen lyfte aldrig och karaktärerna kändes platta. Det som egentligen var stora händelser i karaktärernas liv märktes knappast av. Jag blev besviken på den här boken i jämförelse med de jag tidigare läst av författaren. Även om de också mestadels varit en mysig och trevlig läsupplevelse har de berört mig, den här boken gick mig bara förbi. Jag önskar också att språket hade redigerats mer, ibland är det som att en helt oerfaren författare utan redaktör har skrivit.

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bit of a strange one this. Was OK, but somehow couldn't properly engage with it. Maybe it was a bit too "fluffy". The idea was reasonably good, and the characters initially appeared to be reasonably well written, although all too often they devolved into selfishness and self obsession. Somehow there was not enough here to make a properly cohesive story, sidelines being distracting rather than enhancing; I wondered what the point of them was. All in all initial promises were not delivered for me.

[Margaret Heher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two moms and a daughter

I love novels set in Ireland. I am interested in the history of the oppression of unwed mothers and the movement to legalize abortion and normalize adoption as a choice as well as single parenting. Three Women exposed the reality that unplanned pregnancy continues to be responsibility the woman alone to decide how the two person event will change her life forever.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author drew an interesting parallel to societal perception of an unwed mother in the 1980's and now in current society. When the main character was born and her male parent had no interest in raising a child, the birthmother placed her with an adoption agency. A generation later when her flatmate becomes pregnant, she's moved to look for her biological connections. When her flatmate delivers, her support team is there. The times they are changing.

[Sanna ☆]

Berättarstilen är naiv. Får mej att tycka att både Erin och Nina (2 av huvudbersonerna) är barnsliga och tolkar nyligen sagda saker på ett eget förvrängt och överdramatiserat sätt.
Löjligaste meningen: "...men nu hade det kanske blivit dags för henne att kräva sin dotter tillbaka." dottern = 26 år (även om en ganska barnsilg 26-åring). - Ingen äger en annan människa.
Boken är ytlig i sitt innehåll och personerna självcentriska.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get through the first hour of the audiobook.Being Irish and,from the area in which the book is set,the characters just drove me mad.These are the sort of vapid & fake girls that I steer clear of.Was looking forward to the book but ugh! Had nothing in common with this countrywoman and totally boring and,annoying at the same time.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book about a young woman , her adoptive mother, and her birth mother. The author developed the characters so that the reader could empathize with the joys and the troubling, sad, uncertain times of each woman.

[Eva Boktokig Boström · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://boktokig.blogspot.com/2019/01...

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Conlon-McKenna's best, but good nontheless.

[Éilis Treacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story, an easy listen.

[Leona Silk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read.. a lovely enjoyable story.

[Lynne Seckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put down!

I was engrossed in the lives of these women from the first paragraph. Great story, good development of character . Loved it

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Väldigt mycket barnhysteri i den här, jag hade kanske gett den högre betyg om jag hade förstått barnhysterigrejen.

[Pernilla König · Rating 3 out of 5]

En feelgood bok!

[Nancy Berretto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comments

I did enjoy this book as it was an easy read. It was very predictable. But still kept my interest.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, endearing story; an easy, interesting read

[Debi Schoenfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

It was predictable but a good read. Held my interest and the story was different . Not sure if I would recommend it.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 3 Women, Erin is the main character of the book:
Erin Harris- Is 26 years old, has a boyfriend Luke and was adopted, although she has a good relationship with her adoptive parents she decides she want to find her birth mum. But will it bring her Heartbreak?

Nina Harris- Is Erin's adoptive Mum she is married to Tom, they also have a son Jack that they have adopted. She has always dreaded her adoptive children finding there real mum's will she still be wanted? What is Tom hiding?

Kate Cassidy- Is married to Paddy with 3 children they have been married 25 years she has a big secret she has never told her husband and children but does she tall them?

I loved this book it was very easy to read it was funny at times really sad at other times it brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't put this book down I would definetely recommend.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

a brilliant book which I started and could not put down until I had finished
It starts with Erin on her 26th birthday , she has had a wonderful childhood has a job she likes and is dating Mr wonderful.
But Erin becomes curious about her birth mother something which her adoptive mother fears .
Meanwhile on this day Kate wonders of the child she gave away .
A wonderful story well written and no idea as to how it would end.

[Avril Dalton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this after reading 'Gone Girl' was the calm after the storm. I read it when I had a few things going on so really hadn't the time to get lost in a book. This suited. Real chick lit. No twists and turns and very happy after. However, I was able to pick it up and let it down for short spaces of time. Suited the purpose!

[Katarina Yngström]

Som sagt, jag gillar denna författare! Lättsamt skrivet men ändå med nyanserna som gör att jag själv kan måla upp bilderna. Att hamna i vad man kan kalla en identitetskris, att ta sig igenom och framåt. Och framförallt, inte måla fan på väggen utan låta alla ha sin egen uppfattning istället för att själv tro sig veta vad andra tycker och tänker.

[Judith Yeabsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very easy gossipy read. It follows Erin who is adopted and wants to find her birth mother to the dismay of her adoptive mother and then how this impacts on both the women in the respective families. A little too happy ever after but a nice read. I'd take one on holidays any time.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the effects of adoption on three women - the adoptee, the birth mother and the adoptive mother. It is a good but not great read

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, enjoyable summer read. Believable characters in a believable situation which were easy to relate to and provided a spectrum of emotional responses and motives.

[lorraine dowdall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great







Great read you want to get to the end to see what happens to the three women in there lives