A Long Way from Heaven

Feeney Family #1

by Sheelagh Kelly

One fateful morning in August 1846, Patrick Feeney surveyed his ruined potato crop - and for the first time knew despair. With a delicate wife and their unborn child, he had no choice but to leave that wild and beautiful corner of Ireland and set out for England in search of work. But from the moment Patrick and Mary set foot in Liverpool, they are beset by new trials. After tramping the long, weary miles to York, they are forced to settle in the nightmarish slums of Walmgate, where disease and death are rife. Yet the very poverty and hopelessness of their surroundings bind the small community together in a stubborn determination to survive through tragedy and win for themselves a better life.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Ireland, 19th Century

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Sheelagh Kelly was born and continues to live in York, where most of her novels are set. The seeds of her first book, A Long Way From Heaven, were sown when she developed an interest in genealogy and decided to trace her ancestors' story.

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this book takes place in the 1800's but did it really have to be written like it was published then also. So much purple prose yet no development for any of the things that happen. Like just one day out of the blue the wake up to their whole crop being gone? It doesn't even get better no matter how far I read. Maybe the author should put in less effort trying to describe things and should put it into actually developing the plot. It just felt so melodramatic and the book was so long I've been reading it since last night probably took me eight or nine hours to read it. Eight or nine hours of cerulean sky and the Irish suffering Jesus...

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life seemed good for Pat Feeny on the day he married his lovely Mary. They looked forward to a life together, raising a family and living off their land. All that changed on the morning they woke up to a diabolical stench coming from their fields. Overnight the potatoes had been struck by blight. As this was they stable diet of the ordinary people it wasn’t long before people were starving and struck by disease. When Mary’s whole family are wiped out they set off for England. Their life in York is a long way from the green fields of Erin.
It’s a long time since I read a historical story. I enjoyed this one. The characters were engaging and the events were vaguely familiar from my knowledge of history tied up with a good narrative.
This book would appeal to those who enjoy a good family saga Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher fro giving me the chance to read& review this book.

[☘Tara Sheehan☘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is definitely going to be a love it or hate it book simply based on comfortableness with the culture. Growing up in an Irish home and inundated with its literature, music, movies and history for as long as I can remember for me this was familiar. I can still hear my father’s Irish brogue that would break out when he’d sing or read certain things with similar prose so I loved Sheelagh Kelly’s writing, phraseology, and word choices.

I felt the author did a great job really immersing you in 1800s Ireland along with the horror of the potato crop failures that nearly destroyed a nation. I loved the descriptions and hated them at the same time because the vividness of the sorrow and devastation created here reminded me of what my family went through; the permanent scar it left upon our culture.

I felt the struggle of what the people had to endure and how much harder it could get if they left seeking survival was accurately captured here. It’s not an easy book to get through when you have a personal connection to one of the worst acts visited upon humanity but this book handled that difficult time with grace and respect to those who went through it and its survivors.

I’m looking forward to the next book to find out where she’ll be taking the family saga next.

[Carolanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This is Book 1 in The Feeney Saga.


Sheelagh Kelly was forn in York, England

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well it was fine - it's always interesting to read about another time and how people lived. By the end I was reading it for the sake of reading it though - not a good sign.

[Jessica Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn with this one because it's a book of many many parts. The first third is Tragic Irish Famine Victims, with a LOT of death, prejudice and horror. The Feeney family are forced to leave their home and immigrate to England following the loss of their potato crop and deaths of their entire extended family. Mum Mary is a living breathing saint who eventually dies, leaving arsehole dad Patrick and daughter Erin, who have finally made their way to the slums of mid-Victorian York.
Enter Thomasin, Patrick's true love, and quickly the book turns into a bit of a romp. There's lots of subplots and side plots that weirdly tie together, but basically it's a lot of Tragic Events with a bit of social history thrown in.
Parts of the book were easy, mindless, fun, and Thomasin is great. But I can't see myself re-reading this one. Would make a lovely winter snuggly read if you wanted your brain to turn off a bit. It's nice to read something set in York though, especially from a working class perspective as the city is always so so posh and expensive. I'll be reading the rest of the series as I got them all super cheap on Kindle and it would be interesting to see where the Erin/Caroline plot ends up (if it does end up anywhere).

[Claire Rackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different type of book for me to read and one that made me think and learn a lot about the hardships families encountered as a result of the potato crop failure in Ireland. Not only did it bring home the family loyalties, the sadness of the loss of loved ones but the sacrifices made by all along with the support given by others. To make such life changing decisions in the hope for a better life and the being plunged into further torment and hardship was a difficult concept to come to terms with and to write in a meaningful, emotional and realistic manner to bring the story to life and be able to relate to it. I enjoyed the way it was written and pleased that it just kept flowing making me want to red on to dis over how it would all turn out. I can see that it will be a love or hate it book and, like any book, it is down to individual taste; for me, I take each book for what it is.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this first book of the series the feeney Family saga
It’s a 4 book saga
Following the life of Patrick Feeney who had to leave Ireland due to the Potato farms and most Irish people dying to find a better place for his wife and soon to be Child
It shows how hard it was for the Irish people to try and live in England and not wanted
But he stays a tries to make a better life for him and his daughter has is wife died in childbirth
Showing you through the ups and downs and when he meets a women he again falls in love and the has more child and still has highs and lows and how they cope
Can’t wait to read the rest

[Mary Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next one. Sheelagh has a way- a special way that only the best writers have of taking you right into the events through mainly realistic conversation amongst her characters. When I feel as though I want to leap into the manuscript and punch the sadistic teacher I know this is what good writing is all about. Roll on - keep us entertained..👍👍👍

[Diane Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read this 'series' a good number of years ago but had a yearning to reread them. This was just as enjoyable as I remembered and every emotion imaginable is conjured up at different points through out the story.
My own ancestors were also forced to flee the famine and make new lives for themselves in England, so this story line is close to my heart.

[Jackie Thurston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyable read the characters are so life like you felt you were there I could not put this book down constantly full of passionate humour and struggles and despair a young family are forced to leave Ireland during the potato famine to England for work where they are forced to live in slums and poverty determined to survive for a better life

[Judith Ring · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never finished this book; I expected it to be a rather traumatic story, which it was, but for me it was devoid of actual feeling. I don’t know what the magic ingredient is that many authors have in order to convey the depths of misery to the reader but this author doesn’t have it.

[KeRRy BECK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

Very good story lots to keep you wanting to read the next chapter to see what's happening .... Moving on to book 2 now !

[Isabel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good , made you feel how hard it was to live in this period of history

[carolyn prouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life in the gutter

The book follows a family as they struggled throughout the tough times of the hunger . You could feel the grime and smell the smut

[Timothy Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll fall in love with this family

A page turner, you will cheer and cry with the Feeney family. Glad there is another one to read as not ready to end the family saga.

[shirley ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I throughly enjoyed this and was looking forward to reading book 2” My brothers Sins” only to find out it’s not available, what? I’m NOT HAPPY!

[Dianne Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story.

Enjoyed this book immensely. Ms Kelly is a very good writer, Making the sadness of her stories very readable and sweet at the end

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable saga of a family's struggle. Looking forward to reading the next one

[AnneMarie Brear · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent saga!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. Very similar story line to Josephine Cox and Catherine Cookson. This is book 1.

[Jo-Lyne Ryker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erin

A very lengthy story about a man who looses everything in Ireland and moved to England. Its a tale of his tragedies and good times.

[JoAnn Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair read. At times great, other times only ok. Some characters were well defined and realistic (Patric) others not so real(Helena).
All and all I enjoyed it.

[Carol Swindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing family story

Absolutely loved this family story of hardship and life. So,powerful and really captured me. I can't wait to read the next book, highly recommend

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feeney

Family drama. It kept me enthralled. The water captured the characters well and ensured they were believable and I couldn't put the book down

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beast of a book at just over 650 pages but an enjoyable one. The Kindle version had some typos though. I will definitely read the next in the series.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reread. First red thirty five or more years ago so no idea if I gave it a star rating 🤷🏼‍♀️ I just remember enjoying it a lot at the time.

A sweeping family saga, starting off in County Mayo in Ireland during the potato famine and continuing on, this is the first of a four book series which I have also read and intend to reread.

I dropped a star as the storyline in which Erin went into service didn’t feel to flow right for me.

[Coyney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very good parts

[brenda young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

What a great book, first in this trilogy . Laughter ,tears and happiness a nice easy read although it did take me a few pages before I got into the story and I nearly gave up but so glad I didn't ,looking forward to the next one.