The Sacrificial Daughter

by Mary Anne Kalonas Slack

 

When a mother's love becomes a daughter's burden . . . is there really a way out?

 

Single at thirty-five, schoolteacher Mary Ellen Kelleher is from an Irish-Catholic family whose aging mother expects her daughter to continue to live with and take care of her. Agnes comments to her friends that Mary Ellen needs to find a man . . . but is that what Agnes really wants? And what about Mary Ellen? She loves her mother, but has she grown complacent and thus agreeable to her mother's frequent, veiled demands?

 

When her good friends suggest she accompany them on a fabulous trip to China, Mary Ellen is ripe to rebel. She says yes and pays the deposit, not yet knowing that Agnes has offered Mary Ellen's services to drive her and three cronies to Cape Cod-and to chauffeuring them around for a week. When Mary Ellen says no to her mother, Agnes is angry . . . which fuels Mary Ellen's desire to break out on her own. The fact that she meets two very different, very attractive men while away certainly helps. But does the good girl, who has sacrificed an independent lifestyle for her mother's wishes, really have the courage to shake up her-and her mother's-world?

256 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Eileen O'Finlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Mary Anne Kalonas Slack's debut novel, The Sacrificial Daughter, school teacher Mary Ellen Kelleher seeks to break out of her sheltered life. Ther is only one problem - her mother.

Mary Ellen lives with her mom in the same triple decker in which she was born and raised. Her siblings are married with families of their own. Mary Ellen would love to get her own place, travel, find love and romance, and live by her own rules. It's nearly impossible, though, because she is the Sacrificial Daughter - the one who is expected to take care of her widowed mother for the rest of her mother's life, sacrificing her own chance at happiness and fulfillment in the process.

When a chance to accompany friends on the trip of a lifetime to China arises, Mary Ellen is determined to go. Despite her mother's strong opposition, she sets out on a trip that will change her life forever with ramifications that extend well beyond the trip itself.

This story has adventure, romance, and a mother-daughter conflict that reveals all the facets of that most complicated relationship.

A great read!

[Meredith Scrivens-Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Ellen Kelleher, 35, is still living at home and is her siblings' designated caretaker of their manipulative but endearing elderly mother, Agnes. Desperate to strike out on her own, Mary Ellen's first step is to accept an invitation from her friends to accompany them on a phenomenal trip to China. Ever the well-intentioned foil, Agnes tries to guilt Mary Ellen into driving to and spending a week instead on Cape Cod with Agnes's aging "bevy of Irish beauties". This is the last straw!
The determined Mary Ellen chooses China where she meets two interesting and attractive men. They just happen to live in her home state of Massachusetts, not far fr Worcester where she resides. Thus begins her quest for independence and self-discovery.
Ms. Slack's debut novel, The Sacrificial Daughter, is an engaging, fast-paced page turner with its many twists and turns, wonderful dry humor and touching familial relationships. Her attention to colorful and local detail is delightful. Matters of the romantic heart are unpredictable. Mary Ellen's evolving relationship with her mother tugs at your heartstrings. A "must read"!!

[Rosemary Scrivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed traveling along with Irish Catholic schoolteacher Mary Ellen on her parallel journeys in The Sacrificial Daughter. The story begins as she embarks on a fascinating trip to China, sparking a long overdue, but emotionally charged life change — moving out of her childhood home shared with her manipulative (but lovable) mother. I felt as though I was on these journeys too — rooting for this smart and engaging character all along the way! And her story made me think about the little (and big) sacrifices we all make to live in harmony with those we love. Along with being thought-provoking, humor and romance is injected at just the right times throughout, making it a really great read.

[Lisa Lindstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silence your cell phone. Make a date with a great read ! I cried and laughed and took no notice of time passing by, hungrily turning one page after another of this engaging novel. My laundry, quite politely, waited until I finished the final chapter. The author, with indisputable emotional sensitivity and precisely realistic dialogue, weaves the reader deeply inside the blossoming upheaval of the endearingly relatable main character. For anyone who has ever searched for happiness, this book is for you!

[Jane Derosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Ellen is a 35 year old woman living with her demanding, manipulative mother. Yearning for some freedom and independence, she breaks away from her seemingly endless obligation to her mother when a trip to China presents itself. This trip presents Mary Ellen with new and unexpected relationships and challenges. The story is engaging, the characters and situations authentic. I highly recommend this book!

[Amy L]

If you enjoy books that explore family dynamics, main characters searching for love, and international settings, then this book may be for you. Because I read Ms. Slack's novel, I now have a better understanding of and appreciation for what a "sacrificial daughter" is.
This is a pleasant read.

[Michael Gondek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Ms. Slack understands and portrays the family dynamic so well. The book is extraordinarily well written. The flow was fantastic, the writing was accessible, and I genuinely got emotional reading the final chapters. Cannot wait to read her next book!!

[Stephanie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, although I think I would have preferred if it were a little longer and a bit more descriptive.