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The Knocknashee Story #2
Yesterday's Paper
As storm clouds of war gather over Europe, Grace Fitzgerald in Ireland and Richard Lewis in the United States find their lives irrevocably altered by the looming conflict.
Ireland's neutrality offers little shelter from the war's far-reaching impact, and across the Atlantic, Richard witnesses a nation divided on intervention. Meanwhile, in sleepy Knocknashee, a twelve-year-old mystery surrounding a stolen child resurfaces, shattering long-held beliefs.
Fate seems determined to keep Grace and Richard apart, thwarting their plans to meet, and the vast Atlantic is not the only thing separating them. From the gentle green hills of Ireland, to the busy newspaper rooms of New York, from a London bracing for war to a Paris on the brink of invasion, "Yesterday's Paper" continues the sweeping saga of Grace and Richard as they navigate love, loss, and the turbulent tides of history.
In this gripping tale of resilience and romance, the personal and the political collide, weaving an unforgettable tapestry of lives caught in the crosswinds of a world at war.
Ireland's neutrality offers little shelter from the war's far-reaching impact, and across the Atlantic, Richard witnesses a nation divided on intervention. Meanwhile, in sleepy Knocknashee, a twelve-year-old mystery surrounding a stolen child resurfaces, shattering long-held beliefs.
Fate seems determined to keep Grace and Richard apart, thwarting their plans to meet, and the vast Atlantic is not the only thing separating them. From the gentle green hills of Ireland, to the busy newspaper rooms of New York, from a London bracing for war to a Paris on the brink of invasion, "Yesterday's Paper" continues the sweeping saga of Grace and Richard as they navigate love, loss, and the turbulent tides of history.
In this gripping tale of resilience and romance, the personal and the political collide, weaving an unforgettable tapestry of lives caught in the crosswinds of a world at war.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2024
5659 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Jean Grainger
93 books1,614 followersJean Grainger was born in Cork, Ireland. She has been a tour guide of her beloved home country, a teacher, a university lecturer and a playwright. She began writing fiction at the suggestion of her clients on tours, many of whom were sure all the stories she told them would make for a great book. Her first book, The Tour, has become a Number 1 bestseller on Amazon. It tells the story of a disparate group of American visitors to Ireland, who, along with their Irish tour guide have a life changing experience in the magical Emerald Isle.
Her second book, So Much Owed, is a family saga set during the Second World War. The story centres on the Buckley family of West Cork and how their lives are pulled in different directions as they become embroiled in the war. It is a sweeping family saga of intrigue and romance against the background of occupied Europe.
In her third novel, Shadow of a Century, she tells a tale of a battered old flag found in New York in 2016, a century after it was used during the Easter Rising, when Ireland made her final bid for freedom from Great Britain. This tells the story of a journalist who uncovers a story, one with much more to it than a flag.
Her fourth novel, due out in Spring 2016, Under Heaven’s Shining Stars, is set in the 1970s in Cork, Ireland and is a novel about friendship. Three boys, Liam, Patrick and Hugo, though from very different backgrounds are united in a deep but often times challenging friendship. As their lives progress, only by staying strong, can they prevail. Or fail.
Her novella, Letters of Freedom, tells the story of Carmel, stuck in a pointless marriage, when a figure from her past emerges and changes everything with a ‘like’ on Facebook. This quick read will touch your heart.
She lives in Cork with her husband and her two youngest children. The older two come home occasionally with laundry and to raid the fridge.
Her second book, So Much Owed, is a family saga set during the Second World War. The story centres on the Buckley family of West Cork and how their lives are pulled in different directions as they become embroiled in the war. It is a sweeping family saga of intrigue and romance against the background of occupied Europe.
In her third novel, Shadow of a Century, she tells a tale of a battered old flag found in New York in 2016, a century after it was used during the Easter Rising, when Ireland made her final bid for freedom from Great Britain. This tells the story of a journalist who uncovers a story, one with much more to it than a flag.
Her fourth novel, due out in Spring 2016, Under Heaven’s Shining Stars, is set in the 1970s in Cork, Ireland and is a novel about friendship. Three boys, Liam, Patrick and Hugo, though from very different backgrounds are united in a deep but often times challenging friendship. As their lives progress, only by staying strong, can they prevail. Or fail.
Her novella, Letters of Freedom, tells the story of Carmel, stuck in a pointless marriage, when a figure from her past emerges and changes everything with a ‘like’ on Facebook. This quick read will touch your heart.
She lives in Cork with her husband and her two youngest children. The older two come home occasionally with laundry and to raid the fridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
November 17, 2024
Brilliant sequel - even better than the series debut and with great stuff from page 1 till the bittersweet ending (hint - after a string of near misses the main protagonists finally meet - this time again almost missing each other but not quite- but again fate and the author makes it for a very short time so book 3 is another huge asap).
Funny, bittersweet, occasionally dark and with a lot of new locations from NYC where both protagonists travel and have one of those near misses to Paris and the road to England...
Highly recommended
Funny, bittersweet, occasionally dark and with a lot of new locations from NYC where both protagonists travel and have one of those near misses to Paris and the road to England...
Highly recommended
November 3, 2024
I love the characters of Knocknashee, Cork County, Ireland, and expecially reading about the life of Grace Fitzgerald, a polio survivor and a sweet school teacher and now, headmistress. Grace was thoroughly indoctrinated by her sister, Agnes, to believe that no man would ever want her as a wife due to her gammy leg, a result of the polio she had as a child. She is tiny and petite, and also quite beautiful, and in this second book in the series, she is shocked and surprised to find that not one, not two, but three men indicate their interest in her. I was thoroughly interested in her life and her planned trip to New York and the possibility of her meeting up with her penpal, Richard. I did lose some interest in the part of the story where Richard and Alfie go on a political trip to Europe and eventually France, and the happenings around Hitler and the war as I have read so many books on this era.
Overall, a great story, as usual by this author, Jean Grainger. I read this story as an ARC reader and I am sure it will be a hit with future readers. The ending left us anticipating some interesting events in the future.
Overall, a great story, as usual by this author, Jean Grainger. I read this story as an ARC reader and I am sure it will be a hit with future readers. The ending left us anticipating some interesting events in the future.
December 14, 2024
they FINALLY met.
The cute meet took one and a half books, but it was worth reading. The start of World War two and the strife that went into letting people know about Hitler and his intentions was the backdrop, but with so many twists and turns.
I'm ready for book Three, Ms. Grainger!
The cute meet took one and a half books, but it was worth reading. The start of World War two and the strife that went into letting people know about Hitler and his intentions was the backdrop, but with so many twists and turns.
I'm ready for book Three, Ms. Grainger!
July 21, 2025
Jean Grainger has hooked me again!
October 31, 2025
Grace for president!!
October 26, 2025
I knit while I listen to auto books. The Knocknashee series is just what I need to finish this sweater in record time. I only want to enjoy the next book and have all my questions answered. The storytelling has humor, excellent characterization, history, and a love story. The readers of this series have a good delivery and a pleasant accent for the different characters.
July 6, 2025
Engaging author. Excellent continuation of Grace’s story.
June 29, 2025
Can’t wait to read the next book from this series!
June 24, 2025
This book was such a great sequel to the first book! I didn’t expect it to end on edge, so now I’m very anxiously awaiting the next book! I love the characters, the unexpected turns, and how it keeps me on the edge, waiting for what comes next and yearning to get back to the story when I have to stop reading because I need to live my life. Haha!
February 23, 2025
Absolutely fabulous story… Can’t wait for Book 4…Sincerely Grace
January 27, 2025
Greatly disappointed in this 2nd book in the series. Too much letter writing where the writer recounted the details of everything that you had just read earlier. Couldn’t finish reading. Too bad.
May 2, 2025
Enjoyed the story but it is just too dragging sometimes😅😅
November 4, 2024
Couldn’t put this book down. So pleased that Grace is having a happier life now and is loved by her pupils.
She had a hard time with Agnes and is experiencing so much freedom. Declan is in love with her but she has no idea how beautiful she is. Her pen friend iRichard writes with news of his life and family their exchange of letters and plans to meet is full of twists and turns. Eventually Grace actually gets to visit New York on an errand of mercy with Declan to search for his long lost sister who hadn’t been seen since she was born when her mother died in childbirth. They had reason believe she had been adopted by an American family and Declan wanted to ensure she was safe and loved. Meeting this family was charming. Grace had hoped to actually get to meet Richard but missed him by a few days as he was sent on assignment by his newspaper to check out life in Paris now that the Nazis are advancing on France. So much happens while Richard is in France and I had to keep reading as the story is so exciting and scary with German soldiers arriving. Richard is ordered home by his Newspaper editor and he and his photographer get out of Paris on the very last train. Just as the train is about to leave a woman who they know rushes into carriage and gives them some letters. When she rushes off they notice she has left her bag. They open it and are amazed at the contents which causes them all sorts of problems. I am afraid you will have to read the book to find out more - and if Richard got to meet Grace in person. Such a fantastic book I cannot wait for part 3 to see what happens next. I really recommend this book. Fantastic read.
She had a hard time with Agnes and is experiencing so much freedom. Declan is in love with her but she has no idea how beautiful she is. Her pen friend iRichard writes with news of his life and family their exchange of letters and plans to meet is full of twists and turns. Eventually Grace actually gets to visit New York on an errand of mercy with Declan to search for his long lost sister who hadn’t been seen since she was born when her mother died in childbirth. They had reason believe she had been adopted by an American family and Declan wanted to ensure she was safe and loved. Meeting this family was charming. Grace had hoped to actually get to meet Richard but missed him by a few days as he was sent on assignment by his newspaper to check out life in Paris now that the Nazis are advancing on France. So much happens while Richard is in France and I had to keep reading as the story is so exciting and scary with German soldiers arriving. Richard is ordered home by his Newspaper editor and he and his photographer get out of Paris on the very last train. Just as the train is about to leave a woman who they know rushes into carriage and gives them some letters. When she rushes off they notice she has left her bag. They open it and are amazed at the contents which causes them all sorts of problems. I am afraid you will have to read the book to find out more - and if Richard got to meet Grace in person. Such a fantastic book I cannot wait for part 3 to see what happens next. I really recommend this book. Fantastic read.
November 10, 2024
This book was an engaging follow-on to the excellent first book in Jean Grainger’s Knocknashee series, Lilac Ink. At the beginning, we see main character Grace Fitzgerald’s life, teaching and tending to her acerbic sister Agnes, who had suffered a stroke and is bedridden. The town characters are well-portrayed, including Tilly O’Hare (Grace’s best friend), Tilly’s mother Mary, Charlie and Declan McKenna, kind Father Iggy, and even the insult-prone cobbler Padraic O’Se. The McKennas continue to grieve the loss of daughter/sister Siobhan, taken away for adoption by the evil Canon Rafferty after Charlie’s wife/Declan’s mother passed.
Then we see Richard Lewis’ writing pursuits in America, he being the “pen pal” of Grace after finding her message in a bottle that turned up in Savannah, Georgia. He has partnered with Jacob Nunez, a Jewish photographer and his sister’s boyfriend, in writing articles for publication. The two convince “Kirky,” the foreign editor of New York newspaper Capital, to send them to France to report on Hitler’s hostile advances.
The tapestry of Yesterday’s Paper moves from small-town Ireland to France, from Georgia to New York City high-rises, from the German threat that is largely unreported in America to growing European trepidation of Hitler after it appears a country’s neutrality is no real protection. The reader learns much from the characters encountered in Europe including about Kristallnacht, the fallibility of the Maginot Line, rationing and even Winston Churchill’s anger at Ireland’s neutrality.
All in all, this book immerses the reader in the American and European political environments of the time while portraying the effects of these events as well as the characters’ personal trials and events beautifully. Highly recommended.
Then we see Richard Lewis’ writing pursuits in America, he being the “pen pal” of Grace after finding her message in a bottle that turned up in Savannah, Georgia. He has partnered with Jacob Nunez, a Jewish photographer and his sister’s boyfriend, in writing articles for publication. The two convince “Kirky,” the foreign editor of New York newspaper Capital, to send them to France to report on Hitler’s hostile advances.
The tapestry of Yesterday’s Paper moves from small-town Ireland to France, from Georgia to New York City high-rises, from the German threat that is largely unreported in America to growing European trepidation of Hitler after it appears a country’s neutrality is no real protection. The reader learns much from the characters encountered in Europe including about Kristallnacht, the fallibility of the Maginot Line, rationing and even Winston Churchill’s anger at Ireland’s neutrality.
All in all, this book immerses the reader in the American and European political environments of the time while portraying the effects of these events as well as the characters’ personal trials and events beautifully. Highly recommended.
November 12, 2024
Read my full review now on Rosepoint Publishing.
The story of Grace Fitzgerald, school teacher and now headmistress of Knocknashee, Cork County, Ireland, and Richard Lewis of Savannah, Georgia, USA, who found her message in the bottle from across the Atlantic.
From Book 1 we learned Richard is the privileged son of a wealthy Savannah family who wants to become a journalist. His best friend Jacob Nunez is an aspiring photographer and together they want to go to Europe to write stories regarding Hitler’s growing intrusion into “neutral” countries.
Richard finds a way to bend the story of the bottle to his political purposes and gains an editor who sends both he and Jacob to Europe but Grace and Richard are two ships that pass in the night.
The author always weaves complex stories into her plots with multiple layers of interest and well-developed characters.
Will Grace and Richard ever meet up? Can Richard and Jacob make it home safely in the massive exodus from France? What about that piece of baggage left with them on the train in their escape from Paris?
After the death of Agnes, can Grace ever come to peace with her appearance, put the onus of her gimpy polio leg behind her, and accept the advances of her newly recognized male suitors?
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
The story of Grace Fitzgerald, school teacher and now headmistress of Knocknashee, Cork County, Ireland, and Richard Lewis of Savannah, Georgia, USA, who found her message in the bottle from across the Atlantic.
From Book 1 we learned Richard is the privileged son of a wealthy Savannah family who wants to become a journalist. His best friend Jacob Nunez is an aspiring photographer and together they want to go to Europe to write stories regarding Hitler’s growing intrusion into “neutral” countries.
Richard finds a way to bend the story of the bottle to his political purposes and gains an editor who sends both he and Jacob to Europe but Grace and Richard are two ships that pass in the night.
The author always weaves complex stories into her plots with multiple layers of interest and well-developed characters.
Will Grace and Richard ever meet up? Can Richard and Jacob make it home safely in the massive exodus from France? What about that piece of baggage left with them on the train in their escape from Paris?
After the death of Agnes, can Grace ever come to peace with her appearance, put the onus of her gimpy polio leg behind her, and accept the advances of her newly recognized male suitors?
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
November 7, 2024
This second book in the Knocknashee Story was a timely read for me - at a time that I was looking for some inspiration and hope, I was able to revisit Grace as she continues to strive for the best in her life in Ireland. If I am feeling discouraged in my own life, it is a welcome distraction for me to be inspired by characters that are young and determined like Grace, dealing with physical challenges as well as family issues, and doing so in a time of much less luxury and leisure than I have in my own life. It was fun to see the experiences of Grace and Richard as their friendship deepens, and where life takes them in this novel. It is always encouraging to imagine that there could still be small, supportive communities like Knocknashee, where people are tolerant of each other for the most part, and support each other, as the community does as Grace cares for her sister and afterwards. We learn more about the Richard's family dynamics and friends, and this is all against the backdrop of the looming threat of WWII. I have read all but one of Jean's books, and the books are delightful to read, and sometimes I think I totally know how the story will go but there are always twists and turns in the story arc that I don't expect. I am looking forward to the next book and see how the stories of the characters will form a tapestry of story lines - how will the stories intersect, and what will the results be?
November 8, 2025
Borrowed Kindle Unlimited
4 stars
Spoilers Possible
A lot happens in Grace and Richard’s life:
Grace’s sister passes and reveals so much on her death bed. Her own abuse at the hands of the priest Lafferty and then the baby sold to a couple in New York!!
Declan and Grace travel to New York to find the baby, now 15 years old. She is Declan’s sister, Charlie’s daughter.
Richard and Jacob are granted travel to Europe by a newspaper as writer and photographer. A heartbreaking part of the story when Richard tells his parents that he’s leaving.
Oh Good grief! Our Pen Pals FINALLY meet! A sort of “meet cute” but oh so cruel, author how could you, it was only for about an hour ?!?!?
Creatively written but again, cruel. lol
(Because they had briefly glimpsed the other at the port in New York like 6 months earlier but each thought that it was impossible that the other would be there.)
A good read. Interesting to read how WW2 is really starting to become “real” to our characters but especially in Ireland at this time, it’s not affecting them.
(Mentions of rationing beginning and then issues with boat travel/restrictions)
I am so glad these are on Kindle Unlimited.
Now for the next one. ( I realized that the 7th and final book, I believe, will come out in January 2026. Not too long of a wait.
4 stars
Spoilers Possible
A lot happens in Grace and Richard’s life:
Grace’s sister passes and reveals so much on her death bed. Her own abuse at the hands of the priest Lafferty and then the baby sold to a couple in New York!!
Declan and Grace travel to New York to find the baby, now 15 years old. She is Declan’s sister, Charlie’s daughter.
Richard and Jacob are granted travel to Europe by a newspaper as writer and photographer. A heartbreaking part of the story when Richard tells his parents that he’s leaving.
Oh Good grief! Our Pen Pals FINALLY meet! A sort of “meet cute” but oh so cruel, author how could you, it was only for about an hour ?!?!?
Creatively written but again, cruel. lol
(Because they had briefly glimpsed the other at the port in New York like 6 months earlier but each thought that it was impossible that the other would be there.)
A good read. Interesting to read how WW2 is really starting to become “real” to our characters but especially in Ireland at this time, it’s not affecting them.
(Mentions of rationing beginning and then issues with boat travel/restrictions)
I am so glad these are on Kindle Unlimited.
Now for the next one. ( I realized that the 7th and final book, I believe, will come out in January 2026. Not too long of a wait.
November 19, 2024
This is book 2 in the Knocknashee Trilogy. Living on separate continents, with their own sets of issues, will Grace and Richard ever meet, or will they be like "ships in the night"?
"As storm clouds of war gather over Europe, Grace Fitzgerald in Ireland and Richard Lewis in the United States find their lives irrevocably altered by the looming conflict.
Ireland's neutrality offers little shelter from the war's far-reaching impact, and across the Atlantic, Richard witnesses a nation divided on intervention. Meanwhile, in sleepy Knocknashee, a twelve-year-old mystery surrounding a stolen child resurfaces, shattering long-held beliefs.
Fate seems determined to keep Grace and Richard apart, thwarting their plans to meet, and the vast Atlantic is not the only thing separating them. From the gentle green hills of Ireland, to the busy newspaper rooms of New York, from a London bracing for war to a Paris on the brink of invasion, "Yesterday's Paper" continues the sweeping saga of Grace and Richard as they navigate love, loss, and the turbulent tides of history.
In this gripping tale of resilience and romance, the personal and the political collide, weaving an unforgettable tapestry of lives caught in the crosswinds of a world at war." synopsis copied
"As storm clouds of war gather over Europe, Grace Fitzgerald in Ireland and Richard Lewis in the United States find their lives irrevocably altered by the looming conflict.
Ireland's neutrality offers little shelter from the war's far-reaching impact, and across the Atlantic, Richard witnesses a nation divided on intervention. Meanwhile, in sleepy Knocknashee, a twelve-year-old mystery surrounding a stolen child resurfaces, shattering long-held beliefs.
Fate seems determined to keep Grace and Richard apart, thwarting their plans to meet, and the vast Atlantic is not the only thing separating them. From the gentle green hills of Ireland, to the busy newspaper rooms of New York, from a London bracing for war to a Paris on the brink of invasion, "Yesterday's Paper" continues the sweeping saga of Grace and Richard as they navigate love, loss, and the turbulent tides of history.
In this gripping tale of resilience and romance, the personal and the political collide, weaving an unforgettable tapestry of lives caught in the crosswinds of a world at war." synopsis copied
March 5, 2025
Yesterday's Paper
Selfishly, I hope Ms. Grainger out lives me so that I can read her new books 'til my ending day! Of all her books that I have read, only a few weren't "my cup of tea", & I liked them anyway! Just not as much as some others! Yesterday's Paper is one of the "my cup of tea" ones! Grace & Richard seem to be Star-crossed lovers, an ocean between them, until she has reason to visit America. But Richard will be in Europe as a war correspondent! They literally cross paths in New York outside the ships, but since they only had a picture or two, neither was sure of who they'd seen! But for the most part we continue to see the life of Knocknashee. Some comings, some goings. Small village happenings. Near the end, Richard must leave Europe before Hitler invades France. He, his sister, & his photographer leave Paris on a train. With a baby! Her mother will likely be a part of the Resistance & wants to keep her baby safe, so she sends the infant with them to deliver to Knocknashee! I'm going to hush now because I'm afraid I'll give off spoilers, & I don't want that! If you like Ms. Grainger's books, & if you've read Lilac Ink, you'll love this one! Now I'm ready for the next!
Selfishly, I hope Ms. Grainger out lives me so that I can read her new books 'til my ending day! Of all her books that I have read, only a few weren't "my cup of tea", & I liked them anyway! Just not as much as some others! Yesterday's Paper is one of the "my cup of tea" ones! Grace & Richard seem to be Star-crossed lovers, an ocean between them, until she has reason to visit America. But Richard will be in Europe as a war correspondent! They literally cross paths in New York outside the ships, but since they only had a picture or two, neither was sure of who they'd seen! But for the most part we continue to see the life of Knocknashee. Some comings, some goings. Small village happenings. Near the end, Richard must leave Europe before Hitler invades France. He, his sister, & his photographer leave Paris on a train. With a baby! Her mother will likely be a part of the Resistance & wants to keep her baby safe, so she sends the infant with them to deliver to Knocknashee! I'm going to hush now because I'm afraid I'll give off spoilers, & I don't want that! If you like Ms. Grainger's books, & if you've read Lilac Ink, you'll love this one! Now I'm ready for the next!
November 6, 2024
Yesterday’s Paper is the second of Jean’s new series based on the west coat of Ireland & east coast of USA. Her research into the background of her stories is marvellous.
A lonely colleen writes her heart felt story of polio & repression by her older sister, then puts it in a bottle & throws it into the Atlantic. Richard, a bored rich young man in USA finds it & writes back. So starts an unusual friendship that Jean writes her fascinating stories around. Irish history has many tales of repression & none worse than the church running brutal mother & baby homes for unmarried mothers & then selling the babies. Jean agrees to go to USA to try to find the sister of a friend & check she’s well. Meanwhile Richard gets a job as a reporter & heads for Europe despite the rumblings of war. They are ordered home on the last train to sail to England. Will Grace & Richard meet & what happens? Buy this new series based in Knocknashee, near Dingle.
A lonely colleen writes her heart felt story of polio & repression by her older sister, then puts it in a bottle & throws it into the Atlantic. Richard, a bored rich young man in USA finds it & writes back. So starts an unusual friendship that Jean writes her fascinating stories around. Irish history has many tales of repression & none worse than the church running brutal mother & baby homes for unmarried mothers & then selling the babies. Jean agrees to go to USA to try to find the sister of a friend & check she’s well. Meanwhile Richard gets a job as a reporter & heads for Europe despite the rumblings of war. They are ordered home on the last train to sail to England. Will Grace & Richard meet & what happens? Buy this new series based in Knocknashee, near Dingle.
November 17, 2024
Outstanding ARC!
Ms Grainger immerses her readers fully into the lives of all her characters, even to creating a degree of empathy for Agnes!
The story moves seamlessly from Grace’s busy life in the small Irish village of Knocknashee across the Atlantic Ocean to accompany Richard as he navigates his budding newspaper reporter career from Savannah to New York and into Europe. Richard’s writing prowess is reflected in his centre-page newspaper article, featuring his connection with Grace and likening it to the US/European relationship as war breaks out.
Ms Grainger gives the reader a whole new perspective in the fascinating image of Paris in 1940, cleverly intertwined in the lead up to the slim possibility of Grace and Richard finally meeting.
It is a novel that is almost impossible to put down and guarantees that readers look forward eagerly to the next instalment.
Ms Grainger immerses her readers fully into the lives of all her characters, even to creating a degree of empathy for Agnes!
The story moves seamlessly from Grace’s busy life in the small Irish village of Knocknashee across the Atlantic Ocean to accompany Richard as he navigates his budding newspaper reporter career from Savannah to New York and into Europe. Richard’s writing prowess is reflected in his centre-page newspaper article, featuring his connection with Grace and likening it to the US/European relationship as war breaks out.
Ms Grainger gives the reader a whole new perspective in the fascinating image of Paris in 1940, cleverly intertwined in the lead up to the slim possibility of Grace and Richard finally meeting.
It is a novel that is almost impossible to put down and guarantees that readers look forward eagerly to the next instalment.
December 10, 2024
i risk repeating myself when I say I wish we had higher ratings on the books. This one needs at least a 10. Jean Grainger has created a world that involves the past and present as well as the future.
Grace Fitzgerald lives with her sister Agnes. She works as a Teacher's Assistant and loves it. However, loving her sister is hard. It seems Agnes is a hard, mean, unhappy woman who makes everyone around her sad. Grace had polio as a child and has a damaged leg. Agnes wants her to believe no one will care for her except herself. One day when her spirits were low, Grace wrote a letter to St. Jude and set it asail in a bottle. Later i was found by Richard in Georgia and he wrote back. Feeling like they could be honest, they has a pure attraction. However, it seems like they are destined not to meet in person. Even World War II intervenes. Will they ever mee?
Grace Fitzgerald lives with her sister Agnes. She works as a Teacher's Assistant and loves it. However, loving her sister is hard. It seems Agnes is a hard, mean, unhappy woman who makes everyone around her sad. Grace had polio as a child and has a damaged leg. Agnes wants her to believe no one will care for her except herself. One day when her spirits were low, Grace wrote a letter to St. Jude and set it asail in a bottle. Later i was found by Richard in Georgia and he wrote back. Feeling like they could be honest, they has a pure attraction. However, it seems like they are destined not to meet in person. Even World War II intervenes. Will they ever mee?
February 15, 2025
The second book in the Knocknashee story is more uplifting and positive than the first book which is overshadowed by the bitter and nasty sister Agnes and her domination of her sister Grace. In Yesterday's Paper Grace is finally able to blossom and find herself and she is a lovely character; sweet, insightful and humble. The parallel story of Richard in Georgia is also interesting as he becomes a war correspondent in WWII and his eyes are opened to the world of suffering, hate and poverty beyond his entitled and privileged world. Events in the U.S. and the sleepy, isolated village in Ireland are contrasted and compared during a tumultuous period in history. Attraction between the pen pals is slowly growing and other players are drawn into the story and overlap. The novel is well-written, very interesting and compelling.
April 16, 2025
Praise for Author
Jean,
I absolutely love reading your books! they are so refreshing,realistic and
Addicting! Please keep writing more as I am sure you will be in the
Future! I have read about 6 of them so far and I can’t remember the
Titles off hand but each one was better than the next if that’s possible.
I have read at least 20 authors in my past of all different genres and
Your books definitely shine through them all . For some strange reason
I only want to read books by you! I guess since I am only 70 years young
I have about 30 years left or so to enjoy your wonderful books!
Thank you so very much for being my favorite author and bringing
Such joy and satisfaction to my life, I am retired from retail with no
Children by choice.
All my devotion,
Anne Hundley
Bye for Now
Jean,
I absolutely love reading your books! they are so refreshing,realistic and
Addicting! Please keep writing more as I am sure you will be in the
Future! I have read about 6 of them so far and I can’t remember the
Titles off hand but each one was better than the next if that’s possible.
I have read at least 20 authors in my past of all different genres and
Your books definitely shine through them all . For some strange reason
I only want to read books by you! I guess since I am only 70 years young
I have about 30 years left or so to enjoy your wonderful books!
Thank you so very much for being my favorite author and bringing
Such joy and satisfaction to my life, I am retired from retail with no
Children by choice.
All my devotion,
Anne Hundley
Bye for Now
September 15, 2025
I love this continuing story of Grace and Tilly. Such lovely a story of the gentle times in Ireland before WWII that now bring the inclusion of three US citizens that are writing and taking photos in England and France . It just so happens that the one man who found a letter in a bottle that was thrown into the coastal waters of western Ireland and wound up on the shore of Georgia, has been a pen pal with Grace since then. Their futures almost collide in New York but, as life happens they don't meet until he ends up in with his photographer friend trying to get back to the states.
Lots of twists and turns in this story and the characters are so well known by now that it almost feels like family.
It's light reading and takes you to two different worlds.
I look forward to the next book
Lots of twists and turns in this story and the characters are so well known by now that it almost feels like family.
It's light reading and takes you to two different worlds.
I look forward to the next book
November 5, 2024
After her sister Agnes passed away having suffered a second stroke aged just 35 Grace Fitzgerald is finally free to be independent. After throwing a message in a bottle into the Atlantic it washed up in Savannah in America. Consequently Grace keeps in touch with Richard, who found it. War clouds are gathering in Europe but Richard and his Jewish friend, who is a photographer, are determined to go and report the truth for themselves. Meanwhile, Grace has found out that Declans' younger sister was sold to an American couple by the local Catholic canon. She is determined to find the truth. The story sweeps between a small Irish village, New York and Europe. This is Jean Grainger telling the story as only she can. Brilliant!
December 20, 2024
Suffice it to say that I can’t wait for the 3rd book in this series in January! Jean Grainger’s series are all different, and I can’t say that any series is better than the other, but I think her writing is so well-researched, that it just shines through all of her novels.
n this story of Grace Fitzgerald, you just can’t turn the pages fast enough to see what happens in her very sheltered life - and how that life changes dramatically as the story shifts from Ireland to the USA.
If you can, listen to it as an audiobook. Siobhan Waring has to be the best reader ever! Her voice is so pleasant and so diversified. She can do male voices as well as female voices, and I think she probably sounds exactly like Jean Grainger expects her characters to sound.
n this story of Grace Fitzgerald, you just can’t turn the pages fast enough to see what happens in her very sheltered life - and how that life changes dramatically as the story shifts from Ireland to the USA.
If you can, listen to it as an audiobook. Siobhan Waring has to be the best reader ever! Her voice is so pleasant and so diversified. She can do male voices as well as female voices, and I think she probably sounds exactly like Jean Grainger expects her characters to sound.
November 4, 2024
I love reading a book that is historically based and with an Irish background. Both the books so far in this series do not disappoint.
We continue to follow the lives of Grace and Richard who come from very different backgrounds but they have values of life in common. Grace is now a head teacher and Richard a hopeful reporter. They are brought together by ‘a note in a bottle’.
Again the author weaves all the good ‘ ingredients’ of a historical fiction - love , resilience, determination, love of family, friendship, adversity, and war, to make this a real page turner. All with the hope that just maybe Grace and Richard will finally meet somehow.
We continue to follow the lives of Grace and Richard who come from very different backgrounds but they have values of life in common. Grace is now a head teacher and Richard a hopeful reporter. They are brought together by ‘a note in a bottle’.
Again the author weaves all the good ‘ ingredients’ of a historical fiction - love , resilience, determination, love of family, friendship, adversity, and war, to make this a real page turner. All with the hope that just maybe Grace and Richard will finally meet somehow.
November 5, 2024
Have read all of Jean Grainger’s books, but this is the best yet….fast paced story set in Ireland and American, just as world war 2 is raising it’s ugly head. The main character Grace has had a miserable start to life, but despite all her misfortune, becomes a talented teacher and is loved by her pupils and residents of Knocknashee. An unexpected turn of events happen as a result of tossing a message in a bottle into the Atlantic, resulting in a strong friendship and more….beautiful written characters love or loathe them, and you will! Left on a cliff hanger ending, really looking forward to the next in series.
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