Westerly: A Novel

by Susan Donovan Bernhard

In an unforgettable saga of survival, motherhood, sisterhood, and the secrets that haunt us, one desperate decision creates a fault line that spans decades and threatens to break a family wide open.

In 1946, two German sisters, child refugees in a program dubbed Operation Shamrock, arrive in Ireland to live in foster care while Europe recovers from war. Nearly fifty years later, on a fateful day in a bustling Maine farmhouse, an Irish newspaper clipping threatens to unravel Faye Sullivan’s carefully constructed life with husband William and daughters Maeve and Molly, a life already on the brink of collapse.

When tragedy strikes and the Sullivans grapple with a cascade of buried secrets, Faye must confront the truth of a childhood summer in West Cork marked by adventure, heartbreak, and a life-altering decision that now jeopardizes everything she holds dear. And while their bonds may not be what they seemed, those bonds might be the one thing strong enough to help the broken Sullivan family navigate the truth and find their way forward together.

From Germany to Ireland to coastal Maine, this tender family saga explores identity, reconciliation, and the true meaning of home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ireland, Historical, Literary Fiction, Germany, Ebooks

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2026

Reviews

[Hillary]

First reads book for May 2026.
2.5 stars

It's a mixed bag:
The premise of the story--German children during WWII sent to Ireland to keep them safe from the war--is an interesting and realistic narrative about what it feels like to be a very young child, unable to speak the local language, how they're perceived by those who live there, how they're treated as strangers, by both adults and children. This was one of the better sections of the book.

The middle takes us to a generation later, in which one of the German children grows up, emigrates to the US (Maine) with her Irish adoptive (but not legally) parents. She takes a new name, marries a nice American guy, and they raise two daughters (1960s-1970s).

This is where the story tends to veer off in directions that have little to do with the the first section of the book. It's a difficult read, with very little in the way of a little positive story. It's mostly angry, and heart-breaking, with lies and secrets. Almost nothing relates to WWII, Germany, Ireland, etc. Not only did I find this section wearisome and sad, but I could not see why this was the main content of the book.

The third section sort of ties it all back together again. Families unite, characters get to explain themselves and their actions, and a lot gets resolved. It was a decent ending, tying up all the threads, but the entire story line felt very uneven to me.

[Danielle Stamford · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book description and the actual novel do not match. I was very interested in the narrative of WW2 German sisters orphaned and put in operation Shamrock, but that storyline bookends a different novel that lives in the center of this book. You get that story the first 50-75 pages, and then it returns for the last 50 pages of the book. The center of this novel veers and fractures into different topics, storylines + characters that were underdeveloped and confusing.

[Amber (amberreadsitall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: 🎧
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: June 1, 2026


This story spans almost five decades and is an epic family saga full secrets, heartbreak, love, and redemption. In 1946, two German sisters arrive in Ireland as child refugees from World War II. Almost 50 years later, buried secrets surface in Maine that threaten to tear apart the family of one of the sisters.

This story explores how secrets and unresolved trauma create emotional distance and shape the lives of the next generation. It also explores the bonds of family, forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

The narration was performed by Helen Laser. The performance kept me engaged throughout the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC on this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Christine Hazel Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I should’ve even finished this one.

The story starts off with Gisela and Elisabeth, German, orphaned, refugee sisters that are part of Operation Shamrock, where the Irish became guardians of German children during WWII.

As Gisela moves through life, she also has daughters, who take turns in the narrative spotlight.

I tend to like stories where an entire family is the focus, but I found this one so disappointing. The dramas felt a bit overdone and contrived. The plot moved between tragedies with such rapidity that it felt unrealistic. This is big for me to say—I’m not one that needs my reading to be realistic. But how much can happen to one family on the same day, over and over again?

I found myself rolling my eyes several times at descriptions that felt like they were grasping to be poetic. The ending felt much too neat for me as well. So much drama to have it all wrapped up so cleanly by the end.

[Mary H Coffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and warm

Westerly follows the path of two German orphan sisters who are sent to Ireland post WWII. Tragedy separates them and forces one to leave herself, her sister, and Ireland behind. But the past always appears to linger in the shadows, threatening Faye's family and the peaceful life she has built in America. Westerly is a beautifully written and thoughtful tale that explores a mother's desire to protect her family, and the suffocating weight of the guilt she carries. It is a very human story to which so many of us can relate.

[Herbibliomaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟

Enjoyable story that follows a family and the generational trauma that is passed down.

I loved how real the characters were. How trauma can haunt a person for years and affect everything and everyone in their life.

Pacing was a bit slow but well written. I do love a good family drama and while some secrets are revealed quickly, others don't come until the end.

Good for a book club pick. There are so many layers to this story.

Thanks to Little A and Susan Donovan Bernhard for sending for me an Arc to review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to savor this book and stretch out the days reading it. I was able to do that for only a week. Susan’s writing charmed me and left me wanting more of the story every time I put it down. I hated for it to end. Thank you Susan for another beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this via Whispersync and the narration was great. Go for the audiobook for this one.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The main character, Faye Sullivan, has been keeping a secret for nearly fifty years. It's big! It starts in 1946 in Ireland and quietly casts a shadow over everything she touches for the rest of her life. That secret is the engine of Westerly, and Susan Donovan Bernhard uses it brilliantly.

The novel opens in 1946 with two young German sisters, refugees placed with Irish foster families while Europe recovers from the war. Then it leaps fifty years to a Maine farmhouse, where Faye's carefully constructed life — husband, daughters, the whole picture — begins to crack open when a newspaper clipping from Ireland surfaces at exactly the wrong moment.

The characters are so well drawn in this novel, and the language is beautiful. Faye is infuriating and heartbreaking in equal measure, sometimes on the same page. Her daughters, Maeve and Molly, feel genuinely real — complicated in the way that people actually are, shaped by a mother they love and don't fully understand. Everyone here is flawed in ways that feel true rather than convenient, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

Bernhard moves between decades and points of view without ever losing you, and her prose is beautiful without being the kind of beautiful that slows you down. This is a book about secrets and what they cost — not just the people who keep them, but the people who inherit them without knowing it.

Warm, devastating, and completely absorbing. Highly recommend.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westerly is both a historical fiction novel as well as a multigenerational story about secrets and how they can effect families throughout generations. I was drawn to this book by the description of post WWII orphan children from war torn Germany being fostered and adopted by Irish families. I was unaware that Ireland remained neutral and did not participate in the war (although many Irish men joined the British forces) and therefore the Irish family’s hearts were open to this humanitarian effort.
What really caught my attention was the family story that unfolded. A devastating event early on had a impact on one family and the secret itself affected generations to come. I became invested in the story line right away and continued to enjoy the book as each following generation came to be.

[Rickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I usually love an intergenerational family saga, and the premise here was genuinely strong, but this one just didn’t fully work for me. The switched-identity setup felt so baffling and implausible that I had trouble settling into the story, and it seemed like there could’ve been a more believable way to get the plot moving. I also found most of the characters pretty underdeveloped and, honestly, not especially likable.

And maybe this is just me, but the Molly/her daughter storyline at the end really bothered me. Reclaiming a toddler and moving her across the world away from the people who actually raised her struck me as incredibly selfish, and the book didn’t really grapple with that in a meaningful way.

[Mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of thought the secret holding and characters were a bit insufferable and the ending felt a bit rushed after all the build up

[Kaylee Bebee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, I really did. Some parts of the writing were beautiful, but the large majority of the writing was too descriptive and overshadowed the actual plot. The plot was underdeveloped and many times throughout the story I was left wondering where the story was going. I also wanted to love the characters - parts of their stories I did love, however the writing and development of the characters was random and sporadic. I think this is the author's second novel, so I applaud her for idea. I just think it needed to be more developed and well thought out.

[Laura Cunningham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Westerly review

This would be a good read for those who enjoy a book with numerous threads. It would also be a good read for those who enjoy a profoundly sad and frustrating story.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was overly long and the characters were unlikable. The author was trying to cram too many lives into the story so that it ended up being confusing and for the most part boring. I don't like books that have the characters asking themselves questions everytime that something happens in their lives. It is a good premise but the author missed the mark on this one. Westerly aims for historical grandeur but delivers an exhausting, unfocused journey.

[Chloe Canterbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

The themes of love, loss, sisterhood, motherhood, and family bonds are carried beautifully throughout the story. I will say the very beginning was a little vague and made me just a little confused with how it all kicked off. A few chapters in everything started to make more sense and that’s when I really became invested in the story.

The bond between Elisabeth and Gisela seemed unbreakable. Starting from the destruction of the war, the loss of their parents, being sent to an orphanage and then refusing to be separated. Being carted off to a foreign land where they didn’t know much of the language showed how closely they relied on each other for survival. When Gisela makes probably one of the most difficult decisions in her whole life ultimately tested that bond. Was she really being selfless or selfish?

Sadly, Faye would never be what her “parents” wanted her to be. Her placing herself in this position ultimately highlighted how difficult of a decision she had placed in front of her. Who willingly subjects themselves to a life where you already know you’ll never be enough? That’s just how difficult of a decision it really was.

I really enjoyed the storytelling of motherhood through Jean, Faye, Maeve, and Molly’s eyes. Each having to go through their own challenges. How they navigate those are heavily influenced from how they were raised. Showcasing how generational trauma impacts what we pass on to our children. Ultimately, mothers are really trying their hardest. Sometimes you just gotta meet them where they are at!

Even though Elisabeth and Gisela’s relationship only made up a small portion of the book, I enjoyed how we were able to see the ties of sisterhood through them and then through Maeve and Molly.

Perspectives and empathy are everything in this book. It highlights how decisions that are made, especially during difficult times, shapes the trajectory of life. And how sometimes of ghosts will follow us around in some unsuspecting ways.

[Sara Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 Stars)

This is a multigenerational historical fiction novel that follows the lives of two German sisters whose lives change after WWII. Set against the backdrop of Operation Shamrock, a program that brought refugee German children to Ireland after the war, the story explores how one life changing decision echoes through generations, shaping a family burdened by secrets, loss, and unresolved pain.

This book had all the ingredients for a fascinating read—an intriguing historical setting, family secrets, sisterhood, motherhood, and the lasting effects of generational trauma but the execution for me landed in the category of good, but not great.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was nicely done. However, I struggled with the structure and pacing. It felt very slow and uneven at parts. There were too many names thrown at you early on that I often found myself trying to keep track of who was who rather than becoming immersed in the story. The frequent jumps in time made the narrative feel somewhat choppy and disjointed, and it took quite a while for me to connect with the characters and settle into the story.

That said, the emotional themes are where the novel shines. The exploration of sisterhood, family bonds, forgiveness and healing, motherhood, and the lingering effects of trauma was often heartbreaking. You can feel the sadness through nearly every generation of this family. At times, I found myself thinking that this entire family desperately needed therapy.

While I appreciated the historical elements and the emotional depth, I never felt completely invested in the story the way I wanted to be.

A big Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Brilliance Audio for gifted ARC. All opinions are mine.

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[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a new author for me and I gave her a go as it was a free book from Bookbub. I am so glad that I did as this is the best historical, family saga that I have read in a good while. It is about motherhood, sisterhood, survival, secrets, guilt and so much more. The characters are beautifully written and I loved them all. Going to see what else this lady has written.

I also enjoyed finding out about Operation Shamrock which I had never heard of before. Googling it has taught me that it was a post-World War II humanitarian relief effort organised by the Irish Red Cross. Between 1946 and 1947, they brought nearly 500 refugee children (mostly German orphans and vulnerable youth) from war-torn Europe to Ireland.

*****************************

In an unforgettable saga of survival, motherhood, sisterhood, and the secrets that haunt us, one desperate decision creates a fault line that spans decades and threatens to break a family wide open.

In 1946, two German sisters, child refugees in a program dubbed Operation Shamrock, arrive in Ireland to live in foster care while Europe recovers from war. Nearly fifty years later, on a fateful day in a bustling Maine farmhouse, an Irish newspaper clipping threatens to unravel Faye Sullivan’s carefully constructed life with husband William and daughters Maeve and Molly, a life already on the brink of collapse.

When tragedy strikes and the Sullivans grapple with a cascade of buried secrets, Faye must confront the truth of a childhood summer in West Cork marked by adventure, heartbreak, and a life-altering decision that now jeopardizes everything she holds dear. And while their bonds may not be what they seemed, those bonds might be the one thing strong enough to help the broken Sullivan family navigate the truth and find their way forward together.

From Germany to Ireland to coastal Maine, this tender family saga explores identity, reconciliation, and the true meaning of home.

[Paige Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Westerly by Susan Donovan Bernhard is a sweeping and emotionally layered family saga that explores the long shadow of war, displacement, and the fragile ties that bind generations together across time and geography.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its dual timeline structure. The story moves between post war Europe in 1946 and a modern family crisis in coastal Maine, gradually revealing how decisions made in the aftermath of conflict continue to echo through decades. This structure creates a powerful sense of inevitability and emotional depth as past and present collide.

The portrayal of the German sisters within Operation Shamrock is especially compelling. Their experience as child refugees offers a poignant look at survival, identity, and the uncertainty of being uprooted from everything familiar. These early experiences form the emotional foundation of the entire narrative.

In the contemporary storyline, Faye Sullivan’s unraveling life adds another layer of intensity. Her discovery of buried truths forces her to confront not only her past but also the fragile stability of her present family life. The emotional stakes feel immediate and deeply personal, particularly as long held secrets begin to surface.

Another notable strength is the novel’s exploration of motherhood and sisterhood. Across both timelines, relationships between women serve as the emotional core of the story, highlighting themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the complicated nature of familial love.

For readers who enjoy sweeping historical fiction, multi generational family dramas, emotionally driven narratives, and stories that explore identity, memory, and reconciliation, Westerly offers a heartfelt and absorbing reading experience.

[Chelsie Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

After moving to Ireland as part of Operation Shamrock in 1946, the lives of two German sisters are drastically changed forever when a tragic accident forces them apart. Hoping to protect her sister, Faye travels overseas to Maine with her new parents, leaving Ireland and Elisabeth behind without saying goodbye.

The secret Faye holds close to her heart eats at her even as she builds a new life. A mother who holds her at arm's length, a husband she feels she doesn't deserve, and two daughters she can't be fully herself with. Although the point of view changes throughout the chapters, the underlying unease is consistently felt, and the threat of her secret being revealed looms large as someone from her past begins harassing her and her family.

The flow of the story is masterfully crafted, carrying from one generation to the next. The way Bernhard shifted the focus of the story, without overshadowing the other characters, was nothing short of excellent. I loved being pulled into Maeve's acceptance of her sexuality, into Molly's guilt that caused her to spiral, and ultimately back into Faye's shame about what brought her to Maine and prevented her from disclosing the truth of her past.

This book immediately pulled me in and made it difficult for me to put down. The writing is beautiful and immersive, the pacing and story building were addictive, and the conclusion was everything I could have hoped for. I love complex family stories, the way they break apart and come together, and the character growth along the way. This was a fantastic example of a heartbreaking family story centered around acceptance and forgiveness. It's become one of my favorite books of the year, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Huge thank you to Susan Donovan Bernhard for providing me with an advanced galley of this novel!

[NicoleinFiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories slowly reveal their secrets, layer by layer, and Westerly is exactly that kind of novel.

Spanning post war Germany, rural Ireland, and coastal Maine, this moving family saga explores identity, belonging, forgiveness, and the complicated ties that bind families together. When an old newspaper clipping threatens to expose long-buried secrets, Faye Sullivan is forced to confront a past she has spent decades trying to leave behind.

What I loved most about this story was how beautifully it balanced heartbreak and hope. The characters felt authentic and deeply human. They were flawed, complicated, and shaped by the choices they made and the secrets they carried. I was especially drawn to the relationships between mothers and daughters and between sisters, all of them navigating love, guilt, loss, and the longing to belong.

Susan Donovan skillfully weaves together multiple timelines, revealing the truth piece by piece in a way that kept me completely invested. I also loved the sense of place. The Irish countryside and the coast of Maine felt vivid and immersive, becoming characters in their own right.

This is not a story that idealizes family. Instead, it offers a thoughtful and honest look at grief, resilience, reconciliation, and the possibility of forgiveness. It is a novel about the people we become, the secrets we carry, and the meaning of home.

If you enjoy historical fiction, family sagas, dual timelines, and emotionally rich stories about mothers, daughters, sisters, and second chances, I highly recommend picking up Westerly.

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for the advanced listening copy.

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 Audio Review: Enjoyed the audio narration. Felt it helped bring the story to life.

📝 Story Review: This was a rather tragic tale, but it also had aspects of strong family love and bonds that are hard to break, even when misunderstandings occur. It starts off in the 1940s amidst war time. Lots of tragic circumstances and then a decision that has far reaching effects on several families for decades to come. It follows one family in particular through the years and shows how keeping secrets and not communicating with each other can cause wounds and insecurities to fester.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and found the story to be intriguing and emotionally moving.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice Level: 🌶️ 0.5/5

Tropes 👇

- Family Secrets
- Family Trauma
- Sibling Bonds
- Motherhood
- Coming Out (LGBTQ rep)
- War time displacement
- 1940s-1990s
- Germany to Ireland to Coastal Maine

CW’s 👇

- Heart attack
- Loss of loved one/parent
- Accidental death/subsequent ptsd
- Suicidal thoughts
- Brief thought of hurting child
- Brief mention of a suicide
- Themes of homophobia/fear of coming out
- Death of a child/drowning incident
- Brief mention of STDs

Audio Release Date: June 1, 2026
Audio Run Time: 11 hrs, 22 mins
Narrated By: Helen Laser
Genre: Women’s Fiction
POV: Third Person; Multi

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for this ALC in return for my honest review.

[Carey Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Donovan Bernhard’s long awaited sophomore effort is a beautifully rendered floral arrangement chock full of daisies and the mendacity of life, we readers deterred mourners, bearing witness to a sweeping family saga that spans generations from Ireland to Maine.

This family, I swear.

All heart trapped in thorns.

Yet everything in Westerly, here, too, is about the ocean, its fullness and capacity to spawn life and when deemed necessary, to take it as well.

The year is 1946, and as Europe attempts to stabilize from the ravages of WW II, two German sisters arrive in Ireland to live in foster care.

Flash forward fifty years later and an old Irish newspaper clipping threatens to expose secrets Faye Sullivan has worked tirelessly to keep hidden from her husband, William, and two daughters, Maeve and Molly.

Westerly is heavily influenced by Yeats and his preoccupation with the cyclical themes of life, that things fall apart.

"The centre cannot hold."

Here, Westerly is loosed upon the world.

“I don’t know how to keep us together anymore.”

Bernhard, who dedicates the novel to her immigrant grandparents takes great care in honoring what’s left behind, recognizing the strength in fallacy and the authenticity of self.

Westerly is also about accepting yourself, identity, sisterhood and motherhood and the ways we seek forgiveness.

Above all else, Faye is about safety, traumatized by events in her childhood.

“Keep a secret. Don’t talk about it. Don’t expose it.”

Bad things happen. You suppress. Compartmentalize.

“It’s not happening any longer.”

But this way of thinking often maligns in not-so-subtle ways as evidenced by one of Faye’s daughters; she too traumatized by a harrowing event she may have caused that blights the Sullivans for years.

“What could have made her peaceful with a mind as simple as fire.”

Why do we bury everything?

There’s poison in the past.

Westerly has elements of everything to whet the appetite of readers of all genres: dysfunction, drama, mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, and heart wrenching twists that are wholly relatable.

In Westerly, Bernhard ensures a woman is entitled to her story.

In all its hearts and thorns.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westerly is a poignant, multi‑generational tale that begins in 1946 with two German sisters sent to Ireland under Operation Shamrock. Decades later, in Maine, Faye Sullivan’s carefully built life is shaken when an old Irish newspaper clipping resurfaces, threatening to expose long‑buried secrets.

Bernhard’s writing is tender and immersive, weaving together survival, identity, and the fragile bonds of family. The novel shines in its exploration of motherhood and sisterhood, showing how one desperate decision can ripple across generations. That said, the pacing leans toward the slow and reflective, with the narrative focusing on introspection over action. Still, the emotional resonance and richly drawn settings from post‑war Ireland to coastal Maine makes this a rewarding read.

I switched seamlessly between the audio and eBook. The narration was quite good and moving, adding emotional weight to the slower, more reflective passages. Thanks to Little A, Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, this is a slow-burn contemporary family drama about secrets, survival, and reconciliation, with glimpses into history and not quite a tightly structured Historical Fiction.

3.75/5⭐.

[Estelle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a sweeping family saga, spanning from postwar Germany and Ireland to coastal Maine across nearly five decades. Two German sisters separated by tragedy, a secret kept for a lifetime, and the generational ripple effects on a family in Maine make for an ambitious and emotionally rich premise.

With so many characters and timelines woven through the story, it took some effort to keep everyone straight, though I was able to follow the main characters and their throughlines without much trouble. You can tell Bernhard was working to give each character real depth and a fully realized arc, but with this many storylines competing for space, the overall narrative occasionally loses some of its momentum. A tighter focus might have made for an even more compelling read.

That said, the emotional core of the story, the bonds between mothers, daughters, and sisters, comes through clearly, and the settings in both Ireland and Maine are vividly drawn. The narration was well done and added to the listening experience throughout.

A solid four star listen for fans of multigenerational family sagas with historical depth.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Susan Donovan Bernhard, and Little A for allowing me to read this book in advance of its publication. Susan was a guest on the new podcast Why Authors Write, where we discussed WESTERLY together in an author interview (episode forthcoming).

This was a wonderful read that left me incredulous and sad and yearning for reveal after reveal. There were so many layers to this story that just fit so well into one another. I was impressed with Susan's manipulation of the lengthy timeline as well as crafting such unique characters that stood apart yet still paralleled one another. One thing that I really appreciated about this book was that it didn't romanticize life - it gave you all the hardships and displayed a common family, even with all the secrets. It showed us a great sadness in how much can be lost, but at the same time, it showed us strength as a family and the importance of forgiveness.

I think this is a book that I'm going to be left thinking about for a very long time.

[BookByBook karenreadslotsofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Westerly by Susan Donovan Bernhard
PUB DATE: June 1, 2026 (My May Amazon First Read Pick!)
Historical Fiction

This was an easy Amazon First Read pick for me. I read historical fiction, family saga, secrets, sisters and I was all in!
Synopsis: This historical fiction begins with the young orphaned German sisters Elizabeth and Gisela being relocated and placed with a husband and wife in Ireland through the WWII Operation Shamrock program. While still adjusting to their new home and surroundings, a tragic event sets into motion a series of choices that ends up separating the sisters. Gisela leaves for America with a neighboring couple and a new identity. Gisela becomes Faye, grows up in Maine, marries and has a family of her own. Over the span of fifty years secrets are kept, lives are forever changed and the trauma is passed from one generation to the next.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story, seeing the mother-daughter and sister-sister relationships evolve as each character deals with their own secrets, guilt, and need for love and acceptance. The author painted a detailed picture of a coastal Maine setting and the Irish countryside as it changed over the course of fifty years. I found the characters to be complex, flawed and believable.
I recommend reading Westerly if you love historical fiction and family sagas, especially the complicated relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters.

[Marion Sheppard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. In Westerly, Susan Donovan Bernhard weaves a moving family saga that begins with the little-known historical program known as Operation Shamrock, which brought German child refugees to Ireland after World War II. The story follows two German sisters whose lives are forever changed by their experiences in Ireland and the secrets that emerge from that time. Bernhard effectively uses Operation Shamrock, (a real humanitarian effort that relocated refugee children after the war) as both a historical backdrop and a catalyst for exploring themes of identity, belonging, loss, and forgiveness. As the narrative shifts across decades and generations, the lasting impact of one childhood decision unfolds in emotional and unexpected ways. With rich historical detail, compelling characters, and a heartfelt examination of family bonds, Westerly is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that shines a light on a fascinating chapter of postwar history while delivering a powerful story of resilience and reconciliation.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book started slow. The focus on the second generation (Faye's daughters) also felt excessive at first. But then I got it, even if I was slow on the uptake. By the end I really cared about the characters and wanted to know how things turned out. This book deals with intergenerational pain and childhood trauma, family acceptance and rejection. Where initially I felt "what's the big deal?" with many of these particular family secrets, as I continued reading the "big deal" became clearer. What played into my rating were the little details Bernhard carefully wove into the story that, when brought together, gave the entire story meaning. For example, Faye's husband's hatred of all things German, including taking the language in school. Who would want to share with him they were German? As a historical fiction, the book gives a bit of insight into Operation Shamrock, and the care many Irish people gave to German orphaned refugees after World War II. The book also reminds us of how much the world has changed for women, and how much things have stayed the same.

[Jennifer S. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of novel that once you start it, you aren't going to want to do anything else until you finish it.

A family of free leaves Ireland to start over in Maine. Yet there's a secret they're keeping that shadows all else. However, the reader learns early what the main secret is (there are others, of course), so we can see how it affects each generation of the family. There's still a great deal of suspense, but it arises naturally; I never felt like the author was toying with me by hiding things.

The novel spans over fifty years, and I am amazed at how it dips in and out of time so seamlessly. The novel is told from multiple points of view, and each voice is distinct and captivating. The characters are flawed and wonderful and frustrating and relatable. I underlined so many lovely turns of phrase--Bernhard is truly a wordsmith.

This book will be amazing for book clubs. Love, love, love!