A Letter From America

by Geraldine O'Neill

It is the late 60’s in Tullamore, County Offaly, and life is full of exciting possibilities for Fiona Tracey, as she prepares to leave Ireland to work for a wealthy family in New York. Fiona’s parents have the local shop and bar, and her younger sisters are already leading independent lives. Bridget is at a convent school preparing to be a nun and Angela has led a life of her own since she was hospitalised up in Dublin for years with childhood polio. Then, sudden tragedy forces Fiona to postpone her departure for New York. As her mother sinks into illness and depression, her responsibilities mount. When help is offered by her aunt and cousin, Fiona is mystified by her mother’s animosity towards them. As summer approaches, an American architect, Michael O’Sullivan, takes a room above the bar. Within a short time Fiona finds herself involved in an unexpected and passionate affair. Then, as a surprising incident threatens Bridget’s vocation, Angela uncovers information which explodes old family secrets. Before Fiona can embark on an independent life again, perhaps in New York, she must find a new understanding of her family – and of herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ireland, Ebooks, Historical, Audiobook, Contemporary

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2015

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book to read. Very easy and it drifted along with gentleness. I really enjoyed it. It takes you back to the sixties and a more gentler time which I remember well (which shows my age)!!!!
I loved this book and I will read her others.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me conflicted

I enjoyed reading about people from other countries in the 1960s. It certainly wasn’t anything like my childhood in New Jersey in the 1960s and 1970s: The days of Woodstock and Barry White.

That said, the jumping about between the characters sometimes got me kind of confused. Initially the author would go between the characters regularly: one Chapter, one character, next chapter, next character, next chapter next character. It was a fairly logical cadence. But then suddenly there were three or four chapters on one character, and when the author finally went back to a previous character, their status in the previous chapter they were in, was left out to dry, and never explained. It was like they took this giant leap six months in the future with no explanation about what happened in that six months. I think the book started to get too long because there were three sisters, and involving all of them as main characters, which is how she handled it, got to be too cumbersome. I also found a boatload of typos and formatting problems, which were very distracting. But I did want to find out what happened to each of them. In the end though I only got closure really on one which makes no sense at all to me the others were kind of left hanging. Not sure I’ll be interested in any of her other books.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept waiting for something to happen in this book and it never did, even the things that I think were supposed to be big plot points went by without a fuss and no one seemed that bothered by them. Pretty dull read really.

[Linzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slooooooooooooow zzzzzzzzzz

[Alcornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book description is perfectly accurate review of the happenings in the story. Likable bit of family drama and romance set in Ireland. Not my cuppa tea exactly, but a sweet tale of miscommunications, coming of age, family love and romance reconnecting people torn apart in the course of growing up.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant novel set in late ‘60’s-early 70’s Ireland ala Maeve Binchy. No murders, no abductions, no disasters, just the ordinary family dynamics and little dramas of real people. A nice break from best-seller agonies. Girls wear twinsets and pearls, worry about their reputations, and drink Babycham and lemon shandies. The men are all decent and thoughtful. You could tell the author was Irish because her American character said things like “different to” (an American would say “different from” or “different than”) and asks about two brothers “getting on” instead of “getting along.” I was amused when one character said, “An Indian summer they’re calling it, whatever that means.” “You’d imagine they’d have good weather in India all the year round,” Mary Ellen said.” The book wraps up with everyone living happily ever after. My favorite kind!

[Virginia Tican · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have wanted to finish this book because it had a promise of a heart~warming drama about the Traceys and the separate lives of the 3 sisters. But it was a let down when Fiona, though understandably had to give up her boyfriend, because she is going to work in New York following an invitation from her friend Elizabeth who found her an employment as a nanny in Park Avenue. To adjust to a bit of a culture shock plus countless other things would take quite awhile and should not even have room for a new American boyfriend (a passing thought maybe but it should not bear mentioning more than her thoughts and feelings about what to expect when she gets to America). So is this a Mail Order Bride story after all? Seems a bit callous and superficial to me. It turns out I, the reader, was the one who had a shock after all.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by this author! I would like to read more books from her.

[Cassandra Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of character development and very little action until the last 15% of the book. Some of the character storylines we drug out a bit too long. It was a nice wrap up in the end.

[Red Tide · Rating 1 out of 5]

Secrets, lies and Catholicism

It's tough to know where to start in a book that is this bad. The thinly written significant characters are shallow, self-absorbed girls (not a woman in the group) and the rest of the cast are story props. The plot is predictable enough that I'm not sure that plot is the applicable term. The dialogue fits the story and that covers the core awfulness.

The stereotypical Irish personalities written by an English writer would cause the writer problems. The one drunk is the only Englishman in the book ?? That was particularly jarring, remember the stereotype-filled story.

None of the big emotional conflicts, revealed secrets or personal problems "shared" elicits real emotional responses from the characters. The POV shifts work to emphasize the self-absorption of the three sisters. They are such strong women that their entire life is aimed at getting a man (the nun in training can't wait to get engaged to the Christ).

The writing style isn't. The point of it, isn't. The Irishness is over-the -top. This is a very sad book and it's a formula that I suspect she repeats in all her books, because she is too comfortable with the framework. I almost forgot, she referenced the "Quiet Man" several times. That says it all.

If you need a story with substance, this isn't the one. If you haven't seen "The Quiet Man", I think it may be John Wayne's best movie.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable. I was waiting for Fiona to go to America to send letters from America, which never happened.
Easy read not much depth. Wish there would have been more history of why the Catholics were so strict and attitudes of the small Irish community.

[Gill Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read but rather predictable.

[Tina Culbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a Kindle deal so I went ahead and bought it.  I had not heard of this author before but the premise of the story interested me.  I do like armchair traveling to Ireland.

The setting is 1968 in Tullamore Ireland with occasional chapters taking us to Dublin.  We meet the Tracey family who own a pub and grocery store.  The daughters have different goals in life and we get to meet each one.  The youngest girl, Bridget, is training to be a nun and lives at a Catholic school for women who want the same vocation.

Angela Tracey is the middle daughter and lives in Dublin.  She is very independent and loves her life in the city.  Angela doesn't feel close to her family as she was striken with polio as a young girl and pretty much grew up in a hospital in Dublin. She had visitors from family with the exception of her mother.  Whaaat?  All is revealed later about that situation.  I very much liked Angela's character.

Fiona Tracey is the oldest and much of the story focuses on her life and interactions with family.  The title Letter from America refers to her weekly correspondence with her good friend Elizabeth.  Her friend now lives in New York City and has managed to hook Fiona up with a job.  The plans are set, Fiona is excited but a family tragedy changes her plans and she has to postpone the trip.  (This is in the book jacket so no spoilers)

There is a secret and animosity between Fiona's mother and her Aunt Catherine which is brought up fairly frequently as they argue or give the cold shoulder. The daughters don't know what it's about but it is finally revealed close to the end. This book is classifed as historial Irish fiction but there a bit more romance than I expected, though not enough to classify it in that genre.

For a light read I would look for more by this author. There was quite a bit of food and drink mentioned in the story.

Homemade Shepherds pie, chicken salad, cooked ham and fried potatoes, cold ham and brown bread, lamb chops, boiled potatoes and peas.

Cod with parsley sauce, floury potatoes and vegetables, Chicken with Dauphinois potatoes and broccoli, hot Apple tart with custard, trifle , lemon meringue pie.

Banycham, Tullamore Dew, pints of lager , Sherry and white wine.

The mention of fried potatoes had me craving them so, I saved some of the roasted potatoes from a previous chicken dinner, sliced them and fried them up.  They made an excellent accompaniment to last evenings dinner.



For more about Geraldine O'Neill check out her webpage HERE.

[Bookfan36 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief synopsis from the book cover:

It is the late 60’s in Tullamore, County Offaly, and life is full of exciting possibilities for Fiona Tracey, as she prepares to leave Ireland to work for a wealthy family in New York. Fiona’s parents have the local shop and bar, and her younger sisters are already leading independent lives. Bridget is at a convent school preparing to be a nun and Angela has led a life of her own since she was hospitalised up in Dublin for years with childhood polio.

Then, sudden tragedy forces Fiona to postpone her departure for New York. As her mother sinks into illness and depression, her responsibilities mount. When help is offered by her aunt and cousin, Fiona is mystified by her mother’s animosity towards them. As summer approaches, an American architect, Michael O’Sullivan, takes a room above the bar. Within a short time Fiona finds herself involved in an unexpected and passionate affair. Then, as a surprising incident threatens Bridget’s vocation, Angela uncovers information which explodes old family secrets. Before Fiona can embark on an independent life again, perhaps in New York, she must find a new understanding of her family – and of herself.

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction



Review:

This book started off a bit slow and at first I wasn’t sure I could finish it but then it picked up and captured me. I am glad I didn’t give up as it was actually a nice story. Nothing too complicated but the characters were interesting once you got to know them, they are not perfect, they have flaws and make mistakes but that’s what makes them realistic. Overall a charming light hearted story.

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiona, Angela and Bridget are the three daughters of Nance and her husband, who own a little pub and shop in a smalle town in Ireland in the late 1960ies. Angela lives in Dublin since she suffered from polio as a child and spent her childhood mostly in hospitals away from her family. Bridget, the youngest, is in a convent school as she wants to become a nun. Fiona helps her parents in the shop and pub, but has made plans to go to New York and work there in a household together with a friend from her.
When tragedy strikes, all their plans are changed, and the sisters, who did not have a lot in common, will have to be strong together to overcome not only the sad events, but also a long hidden family secret that comes to light.
Not a bad plot, and sympathetic characters, although I could not quite get behind their actions/interactions although I grew up in the 60ies myself - life in Irish villages must have been different from life in German villages.
I quite liked the story, and I would not say the book was boring, but it was not fast paced, any suspension was scarce, and it felt a bit contradictive regarding typical 1960ies technology , fashion and lifestyle compared to how the protagonists reacted towards events.
All in all, though, not a bad book.

[Dean McIntyre · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have always considered terms like chic-lit and chick-flix to be insulting, demeaning, patronizing, and sexist. Perhaps there are, indeed, characteristics of a work that limit its readership to mostly women, and that would lead a male reader to quit reading early on. Here are some of the characteristics I found in A LETTER FROM AMERICA: thin and uninteresting plot; shallow characters; lack of character development; uninteresting events that fail to drive plot development; utter predictability; no intellectual or emotional investment in reading; a sense of wasted time upon completion. Not a good review! However, if these are characteristics that make for chick-lit, then I am disappointed. The women I know, work with, and live with would be equally disappointed in this book, I think. Glad to hear from anyone who disagrees. I give it one star out of five, only because I can't give it a half-star.

[Phyllis H. Pajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about an Irish family of Mother, Father and 3 daughters living and working in Ireland. It is a family of secrets and not talking about themselves with the neighbors because of them. As the girls grow older, they each try to go out into the world and fine their own way but their mother likes to keep a hand on each of them and determine their future. Their father dies and then every thing falls on Fiona because one of he sisters has a job in Dublin and is sort of estranged from the family and the other sister is studying to become a nun and is at seminary. Fiona has her own dreams but when her mother gets sick, all the household work as well as running the two businesses the family owns fall to her and she must give up her dreams for awhile. I think you would enjoy this book so you should give it a try. I enjoyed it a lot.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Letter From America – This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. If you like Pilcher, Binchey, Buck and Jean Grainger, you will enjoy this book, too.

The storylines weave an interesting fabric of happiness, disappointment, sorrow, love and abandonment. Three sisters and their journey to adulthood by three different paths and their relationships with their parents and aunt and cousin form the foundation.

The secrets that are discovered after the death of the father and husband, and the healing that come from the knowledge kept me immersed in the pages. The author’s talent for storytelling and her vivid descriptions place the reader in the midst of their lives.

Each character is special and their dialogs are real, and there isn’t any stupidity formula, just plain storytelling about a family trying to live and love in a small town in Ireland. 5*

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating characters...

Secret after secret comes to light as you read through this book. Characters who bleed when they are cut. They are so real, you feel you know them. And it seems as if each one of them has a secret. Even if it's keeping someone else's overheard secret. The story centers around three sisters. They live in a tiny town in Ireland and start out at home with their mother and father. The family owns a pub and store that they all help run. One sister catches polio and goes to the hospital for years of treatment. A second sister goes to a convent school to train to become a nun. The third sister has plans to move to New York to work as a nanny when their world changes dramatically and everyone's life is changed in a big way. Now they must learn the secret. Recommended.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend the book to chick-lit readers.

The story centers around two sisters and four children living in Ireland. What makes a good parent, sister, natural child or adopted child? In this book those matters are addressed and, after twenty seven years, are resolved. The storyline was predictable and entertaining. The author's writing mechanics were good. I liked the book because of how these Irish people 'sorted' things out. The characters had such energy in going about their daily chores in their homes, in the pub/store combination, and in their public jobs. I felt rather guilty because these characters stayed as busy as bees while I 'laid up sorry' in my bed reading a book!

Thank you, Ms. O'Neill, for a good read.

[AF Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I would term a beach read or a respite from the winter drabs reading. It was a lovely book altogether with interesting characters, and a wide mix of them. It is a tale of family and one that whether or not one is from Ireland, one can relate to.

I particularly like that the ending is a hopeful one, perhaps even happy. I love that Ms. O'Neill didn't tie every wee thing up with a bow, but left some of the characters to imagine their futures and that life goes on as it is inclined to do, no matter what things it can throw at any human being. Well done Ms. O'Neill. I enjoyed my first visit to the world you create. I love your artistry, the texture and the detail and the time period. Thank you!!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bland but pleasant story

Given the title, I had expected that the plot would be about an Irish girl who moved to the states. It wasn't; it was all set in Ireland, in a small town in the late 1960's. Fiona, Angela, and Bridget, three sisters, each had plans for the next phase of their lives. Each also had a challenging relationship with their mother Nance, who together with their father Sean, ran the village pub and market.
Life intervenes, however, and plans change, exposing family secrets and re-opening fault lines. It's a pleasant, fairly mindless but pleasant read, and a nice change from some of the heavier novels I've been reading. You can think, like a Maeve Binchy novel, but not as well written. Good for a summer afternoon.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Letter from America by Geraldine O’Neil is the story of the Tracey family in Tullamore County, Ireland. Oldest daughter, Fiona, is ready to make the leap and move to America for work. She would be leaving behind her parents, Sean and Nancy, and her sisters, Angela and Bridget. Everything is set until tragedy strikes and Fiona must put her plans on hold. As family drama brews, Fiona must make a final decision. Does she stay in Ireland and help her family? Or does she follow her dreams and pursue a life in America?
Unfortunately, I could not finish Letter from America. I just didn’t care about the characters, their conflicts or any resolutions that may come. I was almost 50% into the book and not much had happened, and the characters seemed to be stuck with no willingness to change. I do not recommend Letter from America.

Letter from America
is available in paperback and eBook

[Glynis Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful family story

Anything set in Ireland attracts my attention, as I was born there. A Letter from America didn’t disappoint.

I got thoroughly immersed in the story from the first chapter. Three very different sisters find the true meaning of their lives amidst many ups and downs.

This was a well written story, with interesting well developed characters.

A very entertaining and enjoyable book with a few unexpected twists and turns. I loved it.

I can heartily recommend ‘A Letter from America’ to anyone with an interest in Ireland particularly, but also to those who just enjoy the characters in a book finding true love and happily ever after!

[Renee Valentine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice Story But Tons Of Unneeded Details

The story in of itself is nice and it’s nice to read about that time in Ireland but the author spends way too much time on the details of a scene that gives nothing to the description of the scene or helps to drag out the characters.

Every now and then it would be fine but it happened with so many scenes.

Also big chunks of time were skipped which wouldn’t normally be a problem but important things happened that were only briefly alluded to and it left me frustrated as there was build up with no payoff.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book. It is basically about a family in Ireland with grown children a bar and a shop were they sell basic groceries. Some of the family members are well developed and almost make you think they are like people you know. The family has numerous problems among the three girls. One of them has a friend in America who has a domestic job and wants her to join her. One of the girls in a convent learning to be a Num and the third seldom lived at home because she developed polio as a child and lived in hospital. The extended family is involved in family secrets.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great storylines and fun to read about the different people. There isn't a lot of character growth, but more of a look into their lives for a year. The falling action is pretty quick, but does a good job with loose ends - giving them a place to go without everything neat and tidy, a quality I enjoy very much. The text is in desperate need of a good copy edit...many obvious mistakes and typos in the ebook version. Reader beware: not explicit descriptions or anything, but some sexual references.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh, an Irish Novel Filled with Love, Twists and Turns!

What a wonderful story bringing rich characters together through many life changing events! Traveling strangers, a small town, the local pub, a family of sisters, death, a convent school, love blossoming in unexpected places, polio, the 1960's changing fashion, morality, society, etc.

Oh how I wish there was a follow on book!!! Loved it!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is in Ireland in the 1960's. What appears to be just a normal family, is hiding a secret. Fiona is the oldest, living at home with her parents. She helps with the bar and store. Angela is the middle daughter who has grown up in Dublin hospitals while having polio. Bridget is the youngest living in a convent to become a nun.

There are a few twists and a love story within a family as the secret comes to light. I enjoyed it a lot. I would love to see a sequel!

[Mary Hite · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read. It takes place in Ireland in the 1960’s, and of course, there are the family secrets. Some of the characters are more developed than others, but I could identify with Fiona, the oldest daughter. When I was finished with the book I felt a bit disappointed that the ending was rushed, not complete. It would have been nice to cut out some of the fluff in the main part and add to the ending - not stop the book so abruptly.