A Filha do Irlandês

by V.S. Alexander

Irlanda, 1845. Para Briana Walsh, nenhum lugar se compara a Carrowteige, no condado de Mayo, com os seus campos verdejantes e penhascos rochosos com vista sobre o Atlântico. As pequenas quintas que cercam a centenária Lear House são administradas pelo seu pai, feitor do rico e imprudente Sir Thomas Blakely. Os rendeiros vendem a aveia e o centeio que cultivam para pagar a renda a Sir Thomas, sobrevivendo com as batatas que florescem nos restantes pedaços de terra.

Mas quando a produção de batata é assolada por uma praga devastadora, as famílias que Briana conheceu durante toda a vida ficam sem comida, sem recursos e à mercê do impiedoso proprietário, que parece indiferente a tudo exceto ao lucro. Rory Caulfield, o jovem camponês com quem Briana espera casar, partilha do desespero dos rendeiros — e da sua raiva. Fala-se de represálias violentas contra a nobreza insensível e os seus representantes. A tensão religiosa é também palpável, e ninguém parece saber em quem confiar.

Com a fome e as doenças a alastrarem pelo país, matando e deslocando milhões, Briana sabe que deve encontrar uma maneira de guiar a sua família por um dos momentos mais sombrios da Irlanda — em direção à esperança, ao amor e a um novo recomeço.

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

384 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2019

About the author

Also see Michael Meeske

I'm happy to share my historical women's fiction with you thanks to Kensington Publishing. My novels feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.

My writings include: The Magdalen Girls (2017), The Taster (2018), The Irishman's Daughter (2019), The Traitor (2020), and The Sculptress (2021). Two more novels are scheduled for the coming years. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

Thank you, and happy reading!

Reviews

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I  enjoyed the setting of Ireland in 1845 on a family farm during a devastating famine.  The tenant farmers were dealing with a plague on their potato crops. The potatoes were moldy, black and rotten. The farmers had a struggle coming and they weren't prepared for it.

Brian manages the land and the tenant farmers for the wealthy Sir Thomas Blakely who is concerned only for his bottom line. Brian's daughter Briana, struggles to help all the families that are suffering due to the failing crops. She is both strong and courageous. 

I wanted to love this book, but it never fully captured my attention. You know, when you keep reading, thinking something will strike you.  I read The Taster by this author last year and it made my 2018 favorites list. So I had high expectations for this one. It felt like the story was just staying in one place for far too long before things began to move along. I think I was suffering along with the farmers.

Thanks to NG / publisher for my review copy.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. 5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ireland 1845: County Mayo. For Briana Walsh and her family, there is no place more beautiful than the place they call home. Her father takes care of an Englishman's estate, her sister Lucinda is a governess in England and Briana's childhood love, tenant farmer Rory Caulfield and she have plans to marry. However, nothing can prepare them for the potato blight that will soon reach Ireland's shores and cause much devastation to their population. Equally devastating is the English government and Queen Victoria 's lack of involvement to help the Irish people who are turned out of their homes. Soon they will hear of "coffin ships" sending the Irish to the shores of Canada and America holding out for an improvement. When Briana and Lucinda are sent to Boston, they discover a world that is just as dangerous and difficult to navigate as the one which they were forced to flee.

V.S. Alexander presents a well researched fictional novel that explicitly describes the brutal devastation of "the great hunger" that forced the Irish disapora to the UK, North America etc.. Although I felt the ending a tad rushed and a wee bit unrealistic, I did finish this book in one sitting.

Publication Date 26/02/19
Goodreads Review 16/02/19

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Irishman’s Daughter by VS Alexander is a book that started during the potato famine in Ireland 1845. A lot written into this book. It was a bit drawn out. It takes sisters Lucinda and Briana to the USA where they find life in the US was really no better. As they struggle to make their way. Briana is pregnant having to leave her father and husband in Ireland. This is a story that travels from Ireland to the US. Death from dark plagues to survival with the birth of a baby.

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

1845: the Irish Potato Famine. Briana and Lucinda are sisters living with their father who manages the surrounding farming fields of Lear House. Devastation hits hard when a plague enters Ireland killing all the crops.

Lear House was easy to envision. It added thick, palpable atmosphere to the novel making it more impactful and memorable. I could easily picture the rolling hills and acres of farmland of the Irish countryside along with the mansion home overlooking it all.

The characters were endearing and root-worthy. I especially loved Briana. A main theme is family and loyalty and it carried a heavy importance throughout the book.

The novel is informative and educational. The potato plague was a horribly devastating piece of Ireland’s past and although hard to read the upsetting details, I enjoyed learning about this time in our history that I knew nothing about.

While I enjoyed the atmosphere and characters, I found the plot dragged in a few places. My attention wasn’t kept at a consistent level as the pace was very slow and tedious at times.

I can’t say I loved the book, but I am happy I read it and educated myself on this topic. I loved this authors’ book, The Taster, and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! Thank you to my lovely local library for the audio loan!

Audio rating: 4 stars! Loved the narrator and all that she brought to the story. A perfect choice!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Irishman's Daughter is one of those rare books that make me wish I could give it more than 5 stars. It is a beautiful, well written, fantastically researched historical fiction novel about a rarely discussed time in Irish history - the Famine of the mid 1800s. I have read a lot about this time period because most of my maternal ancestors immigrated to America from Ireland during this time period. Even though I have read a lot about it, this book gave me more information about the Irish farmers and what they went through during this terrible time.

The novel begins in 1845 in County Mayo where Briana lives with her father Brian, the agent to a wealthy English landowner. As the land agent, Brian is responsible for collecting rent from the tenant farmers who grow crops on the land. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. When the potato crop fails, the farmers are left with no food and no way to survive. Briana feels great compassion for the farmers and has been in love with Rory, one of the local tenant farmers, since they were children. As the hunger and disease spread over Ireland, Briana and Rory work to make sure that their families survive despite the odds against them.

Briana was a wonderfully written character. The reader could feel her pain and compassion as the drought worsened and I must admit that I cried along with her several times. Her love of her home and the beauty of the Irish countryside is so strong that I consider Ireland to be one of the main characters in the book. I know that it made me want to take another trip to Ireland to see the beauty of it. This is a book that I won't soon forget.


Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the previous books by this author and really enjoyed them. I am Irish, my Great grandmother came over on a boat from Gallway at age 16 so I was very interested in reading about the potato famine. I really didn't know too many details about it. The author has obviously done his research on this one. Rory and Briana have know each other from childhood and plan to marry but her father doesn't want her to marry a tenant farmer. Carrowteige, County Mayo Ireland, 1845. There is no place on earth more beautiful with its sloping fields and rocky cliffs perched above the wild Atlantic. Briana's father manages Lear House , it's centuries old and surrounded by farms with tenant farmers selling oats,rye and potatoes. When the potato crop failed it was all over for them. The Irish suffered for three reasons during the Great Famine pain,shame and truth. This is a somber book filled with the aftermath of the potato famine, poverty,death and misery fill it's pages. I thought the book was fascinating though because it factual history. Over one million people died during this famine and equal numbers left for America,England and Wales. This is a five star book in my opinion.
Published February 26th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

[OLT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read several novels that take place during Ireland's Great Famine of the 1840s. This is the first one that has taken me more than a month to read. And that's not because I was so devastated by the subject matter that I could only handle a bit at a time. Nope, it's because this was the least inspired and inspiring treatment of that tragic historical period I've read.

If you know nothing about the Great Famine of the 1840s (and...really??), this might be a good starting point to pique your interest to do some investigation of that bleak time, but I was familiar with this bit of history and found V.S. Alexander's story to be mediocre, populated with underdeveloped characters and a rudderless plot.

Alexander got in all the points he was trying to make, I believe. The hunger, the despair, the desperation, the deaths from malnutrition and illness, the insensitive and uncaring English, the incompetent way the potato blight was handled, etc. Yeah, it's there, but I only cared because parts of the story brought back memories of other books I've read on the topic, books that really and truly touched me. The characters in this book were shallowly developed and uninteresting and the plot wandered around from here to there and back again. None of the plot points, especially those during the time our heroine and her sister spent in Boston, were developed well and long enough to be very impactful before the story moved on to something else.

So...read this if you are ignorant about Irish history (which is tied to American history and the influx of Irish immigrants to the U.S. during the famine) and find this book close to hand. I personally would go with Liam O'Flaherty's FAMINE or Charles Egan's THE KILLING SNOW, THE EXILE BREED and COLD IS THE DAWN or Michael Nicholson's DARK ROSALEEN. Heck, even Pamela Ford's TO RIDE A WHITE HORSE and Eileen Barnes's RESCUING MR. GRACEY moved me more.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book where the main character is overdrawn that you just want to slap her? Briana Walsh is such a person. By the time I finished this book, I actually loathed her. The author is so full of earnestness that she turns her into a caricature. By the end there is no way to like her. She is too good to be true.

Set during the potato famine in 1845 in the County Mayo, Briana is the daughter of the English lord's agent at his Irish estate. As the blight spreads, she labors to do anything to save the tenants. As starving people start camping outside the estate to beg for food, Briana gathers up what is left of their own food and opens a soup kitchen. I believe this happened but I can't believe she was the only one who cared. I also she would have hidden some food for own family but I am apparently wrong.

She marries her long time love, Rory, a tenant farmer. Then because having a baby during a famine makes so much sense, she gets pregnant. The author then with a character with sensibilities of someone from the year 2019, has her arguing with the landlord repeatedly, unconcerned with them being evicted or fired. After all, she knows best.

Eventually, there is a fight and the landlord gets shot and the sisters catch a boat for America. Rory can't go because he is suspected of shooting the landlord. The sisters land in Boston and eventually get work and settle in. She finds an ill boy saves him but not his mother. She has her own baby and takes the boy's savings and sails back to Ireland because that's such a great decision. A brand new baby, long sea voyage and landing in a place with no food.

Then there's this insulting author's note at the end where the American author asserts that the famine is "relegated to the dustbin of history" She said it's not really not taught in Irish schools and usually with only one or two pages in the textbook. Really? I know a few Irish people and even belong to an Irish book group on Goodreads and without exception they all know about the famine. Even here on America, news of the famine has trickled through. How condescending.

Please do yourself a favor and don't bother with this book. It's a waste of time unless you've never heard of the Irish potato famine. Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book.

[Mrsk Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Irishman's Daughter, by V.S. Alexander, teaches one more about the great Irish potato famine and it's affect on the Irish population than any history lesson ever! As usual, Alexander has written an excellent story set against a real historical event. Her protagonist, Briana, is indeed the Irishman's Daughter of the title. She has a genuine love for her country, Ireland, and Alexander spares no words in her many descriptions of the raw beauty of the rugged surroundings. Since Briana's father is an overseer for a British land owner in county Mayo whereas her husband is a tenant facing both bankruptcy and starvation due to the continuous failure of the potato crop, there is no shortage of plot devices n this book.

Alexander's depiction of the generational way of life gives one a true sense of the love the Irish have not just for their family, but also for their extended community and the land they depend on to meet all their daily needs – food, housing, fuel, etc. Her characterization of the arrogant British who have no idea of the hardship facing the Irish when their crop fail helps one understand the long standing animosity between the two countries. In addition to the pompous British, Alexander cleverly integrates the secret society of the Molly Maguires, the failure of the Roman Catholic church to help those in most dire need, societies expectation of women and the mass migration of the Irish to America into the novel.

Although the ending is somewhat contrived it brilliantly tied up all the lose ends and left one with the feeling of hope for the future of the myriad of characters who had been so passionately brought to life.

I recommend this book to lover's of historical fiction.

I received a free copy of this ARC in return for a honest review.

[Alyssa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the other V.S. Alexander books I've read, I learned so much from this story. Most people have heard of the Great Hunger in Ireland during the 1840s, but much of the horror of it has become whitewashed through the years. By setting the book in a rural village in Ireland, V.S. takes us through those early, barely-believable rumors of the blight, followed by the first indication that it was quickly spreading through the entire country. Little by little we're plunged deeper into the unimaginable tragedy, experiencing it as the main characters do. There are some harrowing passages, yet because of Brianna Walsh's resilience and strength, she never loses hope and neither does the reader. An outstanding work of historical fiction.

[The Book Distiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely FANTASTIC novel, from start to finish

[BookTrib.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve all heard about “the luck of the Irish.” But what about their suffering? Even in Ireland, history lessons barely discuss the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century. Textbooks include the blight but don’t detail the suffering and anguish caused by the scourged potato crops. Omitted is the trauma which killed over a million Irish and caused another million to emigrate to England, Wales, and America. The Irishman’s Daughter (Kensington) by V. S. Alexander is a history lesson on steroids.

[Christine ⟡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briana my ADORABLE GIRLY in County Mayo (-nnaise 😼).

NGL did NOT like Lucinda’s uppity ahh at the beginning, BUT THEN AGAIN, her getting snubbed by the Thomas multiple times is prob why she was like that 😔 (😂🫵).

L THOMAS for literally trying to throw a literal defenseless BABY off the CLIFF-?
A DANG NEWBORN 😭😭😭🙏
Hate to say it…☹️ (I don’t who am I kidding 🤡) BUT he deserved his death, an eye for an eye ahh, FOR TRYNA KILL A CUTESY BABY 💗

W BOOK 🗣️🗣️

[Carina Carvalho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Achei este livro tão deprimente. A época é a da grande fome na Irlanda, tudo se passa no meio de muita fome e morte. Sinceramente não consegui gostar pois tudo foi muito negativo. Tem muitas descrições de paisagens e perde se muito tempo sem nenhuma ação. Para mim este livro não funcionou.

[Kriste · Rating 3 out of 5]

sad...

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close your eyes and imagine you’re in the land of County Mayo, Ireland in 1845. Rolling hills, the bay close by, large mountains and lakes . . . ☘️

“The Irishman’s Daughter” by author V.S. Alexander, weaves a historical fiction story set amongst the Irish Famine that swept through Ireland in the 1800s. Part I is in “County Mayo” and Part II is in “America & Beyond”.

This novel not only tells the story of this horrible time when Ireland was under the reign of England, but mentions other Irish history as well.

The author’s very descriptive words of the Irish countryside and names of towns, mountains, etc (all found in County Mayo) makes you feel as if you are right there and really lets your imagination take over.

This novel explores two different “worlds” amongst the backdrop of a very hard time for the Irish people. First we’re introduced to trying to make ends meet while keeping food and supplies in abundance which we’re so used to then having a chance to escape this life and sail to “America” or another country where they say the land of opportunity is.

I recommend this novel as you will come to understand the true hardships Ireland faced during the tumultuous time, and appreciate the life you have today.

I came across this novel via the Kobo bookstore as I had a code to use, and am glad I took the chance on this one as you know what they say, “You never know where a great book may lead you . . .”

[Eileen Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I live in a suburb of Boston and am descended from immigrants from County Mayo one might think I would have a natural affinity for this book but my reaction is just the opposite. I found it fraught with historical errors, lazy assumptions and an unimaginative story line. There are many great books written about the Famine and the resulting emigration both fiction and non-fiction, this book is not one of them.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Irish setting and the courage of Briana and her family. I didn’t feel the book transitioned well at all. Lengthy skips in time with poor endings or lead ins along with quite an abrupt ending did not flow well for me.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Irishman's Daughter. I was not sure how I would like it at first and then found myself finishing it within a couple of hours. Great read! Five stars.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book I’ve ever read about the Potato Famine. Highly recommend. The romance is an unexpected bonus.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this 3 and 1/2, not simply 3 stars, but there's no option. I'd actually put it a 7/10, but wasn't quite impressed with firstly the writing, which I found a little 'she did this, she did that, this happened, that happened...' - not sure how to describe it other than it felt a little like a non-fiction at times! And the story line was a little bland - yes, the potato famine, and a first-hand account of it was upsetting and disturbing and a necessary event to read and write about - but aside from the main character marrying the love of her life and a mysterious shooting, not a lot happens of note in the 500-odd pages, which really disappointed me!
I hate not giving books a glowing review! This book needed writing, for the historical value alone, and I'm really glad it was, and thank Alexander for tackling a very hard subject. I found it hard to tap into any of the writers emotions, however, and that's why I found the writing as I did, I think - I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery, it makes me long to cross the Irish Sea and visit, see the villages and small towns and harbours, the heather and the wind blowing from the cliffs with the beautiful scent of freshness the countryside gives, a feeling I get visiting the area up near Pitlochry in Scotland, and the Lake district, only a mere hour from me, but equally as beautiful and wonderful! I do think a lot of people would love this book, especially those with ancestors who lives through this famine and can relate to the feeling portrayed a lot easier than myself. I really hope others enjoy this book a lot more, and enjoy the plotlines and characters in a more personal way than myself xx

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read V.S. Alexander's The Taster earlier this year so couldn't wait to read this one.

Overall I liked the book but felt it was a little heavy on the telling and not the showing. Maybe it was a style choice since the topic was heavy...the famine in Ireland in the 1800s due to the potato blight.

I enjoyed learning about this seemingly forgotten piece of history that affected Ireland, England, and the USA.

[JaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a tough time connecting with the heroine in this book. I think partly because I have so little knowledge of the 19th Century Irish famine.

After finishing I feel better connected but still feeling some things were left undone. After reading the q&a with the author, it helped a little to understand that was the intent.

Over all, I did enjoy the book. The heroine is remarkably strong and determined, yet filled with compassion. Three stars only because of my struggle to connect.

[Lyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite interested to read this book. My husband is Irish, born in Dublin and my own ancestry, Canadian, a Quebecer with suspected ties to the Irish who came over to Canada during the “Potato Famine”.
This is a story of strength and resilience. It is set against the backdrop of the Irish famine: the hunger, the despair, the desperation, the deaths from malnutrition and illness and the insensitive and uncaring English. It delves into the incompetent way the potato blight was handled. I also needed to do some Google research on the subject. I found V.S. Alexander a bit too verbose at times, however, it kept my attention. I also found the ending a little rushed and unrealistic.
Keep in mind, this is an historical novel, the spoonful of sugar that motivates you to wanting more knowledge on the subject.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up. As the great-granddaughter of Irish immigrants, I enjoyed this glimpse into a time and place in history that was a part of my family’s story. However, it was a bit drawn out and slow-moving at times. I was also a little annoyed by the characters’ names. Common Irish names in 1850 would have been Mary and John, not Briana and Rory. But overall I liked the characters and storyline, and I learned something new from reading it.

[Vanessa Mozayani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Set in the mid 1800s in county Mayo during the potato famine. Brianna lives on an estate with her father and sister, Lucinda. She is full of resilience and strength. Brianna’s love for Ireland and her beau, Rory, guide a way towards hope, love and new beginnings.

[Kristeen Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Round up to 4.5 stars.

[Kelly Winkelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a long read at 400 pages. The descriptions were long and arduous. The story was slow to develop but I hung in there.

[Sarah ⚘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Heidi Gorecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️. Well told history of the Ireland potato famine and very vivid picture. It was really long and could have been condensed but I liked the characters and the overall story.