What do you think?
Rate this book
The Letter Home
A rich, heartbreaking novel, moving between west of Ireland and Boston, of a mother's love, a baby girl, a courageous voyage, and a forgotten story that binds two families separated by an ocean...
She had left behind everything she loved to forge a future for the one she treasured most...
2019 Dublin. When Jessie Daly loses her job, her flat and her relationship, she travels home to Ireland's west coast and helps an old friend researching what happened in the area during the 1840s Famine. They are drawn into the remarkable story of a brave young mother called Bridget Moloney, and Jessie becomes determined to find out what happened to Bridget and her daughter, Norah.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree. She knows her ancestors left Ireland for Boston in the 19th century. Everything else is a mystery. Kaitlin unearths a fascinating story, but her research forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her family and also uncover a heartbreaking connection to a young woman in the west of Ireland...
She had left behind everything she loved to forge a future for the one she treasured most...
2019 Dublin. When Jessie Daly loses her job, her flat and her relationship, she travels home to Ireland's west coast and helps an old friend researching what happened in the area during the 1840s Famine. They are drawn into the remarkable story of a brave young mother called Bridget Moloney, and Jessie becomes determined to find out what happened to Bridget and her daughter, Norah.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree. She knows her ancestors left Ireland for Boston in the 19th century. Everything else is a mystery. Kaitlin unearths a fascinating story, but her research forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her family and also uncover a heartbreaking connection to a young woman in the west of Ireland...
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2022
981 people are currently reading
1352 people want to read
About the author
Rachael English
8 books225 followersHi, and thanks for visiting my page.
I'm the author of seven novels. The latest is WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BIRDY TROY?Before that there was GOING BACK, EACH AND EVERY ONE, THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY, THE PAPER BRACELET and the Irish number one bestsellers, THE LETTER HOME and THE AMERICAN GIRL.
Like many many writers, I also have a day job. I'm a presenter on the radio programme, Morning Ireland.
You can find me on Twitter - @EnglishRachael, on Instagram - @RachaelEnglishWriter or on Facebook.
I'm the author of seven novels. The latest is WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BIRDY TROY?Before that there was GOING BACK, EACH AND EVERY ONE, THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY, THE PAPER BRACELET and the Irish number one bestsellers, THE LETTER HOME and THE AMERICAN GIRL.
Like many many writers, I also have a day job. I'm a presenter on the radio programme, Morning Ireland.
You can find me on Twitter - @EnglishRachael, on Instagram - @RachaelEnglishWriter or on Facebook.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
February 23, 2022
What a beautiful book. I love getting lost in Irish history.
I am a fan of Rachel English novels, and this is the third book I have have really enjoyed. The story is so well constructed, moving, entertaining with some great lines that made me laugh out loud. I think she really captures a sense of Irishness, It’s Irish without being twee.
Inspired by true events this historical fiction story is told in two time frames and each story within the timeframe is as compelling as the other.
Journalist Jessie Daly loses everything she holds dear and travels home to Ireland’s west coast with her tail between her legs. To keep her busy and out of trouble she embarks on a Project along with a friend who is researching life during the Irish Famine. Jessie becomes drawn into the heartbreaking story of a brave young mother Bridget Moloney and her daughter Noah. The more she researches the more she begins to understand the impact of the famine on she own locality and family.
Across the Atlantic Ocean in Boston Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree and uncovers some uncomfortable truths about her past and uncovers an unexpected connection to Ireland.
This is one of those novels you pick up and fly through. It’s a moving and heartbreaking historical fiction story and yet it never becomes depressing. I really enjoyed the characters and loved Jessie, she is a modern woman, warts and all but she has a way with words that made me laugh out loud on so many occasions. Fantastic storytelling with characters that are entertaining and believable.
I think readers who enjoy historical fiction novels, or authors like Diane Chamberlain, Kristin Hannah may well enjoy this novel.
I am a fan of Rachel English novels, and this is the third book I have have really enjoyed. The story is so well constructed, moving, entertaining with some great lines that made me laugh out loud. I think she really captures a sense of Irishness, It’s Irish without being twee.
Inspired by true events this historical fiction story is told in two time frames and each story within the timeframe is as compelling as the other.
Journalist Jessie Daly loses everything she holds dear and travels home to Ireland’s west coast with her tail between her legs. To keep her busy and out of trouble she embarks on a Project along with a friend who is researching life during the Irish Famine. Jessie becomes drawn into the heartbreaking story of a brave young mother Bridget Moloney and her daughter Noah. The more she researches the more she begins to understand the impact of the famine on she own locality and family.
Across the Atlantic Ocean in Boston Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree and uncovers some uncomfortable truths about her past and uncovers an unexpected connection to Ireland.
This is one of those novels you pick up and fly through. It’s a moving and heartbreaking historical fiction story and yet it never becomes depressing. I really enjoyed the characters and loved Jessie, she is a modern woman, warts and all but she has a way with words that made me laugh out loud on so many occasions. Fantastic storytelling with characters that are entertaining and believable.
I think readers who enjoy historical fiction novels, or authors like Diane Chamberlain, Kristin Hannah may well enjoy this novel.
July 26, 2022
This novel is told via a dual timeline, essentially from the perspective of three women; Bridget in 19th century Ireland and America, Kaitlyn in present day America and Jessie in present day Ireland.
Bridget is living through the Great Famine of the 1840s. Herself and her young daughter Norah are starving to death, so Bridget has to make the decision whether to leave Norah behind with her more affluent sister and board a ship bound for America to seek a better life, with the intention of one day sending for Norah to join her. If she stays she and Norah will certainly perish, so does she go leaving behind only a letter for Norah, or stay and face their certain death?
Years later, in present day America, Kaitlyn's brother takes a job with an anti immigration lobby group. Determined to dissuade her brother from taking this controversial post, Kaitlyn decides to look into her own family's history to prove without necessary immigration, they wouldn't exist. In the course of her family tree research, she uncovers her own family's fascinating links to the Irish during the famine.
Jessie is a disgraced journalist who returns home to Ireland after a publicity opportunity goes terribly wrong. Once back there, she meets up with old friend Ger, a primary school teacher researching the Great Famine for his students and he convinces Jessie to look into her own past for links to the period.
None of these women in this novel could foretell how their somewhat disastrous, courageous, remarkable stories prove to be linked.
The author Rachael English examines connections between Ireland in the 1840s and present day America and Ireland. I loved the characters of Jessie and Kaitlyn both have a thirst for knowledge and an intense desire to know where they came from, and we watch as their lives cross and intersect like patterns on a patchwork quilt. I loved how Jessie's nose for a story becomes imperative and, shamed in the present, she immerses herself in the past. Bridget and Kaitlyn are also amazingly self sufficient and determined to follow their hearts at all costs.
Racael English examines the theme of anti-Irish prejudice in the 1840s, as thousands of Irish flocked to Boston to escape the famine and are treated as a 'violent, unpredictable mob.' Through the story of Orla, Kaitlyn's Irish sister in law, who upon arrival in modern day America found herself living in an 'Irish cocoon', English demonstrates how anti-Irish feeling proliferates. Even the Irish of Orla's generation are crammed into tiny apartments, lost souls who struggle just as much as those who arrived on Famine Boats centuries before.
Sexism is also rife in both eras, as English writes the belief endured that 'men can't help themselves, women are to blame' and how, even now, the best some women can aspire to is to find a successful husband.
Another theme examined by English is that of familial love. All three women constantly put their families first and Bridget especially puts the needs of doted on daughter Norah before that of her own. Their struggle for survival is heart wrenching and profound.
English dissects the current trend for following family trees and the startling discoveries and inter connectedness of all of us if you dig deep enough.
This is a book about the importance of family; deep, dark secrets and how decisions made centuries ago can affect our lives in the present day. English tells how during Bridget's days of the Great Famine, families were torn apart, 'bonds severed, graves forgotten and decades of family history wiped away.' But, optimistically, she reveals how some crucial digging can reveal deep bonds and her overriding theme is that of the incredible importance of family, indelible maternal bonds and unconditional love can leave mind-bending connections spanning generations. This is a five star read for me; a book which deftly weaves fact with fiction to give us a stunning depiction of the constancy of love which refuses to be forgotten.
Bridget is living through the Great Famine of the 1840s. Herself and her young daughter Norah are starving to death, so Bridget has to make the decision whether to leave Norah behind with her more affluent sister and board a ship bound for America to seek a better life, with the intention of one day sending for Norah to join her. If she stays she and Norah will certainly perish, so does she go leaving behind only a letter for Norah, or stay and face their certain death?
Years later, in present day America, Kaitlyn's brother takes a job with an anti immigration lobby group. Determined to dissuade her brother from taking this controversial post, Kaitlyn decides to look into her own family's history to prove without necessary immigration, they wouldn't exist. In the course of her family tree research, she uncovers her own family's fascinating links to the Irish during the famine.
Jessie is a disgraced journalist who returns home to Ireland after a publicity opportunity goes terribly wrong. Once back there, she meets up with old friend Ger, a primary school teacher researching the Great Famine for his students and he convinces Jessie to look into her own past for links to the period.
None of these women in this novel could foretell how their somewhat disastrous, courageous, remarkable stories prove to be linked.
The author Rachael English examines connections between Ireland in the 1840s and present day America and Ireland. I loved the characters of Jessie and Kaitlyn both have a thirst for knowledge and an intense desire to know where they came from, and we watch as their lives cross and intersect like patterns on a patchwork quilt. I loved how Jessie's nose for a story becomes imperative and, shamed in the present, she immerses herself in the past. Bridget and Kaitlyn are also amazingly self sufficient and determined to follow their hearts at all costs.
Racael English examines the theme of anti-Irish prejudice in the 1840s, as thousands of Irish flocked to Boston to escape the famine and are treated as a 'violent, unpredictable mob.' Through the story of Orla, Kaitlyn's Irish sister in law, who upon arrival in modern day America found herself living in an 'Irish cocoon', English demonstrates how anti-Irish feeling proliferates. Even the Irish of Orla's generation are crammed into tiny apartments, lost souls who struggle just as much as those who arrived on Famine Boats centuries before.
Sexism is also rife in both eras, as English writes the belief endured that 'men can't help themselves, women are to blame' and how, even now, the best some women can aspire to is to find a successful husband.
Another theme examined by English is that of familial love. All three women constantly put their families first and Bridget especially puts the needs of doted on daughter Norah before that of her own. Their struggle for survival is heart wrenching and profound.
English dissects the current trend for following family trees and the startling discoveries and inter connectedness of all of us if you dig deep enough.
This is a book about the importance of family; deep, dark secrets and how decisions made centuries ago can affect our lives in the present day. English tells how during Bridget's days of the Great Famine, families were torn apart, 'bonds severed, graves forgotten and decades of family history wiped away.' But, optimistically, she reveals how some crucial digging can reveal deep bonds and her overriding theme is that of the incredible importance of family, indelible maternal bonds and unconditional love can leave mind-bending connections spanning generations. This is a five star read for me; a book which deftly weaves fact with fiction to give us a stunning depiction of the constancy of love which refuses to be forgotten.
March 4, 2022
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher.
The story of three strong and intelligent women connected in unexpected ways, THE LETTER HOME by Rachael English is a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of love, family, and courage beyond imagination.
Moving back to her rural childhood home with her tail between her legs is not the way Jessie Daly imagined her life was going to go. With her perfect sister lording it over her that she has let down the family once again, Jessie decides she just has to bite her tongue and suffer for the next few months at home before she can return to the city and try to get her old life back. When an old childhood friend asks Jessie to help him research a young mother who lived there during the famine, Jessie is happy to help and the more she starts to uncover about Bridget Moloney, the more she needs to know. Her research will bring her in contact with Kaitlin Wilson in Boston who has her own reasons for researching her family tree and as the two women uncover more about their history than they could ever think possible, there will be secrets, harsh realities, and tales of unbelievable courage and love brought to light. And in looking at the past, it may just help Jessie and Kaitlin figure out what they want from their own future.
Every time I read one of Rachael's books I always feel it is my favourite, but THE LETTER HOME is definitely my favourite of her books so far!
Three very different women with very different problems come to life on the page, and the realities of Ireland during the Famine are emotionally described bringing the utter despair and cruelty of what happened all those years ago to the forefront, as Jessie and Kaitlin learn about what happened to Bridget. I loved all three of these characters for different reasons but it was Bridget that stood out the most for me. Her determination, her selflessness, her absolute strength to keep going took my breath away, and while I learned about the horrors of the Famine at school, reading about it in this way, from a young mother's perspective made me emotional and made it hit home in ways that it never did before. Watching Jessie and Kaitlin try to deal with their own heartaches and problems as they learned about the past was special, and I can honestly say I did not put this book down until I turned the last page.
THE LETTER HOME by Rachael English will make you laugh, will certainly make you cry, but most importantly it will make you stop and think of those who came before us, because in the wise words of Jessie's grandmother, Etty, 'I think what matters most is that we remember.'
The story of three strong and intelligent women connected in unexpected ways, THE LETTER HOME by Rachael English is a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of love, family, and courage beyond imagination.
Moving back to her rural childhood home with her tail between her legs is not the way Jessie Daly imagined her life was going to go. With her perfect sister lording it over her that she has let down the family once again, Jessie decides she just has to bite her tongue and suffer for the next few months at home before she can return to the city and try to get her old life back. When an old childhood friend asks Jessie to help him research a young mother who lived there during the famine, Jessie is happy to help and the more she starts to uncover about Bridget Moloney, the more she needs to know. Her research will bring her in contact with Kaitlin Wilson in Boston who has her own reasons for researching her family tree and as the two women uncover more about their history than they could ever think possible, there will be secrets, harsh realities, and tales of unbelievable courage and love brought to light. And in looking at the past, it may just help Jessie and Kaitlin figure out what they want from their own future.
Every time I read one of Rachael's books I always feel it is my favourite, but THE LETTER HOME is definitely my favourite of her books so far!
Three very different women with very different problems come to life on the page, and the realities of Ireland during the Famine are emotionally described bringing the utter despair and cruelty of what happened all those years ago to the forefront, as Jessie and Kaitlin learn about what happened to Bridget. I loved all three of these characters for different reasons but it was Bridget that stood out the most for me. Her determination, her selflessness, her absolute strength to keep going took my breath away, and while I learned about the horrors of the Famine at school, reading about it in this way, from a young mother's perspective made me emotional and made it hit home in ways that it never did before. Watching Jessie and Kaitlin try to deal with their own heartaches and problems as they learned about the past was special, and I can honestly say I did not put this book down until I turned the last page.
THE LETTER HOME by Rachael English will make you laugh, will certainly make you cry, but most importantly it will make you stop and think of those who came before us, because in the wise words of Jessie's grandmother, Etty, 'I think what matters most is that we remember.'
July 4, 2022
Captivating, layered, and heartfelt!
The Letter Home is an intriguing tale set in Ireland and Boston during the mid-1800s, as well as present-day, and is told from three different perspectives. Bridget, a young woman who suffers unimaginable loss and makes sacrifices no mother should ever have to make during The Irish Potato Famine, Jesse, a spirited journalist who, after blowing up her career and heading home to Co. Clare, stumbles upon new revelations about her past while researching the nineteenth century for a friend, and Kaitlin, a successful lawyer who, after feeling a little discontent with life, endeavours to discover more information about her Irish roots.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are resilient, independent, and strong. And the plot sweeps you away into a touching tale about life, loss, friendship, family, heartbreak, tragedy, survival, self-discovery, and the importance of remembering those who’ve come before.
Overall, The Letter Home is an insightful, engrossing, poignant read by English that does a lovely job of interweaving historical facts and compelling fiction into an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that is exceptionally atmospheric and beautifully entertaining.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Letter Home is an intriguing tale set in Ireland and Boston during the mid-1800s, as well as present-day, and is told from three different perspectives. Bridget, a young woman who suffers unimaginable loss and makes sacrifices no mother should ever have to make during The Irish Potato Famine, Jesse, a spirited journalist who, after blowing up her career and heading home to Co. Clare, stumbles upon new revelations about her past while researching the nineteenth century for a friend, and Kaitlin, a successful lawyer who, after feeling a little discontent with life, endeavours to discover more information about her Irish roots.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are resilient, independent, and strong. And the plot sweeps you away into a touching tale about life, loss, friendship, family, heartbreak, tragedy, survival, self-discovery, and the importance of remembering those who’ve come before.
Overall, The Letter Home is an insightful, engrossing, poignant read by English that does a lovely job of interweaving historical facts and compelling fiction into an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that is exceptionally atmospheric and beautifully entertaining.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2022
Not impressed with overall storyline.
When I purchased this book I thought I was getting a historical fiction story of Ireland during the devastation and famine in the 1840's and of a girl by the name of Bridget. Which was only a fraction of the storyline.
This book hopscotched around so much between the 1840's of Bridget and her family to the 1990's and Kaitlyn and her insecurities to the 1990's and Jamie and her family issues that I found myself bored with the book and almost didn't finish reading it.
However, everything did come together in the end, but I was not impressed. Sorry for the rating but not as good as The Paper Bracelets.
When I purchased this book I thought I was getting a historical fiction story of Ireland during the devastation and famine in the 1840's and of a girl by the name of Bridget. Which was only a fraction of the storyline.
This book hopscotched around so much between the 1840's of Bridget and her family to the 1990's and Kaitlyn and her insecurities to the 1990's and Jamie and her family issues that I found myself bored with the book and almost didn't finish reading it.
However, everything did come together in the end, but I was not impressed. Sorry for the rating but not as good as The Paper Bracelets.
April 30, 2022
Dual timeline / historical fiction / mystery / tear jerker/ Ireland / USA / family drama / multiple stories
February 24, 2023
More of a 3.75 - enjoyed this and it was an easy read, but there were random side stories weaved in that distracted from the main story and didn’t need to be there.
February 19, 2022
These had 3 strands of a story one set in famine times, one set in present time Ireland & one set in present time usa. The strands intertwined
I thought it was a bit predictable & the shoehorning human trafficking in to present day storyline felt out of place
It was a quick read and I mostly enjoyed it
I thought it was a bit predictable & the shoehorning human trafficking in to present day storyline felt out of place
It was a quick read and I mostly enjoyed it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2022
This is the story of young women. All three of them are concerned with events which are history for two, and actual life experience for one. It is about chasing memories, evidence, gaps in lives, and survival. There are three stories running in parallel throughout this gripping novel, the stories of three women at close quarters, all at turning points in their lives. The writing is empathetic, showing how well the author simultaneously deals with two women living and discovering the truth in 2019, though from different backgrounds, as well as a third in abject poverty. This is such a well written narrative of women’s perspective on life in the past, dealing with the challenging present, and hoping for a more successful future. A subtly written novel in some senses, as the obvious problems of the past compare with the different difficulties of the present. This is an engaging book that I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review.
The first section is set in April 2019 and concerns Jessie Daly. She is travelling to County Clare in Ireland, away from Dublin where she has been working and living as a journalist. She has had challenges in her recent past, and made a series of very public mistakes on late night television when she was unprepared and was drinking. After the social media savages her, she is shown returning home in ignomy. Her more settled sister and her caring parents are shocked, especially when revelations of further problems emerge. The saving in the situation for Jessie is being asked to help with some research into a local woman who was among the first to die in the Famine in Ireland in the mid 1840s. Sometimes known as the potato famine, the life and death shortage of the most basic food for the poorest was caused by a blight on the crop which they depended on. At the same time in Boston, America, Kaitlin Wilson is an outwardly successful woman who has an excellent career with a law firm and a long term partner. When her brother gets a job with a dubious political group which watches immigration, she feels compelled to discover more about her own relatives who travelled from Ireland. Not everyone around her supports her investigation.
The most powerful section of the book concerns the story of Bridget, who in the 1840s is part of a poor Irish family. The loss of her father to the sea makes life a struggle, but the failure of the potatoes they depended on makes her situation so much worse. When she loses others from desperate need, she is reduced to scraping a tiny bit of food for her daughter and herself. Her decisions will have a huge effect on more than one life, and reveal much to those who search for the truth in later years.
This is a moving book which is in part based on true events. The settings are well established in each case, and especially in Bridget’s tragic circumstances. There is a lot of research behind this story, but it is never allowed to interrupt or dominate the narrative. This is a sensitively written and strongly felt book which drew me into the situations of the women. It is a strong and powerful novel, which I recommend for those interested not only in the difficulties faced by people in the nineteenth century, but also the motives for and the process of discovering the sometimes harsh details of a family’s past.
The first section is set in April 2019 and concerns Jessie Daly. She is travelling to County Clare in Ireland, away from Dublin where she has been working and living as a journalist. She has had challenges in her recent past, and made a series of very public mistakes on late night television when she was unprepared and was drinking. After the social media savages her, she is shown returning home in ignomy. Her more settled sister and her caring parents are shocked, especially when revelations of further problems emerge. The saving in the situation for Jessie is being asked to help with some research into a local woman who was among the first to die in the Famine in Ireland in the mid 1840s. Sometimes known as the potato famine, the life and death shortage of the most basic food for the poorest was caused by a blight on the crop which they depended on. At the same time in Boston, America, Kaitlin Wilson is an outwardly successful woman who has an excellent career with a law firm and a long term partner. When her brother gets a job with a dubious political group which watches immigration, she feels compelled to discover more about her own relatives who travelled from Ireland. Not everyone around her supports her investigation.
The most powerful section of the book concerns the story of Bridget, who in the 1840s is part of a poor Irish family. The loss of her father to the sea makes life a struggle, but the failure of the potatoes they depended on makes her situation so much worse. When she loses others from desperate need, she is reduced to scraping a tiny bit of food for her daughter and herself. Her decisions will have a huge effect on more than one life, and reveal much to those who search for the truth in later years.
This is a moving book which is in part based on true events. The settings are well established in each case, and especially in Bridget’s tragic circumstances. There is a lot of research behind this story, but it is never allowed to interrupt or dominate the narrative. This is a sensitively written and strongly felt book which drew me into the situations of the women. It is a strong and powerful novel, which I recommend for those interested not only in the difficulties faced by people in the nineteenth century, but also the motives for and the process of discovering the sometimes harsh details of a family’s past.
July 11, 2022
Thank you Mobius Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!
This is a beautiful tale of discovering your family roots as well as human perseverance in the fight to survive. Set in Ireland and Boston, the story weaves the lives of three women, Jessie, Bridget and Kaitlin. Each struggling with their own battles including loss, humiliation and national famine but each doing so with such determination and endurance. Though all having completely different lives they learn how much we are all tied to our roots and the importance of knowing who we really are.
I found this book to be heartbreaking yet at the same time so endearing. Reading about these women's struggles and how they got through them was inspiring. The way their stories tied together was flawlessly done and I loved the dual timelines. Many times dual timelines can be confusing but this story’s was true perfection. The Ireland/Boston setting was refreshing for a historical fiction book as a lot lately focus mainly on WWII era. To be honest, I really did not know much of the Irish Potato Famine so it was insightful reading more about it. I felt so enraged and saddened learning about what happened to these families and am going to make it a point to educate myself more on these events.
Such a wonderfully inspiring historical fiction story and I urge everyone to grab a copy of this book!
This is a beautiful tale of discovering your family roots as well as human perseverance in the fight to survive. Set in Ireland and Boston, the story weaves the lives of three women, Jessie, Bridget and Kaitlin. Each struggling with their own battles including loss, humiliation and national famine but each doing so with such determination and endurance. Though all having completely different lives they learn how much we are all tied to our roots and the importance of knowing who we really are.
I found this book to be heartbreaking yet at the same time so endearing. Reading about these women's struggles and how they got through them was inspiring. The way their stories tied together was flawlessly done and I loved the dual timelines. Many times dual timelines can be confusing but this story’s was true perfection. The Ireland/Boston setting was refreshing for a historical fiction book as a lot lately focus mainly on WWII era. To be honest, I really did not know much of the Irish Potato Famine so it was insightful reading more about it. I felt so enraged and saddened learning about what happened to these families and am going to make it a point to educate myself more on these events.
Such a wonderfully inspiring historical fiction story and I urge everyone to grab a copy of this book!
February 12, 2023
What a remarkable story of families connecting across the Altlantic Ocean. One family in Ireland and the other in Boston. It starts in the 1840's during the Famine in Ireland. There are two family member who dedide to do genology to find their families. The genology to search and find one another is amazing in today' age. The families of today are in 2019. And that they do find one another. Cousins finally getting to meet after communicating via email and then by phone. For me, this book was hard to put down, as I love historical fiction so. The author did a remarkable job with her reasearch before writing this book. If you want to learn more of the Famine in Ireland, she provides that information as well.
July 13, 2022
I received an ARC of The Letter Home, by Racheal English. I have wanting to read this book for months. Such a great story, I loved Bridget, Norah, and Kaitlin, they are great people with great stories. I did not like Jessie at all though.
Read
July 21, 2022You'll enjoy this book.
I really had no idea what this book was about when I bought it. What a surprise to find it was about the great famine in Ireland and family history.
I really had no idea what this book was about when I bought it. What a surprise to find it was about the great famine in Ireland and family history.
July 30, 2022
Dual time line. Present day and mid 1800. Beautiful story focusing on the famine in Ireland during the 1800’s and the hardships it brought. The journey of one very brave and courageous women. Truly an inspirational book.
December 12, 2022
Compelling
Some true historical tragedies come alive in this book. Reliving them through the main characters brought a greater understanding than I expected. Took a while to get into this book but got better and better as I read.
Some true historical tragedies come alive in this book. Reliving them through the main characters brought a greater understanding than I expected. Took a while to get into this book but got better and better as I read.
March 8, 2025
3.5-ish stars. Two of the main characters were frustrating and unlikable for most of the novel, which made their POV chapters much less appealing than the third character’s story. The timeline and character pathways came together rather predictably, but the ends are all tied up nicely and the book makes you think about immigration issues from a variety of perspectives.
June 7, 2023
A well written engrossing novel.
July 6, 2022
Amazing story of Survival
Beautiful story of love, family and survival. Well written and beautifully blends past and present and family on both sides of the Atlantic. I thought the description of life in Ireland during the famine was well told through Bridget’s experiences. Wonderful characters. Felt like I was looking right in on their lives.
Beautiful story of love, family and survival. Well written and beautifully blends past and present and family on both sides of the Atlantic. I thought the description of life in Ireland during the famine was well told through Bridget’s experiences. Wonderful characters. Felt like I was looking right in on their lives.
February 4, 2023
This was a heartbreaking but gorgeous story, I loved it and such an easy read.
February 6, 2022
Rachael English has once again written another beautiful and heart wrenching book that slowly lures you in and holds you in its thrall until the very last page. The Letter Home shines a light on one of the most turbulent, difficult and impactful times in Ireland’s history, that period being the time of The Great Famine in the late 1840’s. The last time I read a book that focused on the famine was way back in my childhood when Marita Conlon McKenna’s book, Under the Hawthorn Tree, was published. Still to this day that book is studied in schools and it’s one many Irish children remember reading and learning so much from. I read lots of historical fiction, mostly centred around World War Two, so it was refreshing to read more of my own country’s history. How so many people were forced to immigrate due to blight destroying the main food source of potatoes resulting in a dreadful famine. The legacy of those bitter, hard and challenging years were felt for a very long time. Immigration still occurs today but for many different reasons as opposed to what faced those poor souls facing the difficult decision to leave during the Famine.
The Letter Home is an extremely well-written book and brought together the threads of the past and established connections with the present and showing how in the modern day challenges relating to immigartion are still faced. My eyes were once again opened to what occurred during the famine and given it was so long ago, we tend to forget although not intentionally by any means, what our ancestors endured. This story really made me want to go back and research more about the Famine and how it perhaps affected people in my area. The book was impeccably researched but yet it never came across as if I was reading a history book. The human, emotional side shone through combined with historical fact. The three strands of the story were seamlessly woven together and this made for a fascinating read. At times some of the scenes set during the Famine were very difficult to read about without a tear forming in your eye but all the details needed to be there to really make you connect and feel for the main character, Bridget. It makes you appreciate what you have today and how we have come so far from those dark days.
In the present day, Jessie Daly’s life has imploded following an unfortunate appearance on a primetime national television programme. She is faced with no other choice than to return to her home village of Clooneven in Co.Clare. She needs to lick her wounds and come to terms with what has happened. Her career is in tatters and her family aren’t all that impressed with having to bail her out. Her parents, although supportive, you can sense their disbelief and shame at what has unfolded and her sister Lorna now sees an opportunity for Jessie to pay off her debts by working in her café. Lorna seems to have the perfect life which Jessie is very much envious of but perhaps all is not as it seems. I loved the slow unwinding of Lorna’s story and how it realistically and cleverly connected to the overall themes being explored in the book. Jessie will soon learn that life may appear golden on the outside for Lorna but deep down we are all struggling with our own battles. Is she willing to lift the lid given her thirst for a good story as a journalist at the risk of further upsetting already unstable family dynamics?
To be honest, I didn’t feel a huge amount of sympathy for Jessie. I felt the situation she found herself in was very much of her own making. I didn’t really care what direction her life took but it’s when she meets local teacher Ger, whom was once a childhood friend, that the tangible links between the past and the present were established. Ger’s class are studying The Great Irish Famine and the story of what happened to one local woman sparks more than a little interest. So sets in motion, a journey for Jessie which I think allowed her to take her mind off her current situation. She finds herself delving back in time to when Clooneven was enduring the harshest years anyone could remember. She begins to uncover an incredible story whilst researching her family tree and in doing so it will make her face up to some harsh truths. Maybe the lessons she learns from the past will help her reconcile the events ongoing in the present and in some small way stop the same thing reoccurring right on her doorstep?
Without doubt, the strongest parts of the book were the chapters which focused on Bridget Markham. I felt deeply transported back in time to an Ireland so vastly different from the one I live in today. The poverty was widespread, and people lived in little more than hovels and were forced to pay astronomical amounts of rents to absentee landlords who lived in England. Bridget is the stand out character of this book. She suffers so much with one devastating loss after another. You can feel the hunger and weakness emanating from her as for several years the potato crop which families rely so heavily on fails. Poverty, disease, filth and hardship are evident on every page but Bridget is someone who battles for survival and I really didn’t know here she drew strength from given trauma after trauma befall her and her family. I loved all the minute detail regarding Bridget and her family as they battled to survive each day. This detail all added to the feeling of destitution and how so many were clinging to any small shred of hope that they could weather the storm they found themselves in. I still can’t comprehend that people were forced to live outside if evicted from their homes and had no choice but to eat grass. The workhouse was but a last option and given was such a remarkable and powerful person she did everything to stop this happening.
We follow Bridget for a number of years and her family situation gradually deteriorates. Her mother, brother and husband all die and she is left with her baby daughter Norah. Bridget is fierce in her love and will do anything to protect her daughter. She literally has nothing and food is non existent but her honesty, intelligence and selflessness shone through from every page. I was so glad she was given such a strong voice throughout the book it was like she was speaking for all those who died during the Famine and reminding us never to forget and not to allow the same thing to happen again. Bridget’s story took on many twists and turns. Literally everything was thrown at her and I found it wore me down and made me feel great anguish and upset for her because with each turn of the page I never knew what she would face. It was like a constant uphill battle.
When Bridget makes the ultimate sacrifice her love radiates off the page and your admiration for her grows. The significance of the letter mentioned in the title comes into play here and also more so towards the end of the book but it was wonderfully executed. So poignant and memorable and heart-breaking. I found the sections of the book set during Bridget’s time in America really fascinating. The journey on the coffin ship, the hardships faced when she arrived when all had thought America would welcome everyone with open arms after all it was the land of rich and plenty. I loved how the author laid out little clues planted in chapters focusing on America from Bridget’s perspective to tie things back to the present. I didn’t fully join the dots until the end and that’s the what a good book should be. But I will say the inclusion of family trees really did help things because given we were dealing with a vast time period and several generations I was becoming confused and needed this clarification.
Kaitlin, living in Boston in the present, is the third woman who binds the strands of the story together and for the majority of her story I was wondering why was she there. She came across as just being very down and not in a good place and I hate saying this but she always seemed to be moaning and groaning. Yes, her personal circumstances are heart-breaking to read about but I found myself much more drawn to Bridget and Jessie. I understand the necessity for her inclusion but in all honesty she didn’t make the most impact on me and she wasn’t the most memorable character.
The Letter Home is a haunting and absorbing read detailing a story of poverty and emigration and the connections between the past and the present are cleverly established. This book gives you plenty of food for thought and despite the themes being dark and difficult to comprehend Bridget’s tale although full of misery, neglect and death has moments of pure hope and sunshine. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story came full circle. It’s a beautifully crafted story which will stay with me for a long time.
The Letter Home is an extremely well-written book and brought together the threads of the past and established connections with the present and showing how in the modern day challenges relating to immigartion are still faced. My eyes were once again opened to what occurred during the famine and given it was so long ago, we tend to forget although not intentionally by any means, what our ancestors endured. This story really made me want to go back and research more about the Famine and how it perhaps affected people in my area. The book was impeccably researched but yet it never came across as if I was reading a history book. The human, emotional side shone through combined with historical fact. The three strands of the story were seamlessly woven together and this made for a fascinating read. At times some of the scenes set during the Famine were very difficult to read about without a tear forming in your eye but all the details needed to be there to really make you connect and feel for the main character, Bridget. It makes you appreciate what you have today and how we have come so far from those dark days.
In the present day, Jessie Daly’s life has imploded following an unfortunate appearance on a primetime national television programme. She is faced with no other choice than to return to her home village of Clooneven in Co.Clare. She needs to lick her wounds and come to terms with what has happened. Her career is in tatters and her family aren’t all that impressed with having to bail her out. Her parents, although supportive, you can sense their disbelief and shame at what has unfolded and her sister Lorna now sees an opportunity for Jessie to pay off her debts by working in her café. Lorna seems to have the perfect life which Jessie is very much envious of but perhaps all is not as it seems. I loved the slow unwinding of Lorna’s story and how it realistically and cleverly connected to the overall themes being explored in the book. Jessie will soon learn that life may appear golden on the outside for Lorna but deep down we are all struggling with our own battles. Is she willing to lift the lid given her thirst for a good story as a journalist at the risk of further upsetting already unstable family dynamics?
To be honest, I didn’t feel a huge amount of sympathy for Jessie. I felt the situation she found herself in was very much of her own making. I didn’t really care what direction her life took but it’s when she meets local teacher Ger, whom was once a childhood friend, that the tangible links between the past and the present were established. Ger’s class are studying The Great Irish Famine and the story of what happened to one local woman sparks more than a little interest. So sets in motion, a journey for Jessie which I think allowed her to take her mind off her current situation. She finds herself delving back in time to when Clooneven was enduring the harshest years anyone could remember. She begins to uncover an incredible story whilst researching her family tree and in doing so it will make her face up to some harsh truths. Maybe the lessons she learns from the past will help her reconcile the events ongoing in the present and in some small way stop the same thing reoccurring right on her doorstep?
Without doubt, the strongest parts of the book were the chapters which focused on Bridget Markham. I felt deeply transported back in time to an Ireland so vastly different from the one I live in today. The poverty was widespread, and people lived in little more than hovels and were forced to pay astronomical amounts of rents to absentee landlords who lived in England. Bridget is the stand out character of this book. She suffers so much with one devastating loss after another. You can feel the hunger and weakness emanating from her as for several years the potato crop which families rely so heavily on fails. Poverty, disease, filth and hardship are evident on every page but Bridget is someone who battles for survival and I really didn’t know here she drew strength from given trauma after trauma befall her and her family. I loved all the minute detail regarding Bridget and her family as they battled to survive each day. This detail all added to the feeling of destitution and how so many were clinging to any small shred of hope that they could weather the storm they found themselves in. I still can’t comprehend that people were forced to live outside if evicted from their homes and had no choice but to eat grass. The workhouse was but a last option and given was such a remarkable and powerful person she did everything to stop this happening.
We follow Bridget for a number of years and her family situation gradually deteriorates. Her mother, brother and husband all die and she is left with her baby daughter Norah. Bridget is fierce in her love and will do anything to protect her daughter. She literally has nothing and food is non existent but her honesty, intelligence and selflessness shone through from every page. I was so glad she was given such a strong voice throughout the book it was like she was speaking for all those who died during the Famine and reminding us never to forget and not to allow the same thing to happen again. Bridget’s story took on many twists and turns. Literally everything was thrown at her and I found it wore me down and made me feel great anguish and upset for her because with each turn of the page I never knew what she would face. It was like a constant uphill battle.
When Bridget makes the ultimate sacrifice her love radiates off the page and your admiration for her grows. The significance of the letter mentioned in the title comes into play here and also more so towards the end of the book but it was wonderfully executed. So poignant and memorable and heart-breaking. I found the sections of the book set during Bridget’s time in America really fascinating. The journey on the coffin ship, the hardships faced when she arrived when all had thought America would welcome everyone with open arms after all it was the land of rich and plenty. I loved how the author laid out little clues planted in chapters focusing on America from Bridget’s perspective to tie things back to the present. I didn’t fully join the dots until the end and that’s the what a good book should be. But I will say the inclusion of family trees really did help things because given we were dealing with a vast time period and several generations I was becoming confused and needed this clarification.
Kaitlin, living in Boston in the present, is the third woman who binds the strands of the story together and for the majority of her story I was wondering why was she there. She came across as just being very down and not in a good place and I hate saying this but she always seemed to be moaning and groaning. Yes, her personal circumstances are heart-breaking to read about but I found myself much more drawn to Bridget and Jessie. I understand the necessity for her inclusion but in all honesty she didn’t make the most impact on me and she wasn’t the most memorable character.
The Letter Home is a haunting and absorbing read detailing a story of poverty and emigration and the connections between the past and the present are cleverly established. This book gives you plenty of food for thought and despite the themes being dark and difficult to comprehend Bridget’s tale although full of misery, neglect and death has moments of pure hope and sunshine. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story came full circle. It’s a beautifully crafted story which will stay with me for a long time.
June 23, 2022
The Letter Home by Rachael English was a very good book that was historical but also the stories were very interesting and kept my interest all the way through! Rachael English is a very gifted writer that crafted 3 great stories. There is the story of Bridget Moloney back in the 1840s of the potato famine in Ireland is very authentic and heartbreaking to read what the families went through to survive and care for their families. There are 2 present day stories. Jessie Daly is a writer living in Dublin that and her life is in shambles and must go home to live with family and regroup. Kaitlin Wilson is an attorney living in Boston and seems to "have it all" but really is very unhappy with the turns of her life. Each of these lives are intertwined and it is a master story writer that connects all the stories. I highly recommend "The Letter Home"!
June 8, 2022
a good story for everyone; a great story for Irish Americans
This story brought me to tears more than once. When in Ireland, I’d visited a graveyard and memorial to the the victims of the Great Hunger and learned about the politics that exacerbated it. In these unstable times, we could repeat such an atrocity. I pray that we don’t.
The author brought the characters to life and elucidated the history surrounding them without a hint of smug righteousness or blame.
Her heroine Bridget was remarkable and now I wonder about my family’s story through those years.
This story brought me to tears more than once. When in Ireland, I’d visited a graveyard and memorial to the the victims of the Great Hunger and learned about the politics that exacerbated it. In these unstable times, we could repeat such an atrocity. I pray that we don’t.
The author brought the characters to life and elucidated the history surrounding them without a hint of smug righteousness or blame.
Her heroine Bridget was remarkable and now I wonder about my family’s story through those years.
March 1, 2022
The Letter Home by Rachael English was published with Hachette Ireland February 3rd and is described as ‘gripping and unforgettable…a rich and heartbreaking novel, moving between the west of Ireland and Boston. A mother’s love, a baby girl, a courageous voyage, and a forgotten story that binds two families separated by an ocean…
The Great Famine (1845-1849) is a part of Irish history that is ingrained in all of us. If we were to delve back in to our family tree we would all be able to uncover a connection, a link to this horrific and extremely tragic part of our past. My family’s roots are very much West Cork based so I have no doubt, with names like Murphy, O’ Driscoll, Collins and Sheehan that I would discover some harrowing stories. Perhaps someday I will take this journey and trace my ancestors from those treacherous times. Who lived? Who died? Who emigrated across the sea in a coffin ship?
During her research for her latest book, The Letter Home, Rachael English came across an image that many of us are familiar with. It was the shocking sketch from an 1849 London newspaper of Bridget O’ Donnell with her two small children.
“The black and white drawing has become one of the defining images of the Famine. A tall, emaciated woman, dressed in rags, is accompanied by two little girls. All three are in their bare feet. One of the children has turned her face away from the artist, as if ashamed of her family’s destitution. The woman, Bridget O’Donnel, was from Kilmacduane Parish in County Clare. All of this is known because what happened to her was recorded by a journalist from the Illustrated London News. In a revolutionary move, James Mahony allowed Bridget to speak in her own voice. She was a real person, not a statistic, not part of a faceless mass of misery.” – Rachael English, Irish Examiner
Bridget’s story, and those of others like her, helped Rachael English to recreate the palpable fear and sorrow of folk who lived through those horrendous years. Knitting together the stories of three women Jessie Daly, Kaitlin Wilson and Bridget Moloney, Rachael English takes the reader on a compelling journey back in time that will pull at all the heartstrings.
Jessie Daly is a journalist living in Dublin who has a career of sorts but not the one she aspired to. Jessie always dreamt of being the type of journalist who would write important and meaningful pieces, but with bills to pay, Jessie resorted to more ‘fluffy’ pieces. Disillusioned with her life, Jessie goes out drinking one evening with a friend and in an act of pure stupidity, she decimates her career in one swift move. With her tail very much between her legs, she goes back home to her family in a small seaside village in Co. Clare. They are embarrassed by her actions, upset by the direction her career and life has taken but they are family, so with no where else to go, Jessie slowly re-immerses herself in the local community. Through a conversation with an old school friend she offers her assistance in researching some of the local history from the 1840s, in the hope of distracting herself from her current reality. It isn’t long before Jessie is ensnared by the history she unearths and the connections that arise linking back to her own family history across the generations.
Meanwhile Kaitlin Wilson is unsettled with her perceived perfect life in Boston. A successful career, a successful partner, a successful life borne out of a successful family growing up, why is Kaitlin not content? Always aware of the Irish connection, Kaitlin never really knew where she came from so she decides, as a distraction, to carry out some research. But Kaitlin is totally taken aback by what she uncovers and her distraction soon became an obsession as she trawls the internet and other sources in search of her roots in Ireland.
Rachael English introduces us to Bridget Moloney, a young woman from the west of Ireland who was forced to leave everyone and everything familiar, due to starvation, homelessness and poverty in the 1840s. A survivalist, Bridget Moloney knew that a better life could be out there waiting for her, but in order to take the first daunting step, she must make a heart-wrenching decision that will have a lasting impact for the generations that were to follow.
The Letter Home is a novel of many layers with multiple stories running throughout, but, for me, it was the story of Bridget Moloney that had the greatest impact. With appalling descriptions, the horror of the famine is very much brought to life and Bridget’s story symbolises that of many Irish emigrants who were forced into making extreme decisions in order to survive. There is a modern day story of a different tragedy running in parallel that I didn’t really connect with but I do understand why Rachael English decided to include it. It does show how little the past has taught us and how history just keeps repeating itself over the years.
The Letter Home is a novel that will impact every reader in some way. Emigration features in most of our family’s history, with stories passed on across the generations. By incorporating Bridget Moloney’s story into the modern day, a connection is made and what follows is a fascinating account, an engrossing read. Although a tale built on a deep sorrow, it is ultimately a story of belonging and self-discovery. Rich in historical detail, The Letter Home is very much a powerful and emotional tale, one that will endure in the mind long after that final page is turned.
The Great Famine (1845-1849) is a part of Irish history that is ingrained in all of us. If we were to delve back in to our family tree we would all be able to uncover a connection, a link to this horrific and extremely tragic part of our past. My family’s roots are very much West Cork based so I have no doubt, with names like Murphy, O’ Driscoll, Collins and Sheehan that I would discover some harrowing stories. Perhaps someday I will take this journey and trace my ancestors from those treacherous times. Who lived? Who died? Who emigrated across the sea in a coffin ship?
During her research for her latest book, The Letter Home, Rachael English came across an image that many of us are familiar with. It was the shocking sketch from an 1849 London newspaper of Bridget O’ Donnell with her two small children.
“The black and white drawing has become one of the defining images of the Famine. A tall, emaciated woman, dressed in rags, is accompanied by two little girls. All three are in their bare feet. One of the children has turned her face away from the artist, as if ashamed of her family’s destitution. The woman, Bridget O’Donnel, was from Kilmacduane Parish in County Clare. All of this is known because what happened to her was recorded by a journalist from the Illustrated London News. In a revolutionary move, James Mahony allowed Bridget to speak in her own voice. She was a real person, not a statistic, not part of a faceless mass of misery.” – Rachael English, Irish Examiner
Bridget’s story, and those of others like her, helped Rachael English to recreate the palpable fear and sorrow of folk who lived through those horrendous years. Knitting together the stories of three women Jessie Daly, Kaitlin Wilson and Bridget Moloney, Rachael English takes the reader on a compelling journey back in time that will pull at all the heartstrings.
Jessie Daly is a journalist living in Dublin who has a career of sorts but not the one she aspired to. Jessie always dreamt of being the type of journalist who would write important and meaningful pieces, but with bills to pay, Jessie resorted to more ‘fluffy’ pieces. Disillusioned with her life, Jessie goes out drinking one evening with a friend and in an act of pure stupidity, she decimates her career in one swift move. With her tail very much between her legs, she goes back home to her family in a small seaside village in Co. Clare. They are embarrassed by her actions, upset by the direction her career and life has taken but they are family, so with no where else to go, Jessie slowly re-immerses herself in the local community. Through a conversation with an old school friend she offers her assistance in researching some of the local history from the 1840s, in the hope of distracting herself from her current reality. It isn’t long before Jessie is ensnared by the history she unearths and the connections that arise linking back to her own family history across the generations.
Meanwhile Kaitlin Wilson is unsettled with her perceived perfect life in Boston. A successful career, a successful partner, a successful life borne out of a successful family growing up, why is Kaitlin not content? Always aware of the Irish connection, Kaitlin never really knew where she came from so she decides, as a distraction, to carry out some research. But Kaitlin is totally taken aback by what she uncovers and her distraction soon became an obsession as she trawls the internet and other sources in search of her roots in Ireland.
Rachael English introduces us to Bridget Moloney, a young woman from the west of Ireland who was forced to leave everyone and everything familiar, due to starvation, homelessness and poverty in the 1840s. A survivalist, Bridget Moloney knew that a better life could be out there waiting for her, but in order to take the first daunting step, she must make a heart-wrenching decision that will have a lasting impact for the generations that were to follow.
The Letter Home is a novel of many layers with multiple stories running throughout, but, for me, it was the story of Bridget Moloney that had the greatest impact. With appalling descriptions, the horror of the famine is very much brought to life and Bridget’s story symbolises that of many Irish emigrants who were forced into making extreme decisions in order to survive. There is a modern day story of a different tragedy running in parallel that I didn’t really connect with but I do understand why Rachael English decided to include it. It does show how little the past has taught us and how history just keeps repeating itself over the years.
The Letter Home is a novel that will impact every reader in some way. Emigration features in most of our family’s history, with stories passed on across the generations. By incorporating Bridget Moloney’s story into the modern day, a connection is made and what follows is a fascinating account, an engrossing read. Although a tale built on a deep sorrow, it is ultimately a story of belonging and self-discovery. Rich in historical detail, The Letter Home is very much a powerful and emotional tale, one that will endure in the mind long after that final page is turned.
May 29, 2022
EXCEPTIONAL!
Touched my heart and soul, a book that will stay in my mind! Written with such emotion and empathy. Descriptions are so colorful you feel as though you're there. Living conditions during the Famine, escaping to America and surviving the ocean crossing in a decrepit vessel, 1842 Ireland, 1848 Boston. Dramatic, emotional, thought-provoking. When I finished the last page I just sat there savoring every word. Five stars but it deserves TEN!
Touched my heart and soul, a book that will stay in my mind! Written with such emotion and empathy. Descriptions are so colorful you feel as though you're there. Living conditions during the Famine, escaping to America and surviving the ocean crossing in a decrepit vessel, 1842 Ireland, 1848 Boston. Dramatic, emotional, thought-provoking. When I finished the last page I just sat there savoring every word. Five stars but it deserves TEN!
February 18, 2025
This is one of those books I feel everyone should read, especially those of us who appreciate knowing our family tree and its history. It took me a bit longer to read this book because of the strife in the beginning and the multiple storylines/perspectives. But I became so invested in Bridget’s story I teared up a number of times. I’ll be thinking about this book often in the years to come - it’s the “stick with you” kind of story.
April 26, 2022
moving and enthralling
I couldn’t put this down. At times it was painful to read about the suffering during the famine, but for anyone interested in the tragedy of those times the author brings the era to life. The contrast with modern Clare is interesting too.
I couldn’t put this down. At times it was painful to read about the suffering during the famine, but for anyone interested in the tragedy of those times the author brings the era to life. The contrast with modern Clare is interesting too.
May 16, 2022
Loved this book!
Initially I wasn't sure that I would like this book and I was about halfway through when I couldn't put it down. Great story, fascinating plot and interesting characters. I was sorry it ended!
Initially I wasn't sure that I would like this book and I was about halfway through when I couldn't put it down. Great story, fascinating plot and interesting characters. I was sorry it ended!
April 21, 2023
I'm a sucker for anything that involves Ireland as my ancestors come from there. This is a story about hardship, death, bravery, truth, and most importantly, love.
August 2, 2022
The harrowing story of Ireland's Great Famine in the mid-19th century is moving picked up and personalised by writer Rachael English, who makes it relevant to the present day in this story.
Freelance writer and journalist Jessie Daley has returned home to the little seaside town of Clooneven and is intrigued by the story of local woman Johanna Markham, who died in the Famine, leaving behind at least one daughter Bridget. What happened to her? Jessie is keen to find out more.
Meanwhile, in the USA, young lawyer Kaitlin Wilson is conflicted by her brother Brian’s new job with the Immigration Authorities. How can he deny people shelter when their own family’s Irish roots mean they, too, must have once been immigrants? Like Jessie, she sets out to discover more …
In tandem with the two women’s stories, the narrative takes us back to the mid-nineteenth century to meet Bridget and learn the story of another young woman, who loses everything she holds most dear to the Famine. In order to survive, she must make heart-breaking choices, that will reverberate down the years to touch the hearts of her descendants, and change their lives in ways they never expected.
This is a really enthralling story, told with great sensitivity as it takes the reader back and forward between present day and nineteenth century Ireland and America.
I really liked the way that author Rachael English varied the tone for past and present narratives.
There’s a sardonic humour to Jessie’s story that suits the Instagram age. She’s funny, a little bit flaky, but warm-hearted, intelligent and passionate about people, not just those from a bygone age.
Kaitlin is understandably less insouciant than Jessie, given that she has just come through a harrowing miscarriage that has affected her relationship with her partner and her family. But she is equally passionate about fairness.
Bridget cares about fairness, too. Despite all the hardships she has endured and the tragedies she has witnessed, she never shirks from standing up for others, and confronting authority figures who are unwilling to help her and her fellow Irishfolk through the hardest times. She retains her strength, kindness, perseverance, and dignity throughout her whole story.
Learning Bridget’s story profoundly influences Jessie and Kaitlin, and in a final twist to the plot, reshapes their lives going forward.
The themes of the importance of roots, the sense of belonging, and the response to life’s challenges that all help shape the people we become are strong in this story. I found it an inspiring read.
Freelance writer and journalist Jessie Daley has returned home to the little seaside town of Clooneven and is intrigued by the story of local woman Johanna Markham, who died in the Famine, leaving behind at least one daughter Bridget. What happened to her? Jessie is keen to find out more.
Meanwhile, in the USA, young lawyer Kaitlin Wilson is conflicted by her brother Brian’s new job with the Immigration Authorities. How can he deny people shelter when their own family’s Irish roots mean they, too, must have once been immigrants? Like Jessie, she sets out to discover more …
In tandem with the two women’s stories, the narrative takes us back to the mid-nineteenth century to meet Bridget and learn the story of another young woman, who loses everything she holds most dear to the Famine. In order to survive, she must make heart-breaking choices, that will reverberate down the years to touch the hearts of her descendants, and change their lives in ways they never expected.
This is a really enthralling story, told with great sensitivity as it takes the reader back and forward between present day and nineteenth century Ireland and America.
I really liked the way that author Rachael English varied the tone for past and present narratives.
There’s a sardonic humour to Jessie’s story that suits the Instagram age. She’s funny, a little bit flaky, but warm-hearted, intelligent and passionate about people, not just those from a bygone age.
Kaitlin is understandably less insouciant than Jessie, given that she has just come through a harrowing miscarriage that has affected her relationship with her partner and her family. But she is equally passionate about fairness.
Bridget cares about fairness, too. Despite all the hardships she has endured and the tragedies she has witnessed, she never shirks from standing up for others, and confronting authority figures who are unwilling to help her and her fellow Irishfolk through the hardest times. She retains her strength, kindness, perseverance, and dignity throughout her whole story.
Learning Bridget’s story profoundly influences Jessie and Kaitlin, and in a final twist to the plot, reshapes their lives going forward.
The themes of the importance of roots, the sense of belonging, and the response to life’s challenges that all help shape the people we become are strong in this story. I found it an inspiring read.
July 22, 2022
I don't about this book. I wanted to like it and I did for the most part, but I also struggled reading it.
First, I will say don't start this book, stop for a week or so and then come back to it, especially if you are reading this while listening to other on audiobook. There are 3 distinct character groups and storylines. I was still getting my feel for them when I took a week break and so when I came I was lost all over again. Maybe it's just me.
I can usually listen to around 8 books and read 3-4 a month. This book, which is under 400 pages, took me over 3 weeks, including the week break. Not sure if it didn't flow or it was the 3 different stories but it wasn't a quick read.
Enough about me. This book was based on real people both in the past and in the current and even though, I struggled some with the different parts, the author did a good job weaving the parts together. There was just enough foreshadowing to know they all intertwined but enough mystery to keep you guessing on exactly how. Bridget's character and world was far more interesting and well developed than either Jessie or Kaitlin. Good ending, I learned new things about Irish history and immigrants. It made me think again how money plays such a pivotal role in our language. Members of both Bridget's family and of the Frobischer family relocated to the Boston area from abroad. The Frobischer's who had money and privilege moved but the poor Irish (and those from other countries) are considered immigrants - usually with a negative connotation. Based on the definition, they both are: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. But then I guess it always comes back to money.
First, I will say don't start this book, stop for a week or so and then come back to it, especially if you are reading this while listening to other on audiobook. There are 3 distinct character groups and storylines. I was still getting my feel for them when I took a week break and so when I came I was lost all over again. Maybe it's just me.
I can usually listen to around 8 books and read 3-4 a month. This book, which is under 400 pages, took me over 3 weeks, including the week break. Not sure if it didn't flow or it was the 3 different stories but it wasn't a quick read.
Enough about me. This book was based on real people both in the past and in the current and even though, I struggled some with the different parts, the author did a good job weaving the parts together. There was just enough foreshadowing to know they all intertwined but enough mystery to keep you guessing on exactly how. Bridget's character and world was far more interesting and well developed than either Jessie or Kaitlin. Good ending, I learned new things about Irish history and immigrants. It made me think again how money plays such a pivotal role in our language. Members of both Bridget's family and of the Frobischer family relocated to the Boston area from abroad. The Frobischer's who had money and privilege moved but the poor Irish (and those from other countries) are considered immigrants - usually with a negative connotation. Based on the definition, they both are: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. But then I guess it always comes back to money.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews