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A Daughter's Journey
A captivating new saga set in Liverpool and Ireland, from the bestselling author of DAYS OF HOPE and FAR FROM HOME - 'An outstanding storyteller' Woman's Weekly
Angela O'Rourke is six when her parents hand her over to an aunt and uncle in a distant village. It's a common practice for large, hard-up families in 1950s Ireland, but for Angela it means that her mother and father don't love her any more. Still, she's well cared for till she's sixteen, when her uncle starts to take too much of an interest in her. Moving to Liverpool in the early 1960s, she becomes a success in the world of fashion design. The pain of a disastrous love affair sends her home to Ireland just after the death of her aunt: and there, among old papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past, a brighter new future beckons.
Angela O'Rourke is six when her parents hand her over to an aunt and uncle in a distant village. It's a common practice for large, hard-up families in 1950s Ireland, but for Angela it means that her mother and father don't love her any more. Still, she's well cared for till she's sixteen, when her uncle starts to take too much of an interest in her. Moving to Liverpool in the early 1960s, she becomes a success in the world of fashion design. The pain of a disastrous love affair sends her home to Ireland just after the death of her aunt: and there, among old papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past, a brighter new future beckons.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
48 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Lyn Andrews
61 books150 followersLyn Andrews is one of the the UK's top one hundred paper-back bestsellers. Born and brought up in Liverpool, she is the daughter of a policeman who also married a policeman. After becoming the mother of triplets, she took some time off from her writing whilst she raised her children. Shortlisted for the romantic Novelists' Association Award in 1993, she has now written twenty-one hugely successful novels. Lyn Andrews divides her time between Merseyside and Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 1, 2015
I loved reading this book. It was extremely fast-paced and lighthearted. Lyn Andrews created some very interesting characters in this book. She evaded details and stuck to the main plot-line which is rare and made me feel like i was flying through the pages.
People with a fondness for quick and light Historical Fiction books, should definitely give this a try.
People with a fondness for quick and light Historical Fiction books, should definitely give this a try.
March 6, 2025
A lovely story of family and talents
December 31, 2013
Maybe it really was the busy time of year as I read this but couldn't say I loved it. When her parents in Ireland in the early 1950s find out another baby is on the way, Angela is sent to live with her Aunt Mary and Uncle Liam who are unable to have children of their own. Needless to say Angela is resentful of being farmed out to her aunt and resentful of the coming baby. She feels understandably unloved. As a teenager in Mary's home, she experiences issues she refuses to talk about and can't wait to leave.
The story of how she makes a new life for herself takes up the rest of the book. As a person who grew up in Australia it was interesting to me how dire the situation was in Ireland in 1952. I also enjoyed all the references from the 1960s about the Beatles, Twiggy, Mini and Maxi skirts etc but still found myself skipping over bits of the story that seemed to drag. The ending I suspect has been left open for a follow up. A light read and I liked the character of Angela.
The story of how she makes a new life for herself takes up the rest of the book. As a person who grew up in Australia it was interesting to me how dire the situation was in Ireland in 1952. I also enjoyed all the references from the 1960s about the Beatles, Twiggy, Mini and Maxi skirts etc but still found myself skipping over bits of the story that seemed to drag. The ending I suspect has been left open for a follow up. A light read and I liked the character of Angela.
December 4, 2018
A lighthearted warm and poignant read. Like so many other books about growing up in Ireland at that time, it makes you feel very lucky, and appreciate your parents and all that they do.
I wanted more from the ending, but like any good book, it leaves you wanting more and leaves open the possibility of a sequel!
I wanted more from the ending, but like any good book, it leaves you wanting more and leaves open the possibility of a sequel!
May 3, 2019
Another wonderful saga by Lyn Andrews. This story starts in 1952, Ireland, when 6 year old Angela is given to her aunt and uncle, there's another child on the way and the O'Rourke's are incredibly poor. The tale then continues when Angela is 16 and she starts work.
I usually prefer stories set further back in time but I enjoyed this one which was mainly set in the 1960's.
I usually prefer stories set further back in time but I enjoyed this one which was mainly set in the 1960's.
June 16, 2021
This book really surprised me and I flew through it based in Ireland and Liverpool in the 1960’s mainly we go on Angela’s journey from being taken away from her parents at a young age to making it on her own.
February 14, 2024
3.5 - great read if you're looking for a page-turner. Loved the Irish turns of phrases and the details of 1960's fashion waves. Ended rather abruptly - is there a sequel? Plot maybe a little predictable, but very enjoyable escapism
August 10, 2025
Sweet little story. Even if it’s fiction, it does portray the reality of a living as a woman, of abandonment, and betrayal when it happens. It also gives one hope that while not all relationships can be improved or people reconciled with, there are certainly some that can meet that good fate.
May 12, 2019
Read this very quickly so it is easy to read. Just a little too twee and far fetched. Feel good factor makes it easy to read.
July 2, 2020
Excellent book ,love Lyn Andrew's books
July 23, 2020
The end was extremely abrupt!
January 5, 2022
Amazing
I was so taken by the characters I felt like I knew them all true to life a very good read nice for anyone
I was so taken by the characters I felt like I knew them all true to life a very good read nice for anyone
March 29, 2022
Enjoyed this, especially the second half of the book. It was a welcome change after reading some of the more serious stuff lately.
March 4, 2023
Loved reading this book couldn’t put it down .
July 30, 2010
Synopsis:
A captivating new saga set in Liverpool and Ireland, from the bestselling author of DAYS OF HOPE and FAR FROM HOME Angela O'Rourke is six when her parents hand her over to an aunt and uncle in a distant village. It's a common practice for large, hard-up families in 1950s Ireland, but for Angela it means that her mother and father don't love her any more. Still, she's well cared for till she's sixteen, when her uncle starts to take too much of an interest in her. Moving to Liverpool in the early 1960s, she becomes a success in the world of fashion design. The pain of a disastrous love affair sends her home to Ireland just after the death of her aunt: and there, among old papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past, a brighter new future beckons.
This is the first Lyn Andrews novel that I have read and I enjoyed it. The book begins in Ireland, where Angela's parents are too poor to keep her. Devote Catholics, they have a lot of children, and another is on the way. Angela's dad is struggling to find work, so they make the decision to send Angela off to live with her Aunt Mary. Her aunt gives her a good life, but Angela misses her family and resents them for sending her away. Life is OK until her Uncle starts drinking. Life becomes unsafe for her. Then her best friend Emer leaves for America - this is the motivation Angela needs to start thinking about leaving. She works hard and is accepted to do nursing at Liverpool. She moves away - to the anger of her uncle, but soon learns that the academic side of nursing is too much for her. By chance she meets Rox and her family. Whilst with them she has the courage to leave nursing and start her own business in fashion design. For a long time she is happy without a man, but then she falls in love. However, her boyfriend is not a nice guy and result is a broken heart. Shortly after this she has to return to Ireland because her aunt is seriously ill. After her aunt dies she discovers papers that had been hidden from her all her life. This startlingly discovery changes her life and her outlook on family.
This is a very simple read - the language is not difficult and the story is not complicated. I read the majority of this book in one day. It was interesting, fun and engaging. The characters were believable and most of them I liked! The story is set in the 1960s and I felt that life in this time was depicted well. The poverty and the contrast between people and countries was astonishing but also realistic. This did mean there were heartbreaking moments in this book, like at the beginning when a six year old Angela learns she is being sent to live somewhere else.
I liked Angela, although I'm not convinced she would of had such a successful business simply because she was a woman, and in the 1960s it was a male dominated world. However, I liked her determination and her caring heart. She worked hard and was selfless. She understands poverty and when the chance to help out others arises she takes it, helping to pull others out of hardship. My other favourite character was Rox. I loved her shopping obsession! She was cool, chic and stylish, yet had a big heart. When Angela needed her she was there, and helped her through some tough situations.
This was a nice read and I enjoyed it. I'm happy to recommend this book to others and I will be looking out for other Lyn Andrews books. The ending was a bit of a disappoint - the cliff hanger, where we wonder what will happen to Angela, I wanted the book to keep going so I could find out how Angela's life would change. That is probably my only complaint with the book.
This is simple chick-lit and I would recommend it to those who like a good girly book. 4/5 from me.
A captivating new saga set in Liverpool and Ireland, from the bestselling author of DAYS OF HOPE and FAR FROM HOME Angela O'Rourke is six when her parents hand her over to an aunt and uncle in a distant village. It's a common practice for large, hard-up families in 1950s Ireland, but for Angela it means that her mother and father don't love her any more. Still, she's well cared for till she's sixteen, when her uncle starts to take too much of an interest in her. Moving to Liverpool in the early 1960s, she becomes a success in the world of fashion design. The pain of a disastrous love affair sends her home to Ireland just after the death of her aunt: and there, among old papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past, a brighter new future beckons.
This is the first Lyn Andrews novel that I have read and I enjoyed it. The book begins in Ireland, where Angela's parents are too poor to keep her. Devote Catholics, they have a lot of children, and another is on the way. Angela's dad is struggling to find work, so they make the decision to send Angela off to live with her Aunt Mary. Her aunt gives her a good life, but Angela misses her family and resents them for sending her away. Life is OK until her Uncle starts drinking. Life becomes unsafe for her. Then her best friend Emer leaves for America - this is the motivation Angela needs to start thinking about leaving. She works hard and is accepted to do nursing at Liverpool. She moves away - to the anger of her uncle, but soon learns that the academic side of nursing is too much for her. By chance she meets Rox and her family. Whilst with them she has the courage to leave nursing and start her own business in fashion design. For a long time she is happy without a man, but then she falls in love. However, her boyfriend is not a nice guy and result is a broken heart. Shortly after this she has to return to Ireland because her aunt is seriously ill. After her aunt dies she discovers papers that had been hidden from her all her life. This startlingly discovery changes her life and her outlook on family.
This is a very simple read - the language is not difficult and the story is not complicated. I read the majority of this book in one day. It was interesting, fun and engaging. The characters were believable and most of them I liked! The story is set in the 1960s and I felt that life in this time was depicted well. The poverty and the contrast between people and countries was astonishing but also realistic. This did mean there were heartbreaking moments in this book, like at the beginning when a six year old Angela learns she is being sent to live somewhere else.
I liked Angela, although I'm not convinced she would of had such a successful business simply because she was a woman, and in the 1960s it was a male dominated world. However, I liked her determination and her caring heart. She worked hard and was selfless. She understands poverty and when the chance to help out others arises she takes it, helping to pull others out of hardship. My other favourite character was Rox. I loved her shopping obsession! She was cool, chic and stylish, yet had a big heart. When Angela needed her she was there, and helped her through some tough situations.
This was a nice read and I enjoyed it. I'm happy to recommend this book to others and I will be looking out for other Lyn Andrews books. The ending was a bit of a disappoint - the cliff hanger, where we wonder what will happen to Angela, I wanted the book to keep going so I could find out how Angela's life would change. That is probably my only complaint with the book.
This is simple chick-lit and I would recommend it to those who like a good girly book. 4/5 from me.
November 18, 2009
I usually really like this author's books but I found this one quite hard going or maybe it just wasn't holding my attention.
Back Cover Blurb:
Little Angela O'Rourke is just six years old when her world falls apart. One of a large Irish family, Angela is passed over to the care of her aunt and uncle. It's a common practice in 1950s Ireland, when there's not enough money to go round, but for Angela it means only one thing: that her parents don't love her any more.
Angela's new home is peaceful enough for the next few years but when she's sixteen her uncle takes to drink and it's not safe for her to stay any longer. Liverpool beckons, and so she sets off to train there as a nurse. Change is in the air as the 1960s get underway, and before long Angela's moved on from nursing to the exciting world of fashion design. Soon she's making a mark with her own boutique, but the pain of a disastrous love affair takes the edge off her success, and she heads home to Ireland, where her aunt has recently died.
Sorting through papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past she is finally free of the old sorrow: and a brighter and happier new future beckons.
Back Cover Blurb:
Little Angela O'Rourke is just six years old when her world falls apart. One of a large Irish family, Angela is passed over to the care of her aunt and uncle. It's a common practice in 1950s Ireland, when there's not enough money to go round, but for Angela it means only one thing: that her parents don't love her any more.
Angela's new home is peaceful enough for the next few years but when she's sixteen her uncle takes to drink and it's not safe for her to stay any longer. Liverpool beckons, and so she sets off to train there as a nurse. Change is in the air as the 1960s get underway, and before long Angela's moved on from nursing to the exciting world of fashion design. Soon she's making a mark with her own boutique, but the pain of a disastrous love affair takes the edge off her success, and she heads home to Ireland, where her aunt has recently died.
Sorting through papers, Angela makes an astonishing discovery. As she learns the truth about the past she is finally free of the old sorrow: and a brighter and happier new future beckons.
April 2, 2014
Angela is given up by her parents to her aunt and uncle-to give her a better life as they are not very well-off. And they had their eighth daughter coming too! This annoyed and terrified Angela for weeks and though she adjusts well in her aunt's house, she is in for many troubles in her future.
Her future has many ups and downs, and through it all, she finds happiness and meets the happiness in her life. Soon, she is well-to-do and independent, more than she could have ever imagined or could have asked for.
She is happy in life but there are way too many problems and obstacles she needs to face before completely settling down. This is a daunting tale and a real page-turner. It is a must-read for people who want to aim high in their lives. It is great inspiration for all young minds.
Her future has many ups and downs, and through it all, she finds happiness and meets the happiness in her life. Soon, she is well-to-do and independent, more than she could have ever imagined or could have asked for.
She is happy in life but there are way too many problems and obstacles she needs to face before completely settling down. This is a daunting tale and a real page-turner. It is a must-read for people who want to aim high in their lives. It is great inspiration for all young minds.
January 23, 2016
The story of Angela O'Rourke's journey from a child her parents gave away to a successful business woman in the fashion industry offered up multiple opportunities for tension and conflict to keep the reader turning pages. This book, however, was full of miraculous good turns in luck, allowing Angela to escape any challenges. Perhaps it is typical of romance novels, not my preferred genre. If so, this is the last of that genre I will read all the way through all 400 pages. This story could have been told in half as many pages. It may even have felt more suspenseful and less like a fairy tale if it had been shorter.
February 4, 2017
A nice steady story about a young child who is uprooted from her deprived home life to live with an aunt and uncle. The story unfolds over the next 17 or so years as she grows up and experiences life amidst the changing decades. Good ending - upbeat, full of promise.
January 7, 2010
An interesting story of life in the sixties and of feel good success despite the odds and a difficult start in life. The main character reminded me, in spirit and colour of a friend who was sent to live with her Gran. The descriptions of rural Ireland ,its clautrophobic nature at that time and the juxtaposition with life in England have a real ring of truth
August 9, 2012
Really enjoyed this book. It was predictable, you pretty much know what will happen from just reading the back of the book but it was still a lovely read. It was written well and I look forward to reading more Lyn Andrews books. The other book I read of her's was just as good and I'm sure the others will be just as good.
November 19, 2013
Even though this book presented with some predictable parts, I really enjoyed this coming of age book set both in Ireland then Liverpool, England in the 1960's. I really liked and grew to admire the protaganist in the story and felt that it was a real feel good book. There were lots of down to earth people with warmth, wit and great character.
November 10, 2010
I can't say I loved this book but I can't say I hated it either, a decent read. I would actually recommend this as a good beach read and one that is easy to pick up and put down and not forget the plot lines.
June 29, 2013
Interesting book offering an original insight into 60s life including the struggles of poor Irish life. Lengthy book covering several different themes with the plot changing direction multiple times. A touching, feel good novel.
July 15, 2016
Great read
What a great book this is. I bought it after I'd read the reviews for it and glad I did. Young girl is sent to stay with her aunt and uncle and thinks her parents don't love her, after years apart a secret leaves her so sad but all's well in the end.
What a great book this is. I bought it after I'd read the reviews for it and glad I did. Young girl is sent to stay with her aunt and uncle and thinks her parents don't love her, after years apart a secret leaves her so sad but all's well in the end.
September 4, 2022
A lovely story thoroughly enjoyed it A brill story set in Ireland and Liverpool It has some sad parts in this book Re Read this book and found it dragged on towards the end of the story this time Though I did finish reading it
December 5, 2010
This is a story about a lower-middle class Irish family. The daughter becomes a clothes designer in Liverpool in the 60s. A really different perspective.
Read
July 23, 2011Quite a good read, very easy to follow and liked the ending. My criticism is that with the material given it could have been a lot more thought provoking but s worth a look.
July 24, 2011
Very good book, easy to read and very well written.
Read
July 30, 2011I really enjoyed this novel and read it in a few nights. It is an easy read coming of age saga. The characters were mostly realistic and very likeable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews