The Linen Queen Lib/E

by Patricia Falvey

Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone.
When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast.
Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Ireland, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Romance, War

Audio CD

First published March 2, 2011

About the author

Patricia Falvey is an Irish-born writer living in Dallas, Texas. She is the author of 5 novels, all with a connection to Ireland: The Yellow House; The Linen Queen; The Girls of Ennismore; The Titanic Sisters; and, most recently, The Famine Orphans which will be released on May 27, 2025.

Patricia immigrated alone to the U.S. at the age of 20 and forged a long and successful career in the financial services industry, rising to a Managing Director for a major consulting firm where she oversaw a national tax practice. However, she never lost sight of her dream of becoming a published author and in 2008 walked away from her old career to give her dream a chance. In 2010 her courage was rewarded with the publication of The Yellow House. She views this phase of her life as her “Second Act” and strongly encourages anyone with a dream to pursue it no matter what their age. It’s never too late!

When not traveling around the scenic backroads of her beloved Ireland doing research and visiting friends and family, Patricia likes hanging out with good friends in Texas and enjoying the “craic” - which loosely translated from the Gaelic means lively conversation, storytelling, laughter and good times.

For more on Patricia and her books, visit her website at : www.patriciafalveybooks.com

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this story just didn't live up to the author's "The Yellow House." So many characters were just down right nasty to the main protagonist, Sheila. Although I could understand why(because she was a selfish and naive person when we first meet her), I felt I became rather irritated by the continued attack on her character.

[Corinne Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scraping by on a linen worker's wages is not the kind of life that Sheila plans on living for much longer. Her grandest wish is to escape from Ireland as soon as possible, away from her demanding and unappreciative mother and the ghost of the father that left when she was a child. Her story begins on the cusp of the second World War in a small village in Northern Ireland. Confident and aware of her good looks, she hopes to be chosen as the Linen Queen so she can get her chance on the prize money - her ticket out of town.

If only those Yankee soldiers didn't come to town to complicate things - or if her childhood friend Gavin could just keep their relationship the way it's always been. And then when a refugee from Belfast ends up at her house, it seems as though she may never get without some serious determination and no small amount of selfishness.

Sheila has a lot to learn about herself and what she wants to stand for at this really challenging point in Irish history (does Irish history have a point that's NOT really challenging?). Of course there is still that rumbling of Irish history and pride - as Northern Irish they are on England's side of the war, but Free Ireland to the south has to be on the side of whomever is fighting the devil British, there is no small amount of political talk in this book. It is, however, woven throughout this interesting and romantic story, with enough twists to compensate for the fairly predictable conclusion.

If you like Irish historical fiction, this is as authentic as anything else I've read and certainly as good, if not better, than Falvey's first novel The Yellow House.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place in the same area of Northern Ireland as the author's first novel, The Yellow House. The heroine, Sheila McGee is an unhappy teen, working in the linen mill and living with her ungrateful, unstable mother and her rather unlikeable uncle and aunt. The backdrop is the early years of World War II. Northern Ireland, which is part of Great Britain, is deeply involved in the war. The Free State, is a neutral country and with anti-British passions and bitterness running extremely high, more sympathetic to the axis powers than the cause of the Allies. American troops arrive in town in preparation for the invasion of Europe following Pearl Harbor. Emotions and excitement run high.

Early in the book, Sheila wins a beauty contest. As the “Linen Queen”, she is called on to represent the Linen mill at various events to present gives to visiting dignitaries. This is the only role Sheila finds fulfilling and she dreams unrealistically about finding a better life outside of Ireland.

Things get complicated when a young evacuee from the red light district of Belfast is taken in at their home as a ward. Sheila, who dreams of leaving without a backward glance, begins to feel some responsibility for this tragic young girl who is angry, withdrawn and defensive.

I enjoyed this coming of age story and although I never really liked Sheila much, I was happy to see her begin to appreciate her new role as care giver and accept her place in life in a more realistic way.

[J.S. Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is the case with the prior, debut novel The Yellow House, this tale suffered a hard edit ---- possibly from a nun at a convent school. It does have more authentic language including cursing, and at times has the hint of a narrative voice that rings true and entices one to keep plodding along.

But no, by the concluding pages, overall one feels duped. This novel turned out to be a romance after all, and it's been edited with an iron fist [steamroller?] to suit the narrow tastes of the bourgeoisie who read that subgenre. The salient historical details of the Troubles have been mostly omitted as well. God forbid the reader should get a different perspective than what US-based mass media understands about it. The reader is thrown a few crumbs about the linen industry, some wallpaper if you will, since the main character works in a linen mill. It's only in the last few pages that we get any real pathos developing never mind that the backdrop other the linen mill is:
World --- feckin' ----WAR II! But don't bring up the War unless you must, this is a romance!!!!

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't expect too much from this book, as The Yellow House was not my favorite. I had already gotten it out at the library however, and thought I'd give it a try.

Characters...they are important to me. I have to find a redeeming quality. I just have to! Or else it isn't worth it. They don't have to be perfect, or even good, just redeemable in some way. The characters in the Linen Queen were selfish and unlikable. I mean come on! If you're going to be unlikeable, at least be funny or charming while you are doing it...alas no. They were not either of these things. Just mean, bitter and unlikable.

When I first started the book I thought to myself, "This reads more like a cheap romance novel than historical fiction." As I got more into the book however, I realized that there wasn't even romance! Come on!!!! Just selfish people living their lives, who once in awhile did something nice that would shock even themselves. Nobody really liked anybody else, and the hatred just jumped off the page.

In the end I feel it was mildly entertaining if you like books that take place in Ireland, and you don't have the need as I do to somewhat like the characters in a story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila is a beautiful girl living in poverty in her village in Northern Ireland. She dreams of escaping to a better life away from her Ma and her slavish job in the linen mill. Even though Sheila has a good heart and is innocent in many ways, she has earned a bad reputation, mainly because she is a beauty.

All her life she has been friends with Gavin, their fathers both had been sailors and friends and so it seemed natural that they would be companions. Things were just going along until the war and Belfast was bombed. Children were evacuated to Sheila's village and her Ma took in Graine, a teenaged girl.

Many of the village girls were happy to become friends with the US soldiers that were stationed in their village.

This story gave us some insight into what was happening in Ireland during the war. I didn't know that southern Ireland were neutral and didn't fight along with England although Northern Ireland did stand up for England.

A very good read.

[Patricia Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheila McGee, so beautiful, had a hard life. Sheila worked in the linen mill after having left school early to support herself and her mother. The mother was a manic depressive woman who didn’t have a kind word to say to her daughter.

For about the first two-thirds of the book, Sheila is self centered and all-about-me. She excelled at the art of manipulation and didn’t care whom she stepped on. How she got to be the Linen Queen was shaky at best. But I suspected she would be ‘coming around’, and I hung in there. I’m glad I did.

I enjoyed everything about this book, including the story itself, the character development , the love interests that were real and not hokey, the conditions of the working women at the time, and the ending that was not at all predictable. It was an entertaining, pleasant read.

[Lydia Presley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels kind of strange, but this book reminded me quite a bit of two classics - Emma by Jane Austen and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. So what do all these books have in common, you might ask? Well... I don't know about you, but Emma, Scarlett and Sheila are not very easy characters to like ... at first.

In The Linen Queen, Sheila struggles with some pretty hard knocks. Her dad is gone, her mom is crazy, her aunt super pious and her uncle a pervert. She works hard, yet sees no real benefit to all the work and she really, really wants to leave Ireland.

But Sheila is living and working toward leaving Ireland in 1941, and war is on the horizon. And, much like Scarlett in Gone with the Wind, war has a way of bringing out the grit in a pretty girl - and so it was with Sheila.

I really, really enjoyed The Linen Queen. I found Sheila to be petty and self-centered, but as I read, as I really thought about the choices she was making and watched her growth I came to love her and wish her well.

In addition to getting to know Sheila, I also got to know a part of WWII geography I really hadn't been familiar with. Belfast and the northern part of Ireland was involved in the war at a time the southern area was not. I think Patricia Falway did a fantastic job of capturing the tension not only between the two factions of the Irish people, but also by adding the "Yanks" into the mix, and even a Jewish one at that.

For WWII novel fans, this book is a must read. Just.. be patient, give Sheila a little time and remember, all those that are young need time to grow.

[Lori Twichell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of The Yellow House, Falvey’s previous novel, I was ready for The Linen Queen. This did not disappoint. Falvey does not coddle her characters nor does she try to whitewash life for her readers. As disappointing, harsh and painful as life is, she paints it with panache and style so gritty that we can easily imagine ourselves in her shoes.
With most heroines in a love story, we like them and we want them to succeed. With Sheila, it’s not always so black and white. She does things that most of us wouldn’t agree with, she doesn’t care who she fights in order to win, and she plays nasty sometimes. When she met Joel, the book turned upside down for me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her plight or what I hoped for her. When Joel became her knight in shining armor, I got worried. I didn’t want him to get hurt and I knew that Sheila’s plan would involve hurt feelings.

But Falvey managed to take her incredibly deep storylines and plot points and bring her characters all to a point of redemption and amazing change.

I loved this story. Once Joel showed up on the scene, I found myself completely immersed in Falvey’s world. The tones of Ireland show through the tale, bringing such a rich and beautiful depth to the story that as you’re reading, you feel as if you’re a part of the small village as well.

Patricia Falvey’s talent shines as brightly in this second outing as it did in the first. If you’ve read The Yellow House, you’ll enjoy this one. And if you like historical tales full of real and vivid characters and plotlines that will have you holding your breath, give The Linen Queen a try.

Review copy provided by publisher.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Linen Queen is a historical fiction novel with much going for it. The background of Ireland is beautifully rendered, as well as the rough living in that timeframe. You want to cheer for Shelia when she wins the pageant, because now she can escape her desolute life, but really, when there is a war, is any particular place better than the other?

When the soldiers set up camp in her village, Sheila is determined to snag an officer -- she sees it as her ticket out of that place. She sets her sights on Joel Solomon, much to the chagrin of her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke. But Joel is a Jewish American soldier, and Hitler's reach is vast. Putting her dream of leaving Ireland on hold, Sheila works with the people in their fight against Germany, even though it pushes her and Gavin further and further apart. Shelia will need all of her strength, God, and faith to create her new future - one she didn't realize she wanted.

The saying "There's No Place Like Home" comes to mind when I read this novel. Of course, it's also said not to look further than your own backyard. And that is possibly true, but to me, home is family, love, God, all of the things that help make your life complete. Ms. Falvey writes in a beautiful fashion, with the pages turning quickly. Great character development and beautiful scenery. The Linen Queen is compelling, heartbreaking and will also warm your heart. A very good read!

[Pearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young woman working in an Irish cloth factory in the early days of WWII sees a chance of escaping her stifling life by becoming the "Linen Queen," basically a beauty queen for Irish mill girls. She wins, but because of the war she can't just move to a major city like she wanted to, she's still trapped in the small town, with little opportunities and fewer differing opinions. When the American soldiers come into town she meets the man she thinks can take her out of there; he also happens to be the first Jew she's ever met so she gets some cultural studies along the way. The strongest points of this novel are definitely the heartpulling emotional scenes curtesy of a bipolar mother, rape, and overall misogynism.
Overall the book started out very well. I wanted to give it 4 stars, but it in the end it didn't live up to its initial promise. While the Irish WWII setting was very interesting, it soon became more Lifetime movie than good historical fiction. The story becomes another romance novel in the end, dropping the darkness of the book for something more cheesy yellow.

[Anita Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, 18-year-old Sheila McGee works in a linen mill in Northern Ireland where she lives with her manic mother, her drunken uncle and sanctimonious aunt. Her only desire in life is to flee the country as soon as humanly possible. World War II breaks out and everything changes for her, most importantly her own character and values. While the story is set in a dreary Irish mill town controlled by the British Crown and occupied by some pretty horrible characters, the landscape is beautiful and Sheila's story is both heartbreaking and triumphant.

[June Guymon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rather different take on a World War Two experience.

[Chris Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books characters never completely engaged me. If it wasn't set in Ireland, I might have rated it a 2. The story was a little thin and never came full circle for me.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a contest and had it siting in my bookcase until I decided to purge all the books had print too small to read. But this one had big enough print to read, so I put it in my current stack.

The Linen Queen is a well researched tale starting at the beginning of WW II in Northern, Ireland. Sheila McGee lived in County Armagh,she worked in a linen where there are very long days and the girls sing at work to fight the boredom on Monday through Friday, with Friday being more of a celebtration. My eye caught on the fact that it is set in County Armagh because some of my ancestors lived there. Sheila lives with her mother, who is bi-polar, her aunt and the aunt's husband. Her mother is extremely self-centered and selfish, her aunt is not pleasant to be around and uncle is always trying to corner her to satisfy his animal instints.

Sheila has a plan to leave. She wants to leave and the Linen Queen contest would be her tickett out. because of a pof of money that goes with the honor. Young and innocent at the time, Sheila has learned about her true self yet. Like her mother, she is self centered and selfish but it takes some changes for her discover that she has a much kinder soul inside.

She has friend since childhood, Gavin, who she admires but cannot see herself marrying and after she had chosen Linen Queen, she meets Joel, very handsome too, with dark hair and she later finds out that he is Jewish. He is the catalyst for Sheila finding her true self. Sheila has a lot to learn about herself, like she does have a conscience. But she will learn much more as tragedies unfold.

Part of my attraction to this book is the Irish language. The author uses "craic" over and over again. I like to determine the meaning of words that I don't know for seeing how it is used in context, Well that became difficult because like the word Aloha, there are many meanings! It is pronounced like a crack in a wall. That is easy, but the meaning is more difficult. It can mean the newsm what's happening, the entertainment and more. Many Irish say that you cannot understand craic unless you are Irish.

The other term is da. Irish children call their fathers: da, dad and dadai (DAH dee) Da is a very informal name for your father, too informal for newspapers, it is Irish slang. There is a world of Irish slang, I am learning.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life has not been kind to Sheila McGee in her Northern Irish home which overlooks The Irish State across the Lough. Her father left her and her mother forcing them to move in with a sour minded aunt and her drunken husband. Sheila is a mill girl and she dreams of leaving all of this behind and escaping to England. When she wins the contest that makes her the Linen Queen, picked from a gaggle of girls from linen mills across the land, she sees the prize money as the first step to freedom. But one needs papers to leave the country and she has none. It is the first days of WW II and her second chance at freedom arrives in the influx of Yank troops from America.
Despite her close friend, Gavin a resident of the free State and his obvious love for her, Sheila decides that an attachment to a Yank officer might be her ticket to America. She finds him in Joel Solomon, a Jewish captain. Through Joel and the involvement of Gavin with the IRA --a association he made to help her and a placement child from the slums of Belfast--Sheila begins to grow and mature from a flighty, self-centered teen to a mature, caring woman.
Her transition and the story of the Neutral Irish State and the British Northern Island in the face of Hitler's assault on the world, the story of the Catholic Church's reign over its faithful, the involvement of the Yanks and the young women whose town they now occupy intertwine to produce an engrossing historical novel. One in which the characters and the place come to life and draw in the reader who, with Sheila, learns that wherever you go and with whomever you find yourself, the person you always bring along is yourself. Sometimes when you change, the place and people you've always known, somehow are the things you most cherish.

[Johanna Markson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Linen Queen, Patricia Falvey
The second novel about Ireland I’ve read and greatly enjoyed by this talented writer. Flavey draws on her Northern Ireland roots to describe pieces of that county’s history through genuine and touching stories.
At the beginning of WWII, in a small mill city outside Belfast, 18 year old beauty and smart party girl Sheila McGee toils away day in and day out in bare feet at a linen factory, where she has been working since she was 14. She and her mother live in a depressing mill house with her religious zealot aunt and drunk uncle. It is a dark and unwelcoming place.
Sheila has a bad girl reputation, that may not be justified, and she can’t wait to find a way to escape her small and limited life. When she wins the title, crown and $200 prize money as the 1941 Linen Queen, she thinks that she has found her way out of the life she hates. Yet her needy mother prevents her from escaping to London and possibly America.
Then, when the Yanks are stationed nearby, a second chance at escape seems possible. It’s only when she starts to fall in love with the officer she thought she’d use to get to America, that things get more complicated.
With Free Ireland and the IRA to the south causing problems and promoting Hitler, and with the war lingering on and on, circumstances cause Sheila to examine just what kind of person she really wants to be.
The novel has an unexpected depth to it that makes it more than a simple love story and ode to the beauty that is Norther Ireland.
I recommend both books if you have an interest in Irish history and the troubles. It’s clear this author loves her subject matter deeply and she expresses that love tenderly and well.

[Sarah R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Currently on a mission this year to either find and read all the books on my to-read list here, or remove them. This was an add from quite a few years ago. I loved parts of it. Particularly the glimpse into a portion of history I didn't know anything about. I had no idea that Ireland wanted no part of WWII and some Irish even sided with Hitler, so great was their hatred of the English (which is understandable). But the writing was rather juvenile at times...I felt like I was reading a young adult novel. And for all of Sheila's insisting in her major personal change over the course of the book, she still remained pretty unlikeable.

Basically, teenaged me would have been obsessed with this book and probably read it several times.

[Judi Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Linen Queen

A very different take from the usual WWII era books I’ve read. The civilians at home, so aptly described by the writer as the women who were not family members and who would get no official notifications…A young woman who is desperately trying to escape the emotional abuse of a mentally unstable mother. Hints of the troubles that plagued Ireland for many decades.
I enjoyed the writing and the growth of the character of Sheila. While the ending was sweet, it seemed to leave me wondering about how realistic the events of Gavin’s escape and return to Ireland as a hero were.
Still, the writing is excellent, the plot and characters drew me in, and I could visualize the settings described.

[Kathy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia FLalvey writes dramatic historical events. Her first book, THE YELLOW HOUSE starts in 1917 Ireland. Michael Collins makes a strong appearance. The Catholics and the Protestants are fighting. The free state is fighting with Britain rule. I didn't realize the influence of Quakers was so strong in Ireland.

Much of that is repeated in THE LINEN QUEEN, 1941 ce. Another very strong woman appears in this book. Ireland was more sympathetic to the Germans during Hitler's reign. They learned quickly.

Falvey's books are educational as well as entertaining. Always rooting for the underdog. Especially the women who are finding their voices.

[Kathleen Winikates · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been an interesting historical fiction book about Northern Ireland during WWII, particularly with the dynamic of one of the main characters living in the Free State and involved with the IRA, but the brief touch of that was too little, too late. Unfortunately the characters from the Linen Queen herself, to the Jewish Army captain, to the minor characters who worked in the mill, never really came to life.

[Joy Rayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A successful rendering of the trials and tribulations of an Irish lass during WWII

Having read and loved "The Yellow House", I was excited to find another book by Patricia Flavey. She didn't disappoint either. Her ability to create characters in your minds eye is truly a gift. The story offers us history buffs a depiction we can trust and her consistent characters become our friends. A most enjoyable read, to say the least.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

The story is historical fiction, taking place in Northern Ireland during WW2. Sheila struggles to overcome her self centered life, but eventually she finds self worth and love. She loves two men and has to choose, but the war has other plans. Life was difficult with little money, food rationing and confusion about what the war meant. This was a fast read for me.

[Kelly Prue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by this author!

I read this book in a day. Couldn’t put it down. I love her rich settings and captivating characters. I read everything she writes. Keep them coming!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an emotional roller coaster! I could picture everything that happened just like I was there with Sheila. Sheila learned the hard way that it's not always good to get what you want. I enjoyed every chapter of this book.

[Cami Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author's other works, but this character was frustrating for me. She didn't seem to have anything that I could really relate to -she just seemed frustrated and mean even when she had good opportunities. I did not finish it. First person.

[Wayne Inkster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tale of transformstion.... from self-interested party girl to concerned citizen.... Sheila thought she knew what she wanted, but in the end she realized she had to learn who she was. A great read of historical fiction.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel set in Northern Ireland during World War II. I love historical fiction set in other countries. The main character appears shallow at the beginning of the book but her own life’s experiences during the war and in her poor neighborhood draws her more and more away from saving herself and more towards her role in helping those around her in more dire needs.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had a strong and determined female protagonist. While she is very self centered as the story progresses she shows a great deal of growth. I enjoyed her emotional journey. Happy reading and listening!

[GiGi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ohhhhhh I really wanted to like the main character. She lacked depth and was a very shallow person. She *somewhat* redeemed herself near the end, but overall this story lacked a satisfying conclusion.