All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her mother's descriptions of Ireland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira decides to fulfill her mother's wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.
After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.
Jennifer Deibel's debut novel delights the senses, bringing to life the sights, sounds, smells, and language of a lush country and a colorful people. Historical romance fans will embrace her with open arms.
My Thoughts
In a time where most of us aren’t traveling we need all the books set around the world to let us live vicariously! I have always been fascinated by Ireland and I was excited to step into a book that took me there in my mind. The descriptions were vivid and abundant and those who can’t paint pictures in their minds from what they’re reading will have no trouble transporting themselves to Donegal. I personally struggled with there being a little too much description and not enough dialogue but that may be just me.
The characters were sweet but I don’t know if classifying this as a romance is completely accurate, yes the couple ends up in a relationship but there wasn’t a whole lot of actual romance along the way which my romance loving self was really wanting more of.
Also, as a heads up for people that struggle with a different dialect in its written form this book was chock full of Gaelic words and words written the way that Irish folk pronounce them.
Overall this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but those who like descriptive sweeping tales are sure to find a new author to enjoy!
Meet the Author
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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