Book Description
She had left behind everything she loved to forge a future for the one she treasured most...
A dangerous journey from Ireland to America. A mother's sacrifice. A family secret. Inspired by heartbreaking true events, the unforgettable new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of THE PAPER BRACELET and THE AMERICAN GIRL.
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...
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Letter Home' by Rachael English.
Read and reviewed for Random Things Tours, Rachael English and Headline Publishers.
Publication Date: 3rd February 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I also noticed that it is inspired by true events which grabbed my attention. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Headline Publishers. I have yet to read a book published by Headline publishers that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 46 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪, UK 🇬🇧 and Boston, USA 🇺🇸. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and holidayed in Ireland on several occasions so am intrigued to see if I recognise any places that are mentioned.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist are Jessie Daly, Kaitlin Wilson and Bridget Moloney. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
What an absolutely heart wrenching, beautiful, inspirational read!! Rachael has taken an absolute tragedy, researched it extremely well and woven it into a absolutely gorgeous story for her readers so that they don't only enjoy reading the story but so they also learning from and become invested in it at the same time. The majority of people know about The Great Famine that affected Ireland from 1845 to 1849 even if it is only a small amount of information. What Rachael does is really make the reader feel and understand how it would have felt for the people in Ireland at that time. The fact that Rachael has researched The Great Famine and many other parts of history absolutely shines through. There is not much worse when it comes to a book than when an author doesn't take the time to research their chosen topics littering their books with mistakes so congratulations Rachael on taking the time to research ensuring an absolutely fantastic read!! I must admit that I didn't know an awful lot about the famine myself as anything I had learnt in school had mostly been forgotten so I enjoyed reading about it and love the fact that you do highlight this tragic event in this fantastic novel as it ensures it never gets forgotten about. Rachael doesn't just focus on The Great Famine alone though but sends the reader back and forth from the 1840's to 2019. It is not an easy feat for an author to swing from one time line to another so smoothly while making all the storyline enjoyable but Rachael does it perfectly.
'The Letter Home' has been extremely well written and the storyline flows really well. It is absolutely heartbreaking that so many people were forced to leave their homes due to the famine and that so many people starved to death. After I finished reading this book I went and researched more about it because it felt like 'The Letter Home' was encouraging me too and if it made me feel like that then I don't think I would be the only one which means this book is helping to teach people about Irish history and what happened during the famine. Congratulations Rachael on ensuring 'The Big Famine' is never forgotten and the victims are always remembered!!!
I absolutely love how well Rachael manages to weave three different storylines together so seamlessly. I have read several books with two storylines woven together but I think this may be the first with three. The three women we meet are Jessie, Bridget and Kaitlin. The first of these three characters that we meet are Jessie so I will start with her.
Jessie Daly's storyline is set in present day which is for the purposes of the storyline 2019. Jessie loses her job as a journalist in Dublin and moves back in with her family. Jessie is originally envious of her sister Lorna but all isn't as it seems. I won't say any more about that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. Jessie's friend Ger is a teacher who is currently teaching his pupils about the Great Famine. When he discovers that one of the first recorded deaths was of a lady who lived close to where Jessie's Gran lives it sets the ball rolling. I wasn't a huge fan of Jessie as her losing her job was her own fault and the fact that she had embarrassed her family to get to where she was sickened me. However I did still find her story, and Lorna's intriguing.
The next main character we meet is Bridget Markham. Now, this is where my heart broke and the tears came freely. I also felt this was the strongest of the three storylines. Bridget's story is absolutely heartbreaking and this is the one that delves into the famine and poverty of Ireland. This one is set in the past and I felt that this storyline took me straight back there with Bridget. I was completely invested in her character from beginning to end. Bridget is a survivor who went from one tragedy to another to yet another, none of her own making, yet she still had the strength to keep battling for survival. I really felt that Bridget was a spokesperson for all those victims who had died during these tragic and devastating years. I absolutely loved her character and she will stay with me for a very long time. I won't say anymore about Bridget as I don't want to give too much of the storyline away. However, apart from the fact that this is one character that you will root through from the start, I will say that the fact that Rachael included family trees definitely helped, I'm sure you'll understand why when you read this fantastic story!!
Lastly we meet Kaitlin who loves in Boston and whose story is set in the present. It is Kaitlin whose story weaves them all together so perfectly. There isn't an awful lot I can say about Kaitlin without giving anything away. She is unhappy with what seems to be a perfect life and decides to research her family history as a distraction. This is where the lives of her own and Jessie's intertwine. My heart went out to Kaitlin after her own tragedy and she was another character I became invested in.
This book is very cleverly mastered with multiple layers that will keep the reader absorbed throughout. It is a haunting tale of poverty and immigration and a rollercoaster of emotions from misery to hope and love to heartbreak. It is filled with neglect, heartbreak, survival, hope and so much more!! Rachael has done an amazing job of intertwining the lives of three very different woman and reminding readers about a tragedy that should never be forgotten and that in itself is something that she should be extremely proud of!
Grab the tissues, clear your schedules and get ready to be sucked into this masterfully poignant tale of heartbreak, history and hope!!
Overall an emotional and extremely powerful story that will stay with the reader for a very long time.
Genres covered in this book include Women's Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller, Historical Suspense, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Thriller, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Suspense, Mystery and Women's Detective Fiction amongst others.
454 pages.
This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
@Bookworm86 @bookworm1986 @TheLetterHome @RachaelEnglish @HeadlinePublishing @RandomTTours @RandomThingsTours
Praise For 'The Letter Home'
'A true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages' CATHY KELLY, Sunday Times bestselling author
'Beautifully written... tugs at the heartstrings. Two women, separated by an ocean, discover secrets which have been hidden for generations. A poignant story about surviving incredible hardship and of making a brave new start against all odds' Real reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of love, family, and courage beyond imagination' Real reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A wonderful, incredibly rich novel. I wasn't able to put it down. I was absolutely captivated' Real reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A powerful, important, beautiful book' Sinéad Crowley
'Utterly moving and compelling. I was hooked' Patricia Scanlan
'Compelling' Sheila O'Flanagan
'Fantastic storytelling' Liz Nugent
'Outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'It broke my heart. Rachael has managed to tell a truly heartbreaking story beautifully and with real grace
and dignity' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A beautifully written story, uncovering some untold truths' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Author Bio
Rachael English is a bestselling novelist and presenter on Ireland's most popular radio show, Morning Ireland. During more than twenty years as a journalist, she has worked on most of RTE Radio's leading current affairs programmes, covering a huge range of national and international stories. The American Girl, The Night of the Party and The Paper Bracelet were all top 5 Irish bestsellers.
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