Title: The Daughters of Ireland
Author:Santa Montefiore
Series:The Deverill Chronicles, #2
Narrator:Genevieve Swallow
Published:August 2017, HarperAudio / William Morrow Paperbacks
Length:18 hours 33 minutes / 576 pages
Source: Audio – personal copy via Audible / ARC Paperback – Publisher via TLC Book Tours
Ireland. 1925.
The war is over. But life will never be the same…
In
the green hills of West Cork, Ireland, Castle Deverill has burned to
the ground. But young Celia Deverill is determined to see her ruined
ancestral home restored to its former glory — to the years when Celia
ran through its vast halls with her cousin Kitty and their childhood
friend Bridie Doyle.Kitty herself is raising a young family, but
she longs for Jack O’Leary — the long-ago sweetheart she cannot have.
And soon Kitty must make a heartbreaking decision, one that could
destroy everything she holds dear.Bridie, once a cook’s daughter
in Castle Deverill, is now a well-heeled New York City socialite. Yet
her celebrity can’t erase a past act that haunts her still. Nor can it
keep her from seeking revenge upon the woman who wronged her all those
years ago.As these three daughters of Ireland seek to make their
way in a world once again beset by dark forces, Santa Montefiore shows
us once more why she is one of the best-loved storytellers at work
today.
My thoughts:This is the second book in Santa Montefiore’s Deverill Chronicles and I found myself just as swept up in this story as I was in the first one. I so love family sagas and this one is really good!
This one picks up shortly after the previous book, The Girl in the Castle, ends and while it’s not necessary to read that book before this one – Santa Montefiore does a great job getting you up to speed – I do highly recommend it as it is really good! And, if you’re like me, reading series, or in this case, trilogies in order, just makes sense!
While the first book centered primarily on Kitty, this one is focused more on Celia and Bridie, though of course, the three lives are most definitely intertwined and have been since childhood, as we learned in the first book. Celia has now bought Castle Deverill and is determined to restore it to it’s former glory at all costs and Bridie has escaped to America where she has done well for herself, marrying a wealthy elderly man. Kitty is still living on the Deverill estate, though not entirely happy with Celia’s grandiose plans for the Castle.
The book takes place just after the end of WWI and leads into the Great Depression right up to WWII. It takes us from Ireland to London to New York and even South Africa and each setting is just as vivid as can be. But as the characters learn to live with and accept their pasts, they come to realize that no matter where they are in the world, Ireland is truly the only place that will ever be home for them.
I also loved that once again there is just the slightest bit of the Irish lore included in the story – that of the Irish curse and the ghosts that linger in the castle. This just adds that little bit of fun to the book that I really enjoyed. Yes, you do have to suspend belief here, but it’s so worth it. I loved the parts when the ghosts were talking and commenting on what was going on in the castle.
I am so eager for the final book in this trilogy. We meet some new characters in this installment and their storyline is left open-ended for a conclusion in the final book – at least I hope! Plus, there is still some resolution to be had for the three women who are the primary focus of this series…I can’t wait to see where it will all go!
Audio thoughts:I am so glad to see that Genevieve Swallows was narrating this book. I had listened to the first book in this series and thought she had done a fantastic job and once again she did another wonderful job with this one! I would imagine it being hard to narrate a book that encompasses such a large cast of characters, but I feel that Genevieve Swallows handles it quite well. She is able to give each of the characters their own unique voices and infuses just the right amount of tension and emotion into her voice as necessary. Her pace and tone are spot on throughout the book. I really enjoy her narration and hope that she narrates the third and final book in this trilogy!!!
Books in this series:
- The Girl in the Castle
- The Daughters of Ireland
- The Last Secret of the Deverills – due out summer 2018???
About the Author: Santa Montefiore was
born in England. She went to Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and
studied Spanish and Italian at Exeter University. She has written
sixteen bestselling novels, which have been translated into thirty
different languages and have sold more than two million copies
worldwide.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Be sure to check out all the other stops on the blog tour and follow the tour on Twitter (hashtags: #TLCBookTours & #TheDaughtersofIreland).
I received a copy of this one from William Morrow. I did not realize that it was part of a trilogy. While I may not go back not and read the first one, I will most definitely be picking up the final installment to see how it all plays out.
Kristen, I'm glad you enjoyed this audio book. (I am finally listening to one myself–yay!) It sounds like an absorbing trilogy.
Sounds like an interesting story. I could not find this book anywhere (the first one).
This is the time when my Gram was born in Ireland – that makes me want to read this book even more!
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and have this one waiting for me to dive into. I can't wait!