USA Today Bestselling Author Jean Grainger wants to take you to Ireland…Carmel is lost. Sharif is searching. Neither knows the full truth.Carmel Sheehan was abandoned as a baby and left in the care of an Irish convent. Though they were not cruel, life with the nuns was lonely and isolating. Nobody ever adopted her, so when the time came to leave Trinity House, she was terrified, and jumped at … she was terrified, and jumped at the chance to get a family of her own through a marriage to man she barely knew.
But Bill wasn’t who he seemed, and having his horrible sister Julia as a constant looming presence made a bad situation even worse.
Then a Facebook message from a man claiming to know more about her past than she knew herself changed everything. What would make the nuns at Trinity House lie about her history? Could Carmel risk the only life she’s known to find out?
What reviews are saying:
‘I love Carmel, she’s warm and funny and you find yourself rooting for her every step of the way. I don’t do misery, and this book is not like those sad Irish childhood books, it’s uplifting and intriguing with characters you really care about and a plot that twists and turns in all sorts of ways.’
‘I cried, and I laughed, Carmel is a modern heroine, flawed and damaged but resilient and strong.’
‘Move over Maeve Binchy, Jean’s writing has those elements Maeve had, warmth, fun with an poignant edge, I enjoyed the whole series.’
more
I enjoyed reading this story. Julia was an orphan who married a man who had no love for her at all. A chance journey changes Julia’s life forever.
LETTERS OF FREEDOM by Jean Grainger
Carmel Sheehan was raised in an orphanage and as a child of the Irish state felt unworthy of making her own choices about life, career and marriage. As a result she agreed to a loveless marriage to an ungrateful, uncommunicative widower still pining for his first wife.
She continues to live a joyless existence until the day she receives a letter inviting her to Dublin to meet her recently deceased mother’s doctor. It is the start of a new-found confidence and sense of worth for her, as well as a blossoming romance.
I enjoyed this short, easy to read novella with all the components of a good story and look forward to reading more from Jean Grainger.
Jean Grainger writes the most amazing and believable stories. Jean has achieved amazing depth of characters for a 32 page novella. I felt like I was on her journey with Carmel. This is a wonderful tale. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Letters of Freedom #1 – Heartwarming. A well written, sad but uplifting story about two women and their losses. The short story is mesmerizing and can’t be put down and ends too soon. Although the two don’t meet, they end up sharing the same family. The abandoned child finds she had someone all along and now she’s part of a real family and treasured. I contacted the author to review her books after reading Shadow.
The Future’s Not Ours To See #2 – Starts where Letters of Freedom ends. A well written emotional ride of a story. The plot is fast paced and filled with a gamut of emotions. All the characters have personalities and are realistic, as is their dialog. This author does a wonderful job with descriptions of all sorts; and she carries you from emotion to another as the story unfolds. The agony and growth of the main female character is heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time. The metamorphosis she experiences is awe inspiring; yes, you can say she becomes a beautiful butterfly with all the love and the support. I wish I could say more, but this is a review, not a book report.
Everything I’ve read by this author is well worth the time invested. You walk away with something substantial that actually has meaning. There are so many fun, likable characters that when an evil one appears, it is dramatic. Start with Letters of Freedom and finish the journey with The Future’s Not Ours To See.
What Will Be Will Be #3 – Another wonderful, heartwarming period in Carmel’s story. Carmel has grown so much in the past year and that growth brings great happiness and bigger changes to her life. Ms. Grainger’s talent to tell a story, with vivid descriptions; interesting, caring characters; and realistic dialog and adventures makes this book difficult to put down. Nothing different from the other books of the series. The ending is a perfect way to finalize the series, but it also leaves the future open for another book down the road.
I was so sad in the beginning, but the fact that Carmel found out about her birth mother was inspirational, just not sure why the nuns kept it all hush-hush. I am ready for the story to continue!