From the acclaimed author of The Magdalen Girls and The Taster comes a powerful, unforgettable novel of strength and resilience, set against the backdrop of the Irish famine. Ireland, 1845. To Briana Walsh, no place on earth is more beautiful than Carrowteige, County Mayo, with its sloping fields and rocky cliffs perched above the wild Atlantic. The small farms that surround the centuries-old … small farms that surround the centuries-old Lear House are managed by her father, agent to the wealthy, reckless Sir Thomas Blakely. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. But when the potato crop falls prey to a devastating blight, families Briana has known all her life are left with no food, no resources, and no mercy from the English landowner, who seems indifferent to everything except profit.
Rory Caulfield, the hard-working young farmer Briana hopes to marry, shares the locals’ despair—and their anger. There’s talk of violent reprisals against the callous gentry and their agents. Briana’s studious older sister, Lucinda, dreams of a future far beyond Mayo. But even as hunger and disease settle over the country, killing and displacing millions, Briana knows she must find a way to guide her family through one of Ireland’s darkest hours—toward hope, love, and a new beginning.
Praise for V.S. Alexander’s The Taster
“This haunting and engrossing novel will appeal to fans of Anthony Doerr and Kristin Hannah.”
—Booklist
“The ‘taster’s’ story adds to a body of nuanced World War II fiction such as Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key. Book clubs and historical fiction fans will love discussing this and will eagerly await more from Alexander.”
—Library Journal
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As with the other V.S. Alexander books I’ve read, I learned so much from this story. Most people have heard of the Great Hunger in Ireland during the 1840s, but much of the horror of it has become whitewashed through the years. By setting the book in a rural village in Ireland, V.S. takes us through those early, barely-believable rumors of the blight, followed by the first indication that it was quickly spreading through the entire country. Little by little we’re plunged deeper in to the unimaginable tragedy, experiencing it as the main characters do. There are some harrowing passages, yet because of Brianna Walsh’s resilience and strength, she never loses hope and neither does the reader. An outstanding work of historical fiction.
A great historical read. Even though it was a tragic time in Irish history, the main characters provided hope and optimism for the reader. A good depiction of what it must have been like during these times.
A great story to read about the people during the potato famine. Characters were well developed and seemed as though this was the truth.
I felt like I was there, in Ireland, trying to exist during the potato famine. A wonderful read.
A look at the tragedy that sent many Irish citizens to leave their homes in order to survive. The story gives the reader an understanding of the Irish Potato Famine and what made it so devastating to the population of Ireland.
I love stories based on historical events. Set in Ireland and America this story draws you into the lives of a family trying to survive and preserve their way of life.
The book is an account of the impact of the famine in Ireland on the people. It was tragic to read of the starvation of a population. It’s a period in world history that has been largely under addressed.
Historical Irish romance. My favorite
I learned a lot about the historical and political facts about the potatoe famine, however the characters are not credible and too romantic within the context.
I thought it was great, very different and entertaining.
The Irishman’s Daughter is one of those rare books that make me wish I could give it more than 5 stars. It is a beautiful, well written, fantastically researched historical fiction novel about a rarely discussed time in Irish history – the Famine of the mid 1800s. I have read a lot about this time period because most of my maternal ancestors immigrated to America from Ireland during this time period. Even though I have read a lot about it, this book gave me more information about the Irish farmers and what they went through during this terrible time.
The novel begins in 1845 in County Mayo where Briana lives with her father Brian, the agent to a wealthy English landowner. As the land agent, Brian is responsible for collecting rent from the tenant farmers who grow crops on the land. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. When the potato crop fails, the farmers are left with no food and no way to survive. Briana feels great compassion for the farmers and has been in love with Rory, one of the local tenant farmers, since they were children. As the hunger and disease spread over Ireland, Briana and Rory work to make sure that their families survive despite the odds against them.
Briana was a wonderfully written character. The reader could feel her pain and compassion as the drought worsened and I must admit that I cried along with her several times. Her love of her home and the beauty of the Irish countryside is so strong that I consider Ireland to be one of the main characters in the book. I know that it made me want to take another trip to Ireland to see the beauty of it. This is a book that I won’t soon forget.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
The author needed to eliminate some repetitive detail. the book was long winded and didn’t get all of the historic details right.
repetative, drawn out lost my interest