The Daughters of Ireland

The Daughters of Ireland is a vast, slow-burning drama that follows a handful of women in Ireland and America in the late 1920s. Kitty is raising her half-brother in an unsatisfying marriage. Bridie was a penniless maid who inherited wealth but lives an empty life, pining after a man she loved in her youth and a child she was forced to give up for adoption. Celia is a wealthy married woman who is restoring her family’s castle after rebels partially burn it.

None of the women in the novel are entirely whole and fulfilled. No one seems to be entirely happy with their lot in life, and everyone cheats on their spouse (or their spouse cheats on them). An atmosphere of wistfulness, regret, and isolation permeates the narrative.

The glacial pace at which the novel moves really gives readers the time to marinate with the characters. Bridie is by far the most interesting of the handful of main characters. Stick with this novel; it’s worth it. The Daughters of Ireland was a unique and complex tale that might appeal to readers who like period dramas such as Downton Abbey.