Book Synopsis:
Don’t miss the gripping new historical novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Secret of the Chateau and The Forgotten Secret.
A country rebelling
It’s 1916 and, as war rages in Europe, Gráinne leaves her job in a department store to join Countess Markiewicz’s revolutionary efforts. It is a decision which will change her life forever. A rebellion is brewing, and as Dublin’s streets become a battleground, Gráinne soon discovers the personal cost of fighting for what you believe in…
A forgotten sacrifice
Decades on, student Nicky is recovering from a break-up when a research project leads her to her great-grandmother’s experiences in revolutionary Ireland. When Nicky finds a long-forgotten handkerchief amongst her great-grandmother’s things, it leads to the revelation of a heartbreaking story of tragedy and courage, and those who sacrificed everything for their country.
Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, this emotional historical novel will sweep you away to the Emerald Isle. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Sandy Taylor and Fiona Valpy.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this author so I always look forward to a new book from her. Her books are always beautifully written and I quickly found myself absorbed into the story.
The story is told from the point of view of Gráinne in the past and Nicky in the present day. I absolutely loved Gráinne and really enjoyed following her throughout the book. The author cleverly writes the story so the reader is able to experience everything through Gráinne’s eyes which made me feel more involved in the story and felt every emotion they do. It took me a lot longer to warm to Nicky though who seemed a bit of an entitled brat at the beginning but I slowly grew to like her.
I knew a little bit about the Easter Rising but I always love finding out more about historical events. It was interesting to follow Gráinne on the lead up to the rising and to learn a little bit about things from the other side as I’ve only learnt about things from the British point of view before. The author has clearly done her research and I loved all the little details that helped make the story come to life.
Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. The two stories complement each other perfectly and I loved the slow way they came together at the end. The ending was incredibly emotional and I was sobbing as I read the last few pages. If you’re a fan of dual timeline historical fiction I highly recommend this book.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to HQ Digital for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women’s magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she’s not writing, she’s often out running, slowly.
Website: kathleenmcgurl.com
Twitter: @KathMcGurl
Over The Rainbow Blog 