By Hayley Platt
The Irishman’s Daughter, written by V.S. Alexander, is a historical fiction tale set in 1845 in Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Readers follow the life of Briana Walsh, daughter of the agent of the property she lives on, called Lear House. The tale spans over eighteen months as Ireland sinks into the famine of the mid-1800s, with food becoming scarce and difficult to come by.
The plot of this novel is fairly slow-moving, following the lives of the characters closely. They are not exceptional people. They are an everyday family trying to survive the blight and trying to escape and grow without becoming casualties of the famine.
The beginning of the book transports the reader directly into the vivid greens and rolling hills of Ireland. We see the towns, villages, and local harbours. After reading a few chapters it is easy to picture the area around Briana and know the place she loves so dearly. As the famine sets in, the detail shifts to describe exactly what a terrible state the majority of County Mayo experiences with the loss of all potato crops. Readers see illness, starvation, theft, anger, sadness, and more. It is easy to feel compassion for the characters in this book because their circumstances are detailed so accurately, and they are not at fault for any of the outcomes.
A high point in the novel is when Briana marries her long-time childhood love Rory. However, not long after their vows they have to decide between their wish to save Lear House and their need leave to save themselves and their future. This impossible decision and the reasoning they use feels very real and easy to connect with. Readers follow Briana and Rory’s storylines through a large portion of the book, and it is not clear how the book will conclude and if a happily ever after will exist for them.
During the quest to survive, readers are taken on horseback across the countryside to see for themselves the way the residents lived in small rural clusters. The heartbreaking tale challenges readers to picture themselves in similar situations to consider what choices they would make if necessary.
This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction, especially if you know some of the history in Ireland or are looking for learn more about how a community may degrade in a famine.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy of The Irishman’s Daughter so it could be read and impartially reviewed.