The Girls of Ennismore is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching novel that touches the soul. I was drawn into the story and the character’s lives, right from the start. I didn’t want to put the book down, not even for a moment.
John Killeen was poor and rented farmland from Lord Ennis. All of John’s daughters worked at Ennismore, aka, the Big House, to maintain the family household. When Rosie Killeen turned eight, she made her way up to the Big House kitchen to work, like her sisters had. But, Rosie didn’t stay working there for long. Victoria Bell, Lord Ennis’s daughter, talked her father into permitting her to have Rosie as a friend. Lord Ennis shocked his wife when he declared that Rosie Killeen, whom Lady Althea Ennis considered to be a peasant, would be coming into their home and befriending their daughter. Rosie was never asked whether she wanted to become Victoria’s friend or take classes with her at Ennismore, but her thoughts on the matter didn’t count.
The two girls, however, did end up becoming the best of friends until Victoria started her season. Rosie was crushed when Victoria didn’t invite her along as her companion. She burned with embarrassment when she had to return to the Big House and work as a servant. Although Rosie knew, that her close association with Victoria’s brother, Valentine, could never become a true relationship, she was still shattered when he left her. But, Rosie’s self-esteem lifted once again, when she aspired to make the best out of her lot in life, rather than set her heart on an unattainable dream. It was a difficult time, though, when Rosie struck out on her own. It was the time of the Uprising when the Native Irish started to band together and come up against the English, and the Aristocrats who had stolen their land.
The Girls of Ennismore brought a dark segment of Ireland’s history alive for me. This poignant novel is superbly written with razor-sharp details and raw emotion. The Girls of Ennismore pulled at my heart and captivated my interest until the end. Highly recommended!
Thank you, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.
~5 out of 5 shining stars~ Review by Peg Glover.
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