Book Review: Daughters of the Famine Road (An Irish Famine Trilogy Book 1) by Bridget Walsh

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

When they meet, Jane and Annie have much in common. As young Irish women in the 1840s, they both know the value of family, home and friendship. Even more importantly, they understand the need to survive against a backdrop of famine, disease and cruel colonial rule. With Ireland crumbling around them and peril at every turn, can these tenacious women overcome the arc of history and create a better life?

I've visited many of the places in Daughters of the Famine Road but knew little about the consequences of the potato famine in Ireland.  This book evokes a real sense of the overwhelming hardship suffered by the poor, and the desperation that led many to make the perilous voyage to America.

Well researched, with an authentic use of the Irish language, this often harrowing story is a classic 'coming of age' journey,. The subject means the plot is sadly predictable, but the characters are well-developed and believable, and there are enough twists and turns to keep readers wanting to know how it ends.

I'm happy to recommend Daughters of the Famine Road, a well-written and engaging novel that tells the story of two young women who are determined to overcome adversity.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Bridget Walsh is descended from Irish immigrants in Leicester, England, and says,  "I was steeped in Irish Catholicism and surrounded by my Irish uncles and aunts, my father’s siblings, who had followed him over to find work in England when there was non to be had in Ireland. As a second generation Irish woman, I have always been fascinated by the complex relationship between Ireland and Britain over many hundreds of years. I read about Democracy, Empires and Colonialism. I read lots of non-fiction about An Gorta Mór, the Irish Famine, but I was particularly interested in how women and their families managed in this terrible time.' When Bridget retired from full-time work in Further Education, she gained a Masters degree in Creative Writing, and began her Irish Famine Trilogy. Find out more from Bridget's website https://www.bridgetsjournal.com/ and find her on Twitter @bridgetw1807