The Irish Girl

November 1, 2024
A young girl makes her way in America after emigrating from Ireland in Sweeney's historical novel. It is October of 1886 when 13-year-old Mary Agnes (called Mary A.) Coyne gives her beloved grandfather, Festus Laffey, a tearful goodbye hug and kiss. She is on her way to America--alone, frightened, and excited. Although she had dreamed of seeing the world beyond western Ireland, she had not expected to leave on her own at such a young age. But her mother throws her out of the house after her 15-year-old half-brother Fiach attempts to rape her, blaming Mary A. for the attack. Her grandparents offer her sanctuary from her violent father and vengeful mother, but her grandmother grows ill and can no longer care for her. Her grandparents arrange for Mary A.'s maternal uncle and his family, living in Chicago, to provide a home for her. Arriving in Manhattan, she goes to the church that is supposed to send her on to Chicago and learns that she must live with and work for an Irish family in New York before the priest will pay for her train ticket. One month later, Mary A. heads west. After a warm and effusive welcome, her uncle makes it clear she must find a live-in service job in one of Chicago's prominent houses. Joy and sorrow await her. The poignant narrative is helmed by a sturdy young protagonist who faces a series of obstacles and injustices with courage, picking herself up after each emotionally challenging (and sometimes tragic) setback and pushing forward with determination. Sweeney imbues her prose with a gentle Irish lilt: "a beauty she were, that Laffey girl, when she were young; such a shame what happened to her, do you think it could have been her--no, no, best not to say, best not to say." Her depictions of life in Ireland, the tortuous journey across the Atlantic, and Mary A.'s experiences as a young immigrant, complete with the rampant bigotry and misogyny of the era, are always vivid and compelling. An addictive and frequently painful drama with a strong female lead who shines with resilience.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
Sweeney (Hardland, 2022) could have turned this fictionalized account of her great-grandmother's voyage from Ireland to the U.S. into something maudlin; instead, she has written a novel imbued with hope. Mary Agnes Coyne (or Mary A.) immigrates to America in 1886, 13 years old and alone, a survivor of sexual assault, with nothing but a few coins and the clothes on her back. She hopes to be taken in by relatives in Chicago and someday attend university. Instead, she confronts the realities of nineteenth-century urban life: poverty, hunger, corruption, and illness. But with each setback, she becomes more resilient, not by denying her pain but by accepting it and continuing to move forward. A loved one's terminal diagnosis eventually brings her to Colorado for the bright sun and fresh air. Even when confronted with death, Mary A. pushes herself to believe in happiness. Sweeney finally deposits Mary A. in Chicago, and the book seemingly draws to a bleak conclusion. Yet Mary A.'s optimism shines through, and the novel ends on an anticipatory note. For readers who enjoy historical fiction featuring resilient women.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.