The Irishman's Daughter

By: V.S. Alexander

Narrated by: Lucy Rayner

Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

From the acclaimed author of The Magdalen Girls comes a powerful, unforgettable novel of strength and resilience, set against the backdrop of the Irish famine.

Ireland, 1845. To Briana Walsh, no place on earth is more beautiful than Carrowteige, County Mayo, with its sloping fields and rocky cliffs perched above the wild Atlantic. The small farms that surround the centuries-old Lear House are managed by her father, agent to the wealthy, reckless Sir Thomas Blakely. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. But when the potato crop falls prey to a devastating blight, families Briana has known all her life are left with no food, no resources, and no mercy from the English landowner, who seems indifferent to everything except profit.

Rory Caulfield, the hard-working young farmer Briana hopes to marry, shares the locals' despair - and their anger. There's talk of violent reprisals against the callous gentry and their agents. Briana's studious older sister, Lucinda, dreams of a future far beyond Mayo. But even as hunger and disease settle over the country, killing and displacing millions, Briana knows she must find a way to guide her family through one of Ireland's darkest hours - toward hope, love, and a new beginning.

©2019 Michael Meeske (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Well, written and read with dramatic storyline.

Long book, but it kept me captivated with the various storylines, and taught me a lot about the challenges that the Irish have faced in the past. Glad I chose to listen to this.

V.S. Does it again

I don't know how VS Alexander makes me want to live in a time when really bad things happened, but I do every time. I would like to think that if I lived during this time that I would stand up and be like the main character in this book. I loved the relationships between all the character the different personalities really made this book something special. Irishman's Daughter has all the elements that make you want more. This story was well crafted and well told and I can't wait to see what else V.S. Alexander has to offer.

Great story line

Kept me attention throughout the entire book. Great insight of the plight of the Irish potato famine

As gold

Nice read interesting would recommend to people that we like historical fiction enjoy the book and topic

Great book

Wonderful book and very well read slow but kept me captivated i learned a lot of things I didn’t know about what the Irish I’ve been through

Review

Brunt of a joke or bear the brunt- not butt. Certainly not period appropriate for historical fiction

Great listen!!

The story line was great and the transitions worked well. A brutal recall of how the Irish suffered in the famine.

Not bad but a bit drawn out

The reader’s voice became annoying at times because it rose and fell in the same pattern continuously. It was a bit droning. The storyline was mostly believable but also a bit drawn out. I would have liked to have seen a main character with a bit more dimension. No one is only all good.

An engaging read about a terrible time in history

This book started out slowly, but did pick up in interest about a quarter of the way in. I became vested in the characters and the story. It seems to be a pretty accurate description of the Irish Potato Famine and the plight of Irish immigrants to America.

Poor Ireland

A good explanation of the potato famine and those impacted. Characters were believable and interesting. Would have preferred a different ending, which seemed to be rushed. A lot happened in the last few chapters. Maybe a sequal?