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susanthebookbag's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I have to admit that this book started off a little slow for me and it seemed like it was going to be rather daunting to finish. Maybe it was because when I started it, I didn't have big chunks of time to devote to reading and I just didn't connect with the characters. But that all changed very quickly when I got a handle on the characters and the story captured my attention from then on. Then I didn't want to stop reading!
I really liked the character of Ruby and I detested the way her own mother and sisters treated her. I loved it when she was able to stand up to them and started to live her life the way she wanted to. But what a price she had to pay.
This following passage is one of my favorites and I had to stop and think about it for a bit. It does make some sense, I guess, in certain circumstances.
'Ranfurly looked at the doubtless long-suffering Paddy with a newfound respect, and concluded that the ideal marriage would surely be between a blind woman and a deaf man.'
And I love it when I find the connection between the story and the title. Sometimes it's very easy to determine what the title has to do with the story and sometimes, not so much. This was a great connection.
'Just so you know, Dr. Shelvin, this ... this ... godforsaken daughter of mine's been dabbling in black magic, like her grandmother before her. It comes full circle, you know. God knows, she most likely needs an exorcism as well as the asylum.'
I discovered after I was done with The Godforsaken Daughter that it's book #3 in the Tailorstown Series. I didn't know that when I started the book but I totally didn't feel like I was missing anything. Book #1 is The Misremembered Man. Book #2 is The Disenchanted Widow. I guess I'll be adding these to my TBR list.
I really liked the character of Ruby and I detested the way her own mother and sisters treated her. I loved it when she was able to stand up to them and started to live her life the way she wanted to. But what a price she had to pay.
This following passage is one of my favorites and I had to stop and think about it for a bit. It does make some sense, I guess, in certain circumstances.
'Ranfurly looked at the doubtless long-suffering Paddy with a newfound respect, and concluded that the ideal marriage would surely be between a blind woman and a deaf man.'
And I love it when I find the connection between the story and the title. Sometimes it's very easy to determine what the title has to do with the story and sometimes, not so much. This was a great connection.
'Just so you know, Dr. Shelvin, this ... this ... godforsaken daughter of mine's been dabbling in black magic, like her grandmother before her. It comes full circle, you know. God knows, she most likely needs an exorcism as well as the asylum.'
I discovered after I was done with The Godforsaken Daughter that it's book #3 in the Tailorstown Series. I didn't know that when I started the book but I totally didn't feel like I was missing anything. Book #1 is The Misremembered Man. Book #2 is The Disenchanted Widow. I guess I'll be adding these to my TBR list.
electablue's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the Misremembered Man and so enjoyed that the main character, Jamie, also has a starring role in this one. So many horrible things happen to the characters, but yet the book is still hopeful and even funny in places. The conversation has such a great Irish lilt to it that I want to start talking that way myself by the end of the book.
theoneandonlyredrose's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmmm. An OK read. Loved the Misremembered Man but found this one a bit lacking in 'guts'. Was the writing up to the same standard or is it just me?
milola's review against another edition
3.0
another fun trip to Tailorstown. predictable finish but fun nonetheless. a little Fannie Flagg-esque which was really enjoyable to me.
beckylej's review against another edition
3.0
It's been seven months since his death but Ruby Clare still mourns the loss of her beloved father. The two were close, sharing a love of the land and a bond that no one else in the family could understand. Since his death, Ruby's mother has leased off the land and forcing her to give up farming for good. And while her two sisters work in Belfast during the week, Ruby stays home to keep house and care for their mother. With daily criticism from her mother and weekends spent terrorized by her sisters, Ruby has never been more morose.
Then Ruby discovers an old case belonging to her paternal grandmother. It appears in her own grief, Ruby's grandmother turned to the ancient Goddess Dana for solace. In her, Ruby too finds comfort and the promise of change. But when Ruby's mother catches wind of it, she begins to threaten her daughter with exorcisms and a trip to the local asylum!
Enter Doctor Henry Shevlin. Henry is new to the area, working as temporary psychiatrist while the town's actual doctor is away on research. And even with his own woes hanging heavy, Henry can offer a voice of reason and support for people like Ruby.
I really enjoyed this read from McKenna. It's set in the early 80s, amidst the IRA bombings and threats of the era and while this isn't a HUGE part of the plot, it does play into it to a good extent. And really there are two main stories here: that of Ruby Clare and her family and that of Henry Shevlin.
Ruby's tale is the main focus of the book. She's a bit downtrodden, understandable given her situation. Her mother has never really shown any affection for her and even her mother's friends are incredibly critical of the girl. Living in a small town where gossip is gold makes things even worse. McKenna does a fabulous job with the characters that dwell in and around Tailorstown. From the local priest to the post mistress and even the town sheriff, each character - no matter how small or how infrequently seen - is rich in detail. And like any town, some of them are nice and some of them are a little nasty.
Henry Shevlin's story is quite interesting as well. It's through him that we get more of the political climate of the time. It's a bit of a shame really that his story is kind of pushed to the side in lieu of Ruby's tale. It would seem that Henry and his wife might be deserving of their own book, to be quite honest. And this is really The Godforsaken Daughter's only big downfall. I felt like Shevlin's story was too big to be a secondary story.
If you enjoy small town settings and family drama (and this family is full of drama) you'll like The Godforsaken Daughter. This is the third book set in the Tailorstown but it's not at all necessary to have read either of the previous books.
Then Ruby discovers an old case belonging to her paternal grandmother. It appears in her own grief, Ruby's grandmother turned to the ancient Goddess Dana for solace. In her, Ruby too finds comfort and the promise of change. But when Ruby's mother catches wind of it, she begins to threaten her daughter with exorcisms and a trip to the local asylum!
Enter Doctor Henry Shevlin. Henry is new to the area, working as temporary psychiatrist while the town's actual doctor is away on research. And even with his own woes hanging heavy, Henry can offer a voice of reason and support for people like Ruby.
I really enjoyed this read from McKenna. It's set in the early 80s, amidst the IRA bombings and threats of the era and while this isn't a HUGE part of the plot, it does play into it to a good extent. And really there are two main stories here: that of Ruby Clare and her family and that of Henry Shevlin.
Ruby's tale is the main focus of the book. She's a bit downtrodden, understandable given her situation. Her mother has never really shown any affection for her and even her mother's friends are incredibly critical of the girl. Living in a small town where gossip is gold makes things even worse. McKenna does a fabulous job with the characters that dwell in and around Tailorstown. From the local priest to the post mistress and even the town sheriff, each character - no matter how small or how infrequently seen - is rich in detail. And like any town, some of them are nice and some of them are a little nasty.
Henry Shevlin's story is quite interesting as well. It's through him that we get more of the political climate of the time. It's a bit of a shame really that his story is kind of pushed to the side in lieu of Ruby's tale. It would seem that Henry and his wife might be deserving of their own book, to be quite honest. And this is really The Godforsaken Daughter's only big downfall. I felt like Shevlin's story was too big to be a secondary story.
If you enjoy small town settings and family drama (and this family is full of drama) you'll like The Godforsaken Daughter. This is the third book set in the Tailorstown but it's not at all necessary to have read either of the previous books.
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