Christina Mckenna

Jamie McCloone is a farmer, living on the farm in northern Ireland his adopted parents left to him. In his early forties, he longs for companionship and a family so he answers a 'Lonely Hearts' advertisement from schoolteacher Lydia Devine. She's a spinster, living and taking care of her invalid mother.
The story alternates from Jamie's time in the orphanage as a small boy where he was abused and starved to adult Jamie and Lydia's lives. The orphanage sections are very dark; the boys suffered show more terribly much as the girls did in the Magdalene laundries. This cruelty is offset wonderfully by the poignant and funny sections with Jamie and Lydia as adults. There were a few scenes that made me laugh out loud.
The author manages to balance the story well. Her writing is lyrical and her dialogue is masterful. Schoolteacher Lydia mentally corrects and awards points for correct grammar. Jamie and his friends are rougher, and they speak in an Irish dialect that works perfectly.
I understand this is a debut novel. It's just lovely, and I can't wait to read more from this author. show less

Jamie McCloone was abandoned as a baby in 1934, to a convent in Ireland: a place where a priest abused him, and some hard hearted nuns looked the other way. Now 41 years old, living by himself in a run down 100 year old cottage in the Irish countryside, he is suffering from depression, dragging himself through each day with only the comfort of his dog Shep, and his neighbors Paddy and Rose McFadden. Rose worries about Jamie and suggests that he look for a wife by taking out an ad in the show more newspaper. In another part of town, Lydia Devine, a never married school teacher, is living at home taking care of her over-bearing widowed mother. Lydia doesn’t date, and when she gets invited to a wedding she realizes that she’ll need a date, so she takes out an ad in the same newspaper.

The story evolves around these two lonely people taking a chance, hoping to find happiness. The author, Christina McKenna, has written a compelling story using their voices, and flashbacks to the abuse Jamie suffered during his childhood. Christina is an amazingly talented writer, who has crafted a piece of fiction that shines brilliantly in the midst of its underlying dark tale of abuse. Reading the first page convinced me of her writing ability, and in the last chapter my heart was racing and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. 5 stars; and a warning for anyone sensitive to child abuse; the scenes are graphic, but can be skipped over because you’ll know when they are about to happen. show less

This wasn't a bad book. In fact, there were times when it was quite enjoyable. A couple of the stories, despite the rather dry tone of the writing, actually came across as creepy as hell.

I think it was the dry tone that knocked a star or two off my review. I understand that the authors were trying to present the cases in more of a non-judgmental, non-sensationalist way, but hell, these stories are cool. I want details, I want sturm und drang!

The only other complaint, and it's the exact same show more complaint as the book [b:The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren|1139129|The Demonologist The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren|Gerald Brittle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327940411s/1139129.jpg|1126397], is that you get the fun, creepy stories, then the exorcists show up and it becomes somewhat preachy. Every story points out that each house should have religious iconography in it. We shouldn't drink or smoke or engage in deviant sex. Stay away from black candles and Ouija boards. Have faith in the Lord.

Yeah, I get it. They're Christian exorcists, so anything from homosexuality to mental illness can be blamed on Satan and his minions. But it just felt like this played on a bit of a loop through the book.

Still, some fantastic stories. Do I believe any of them? Nope. But were they cool? Yup. show less

Ruby Clare is thirty-three, unmarried and still lives at home on the family farm with her bitter, abusive mother. Since Ruby’s beloved father died suddenly, Ruby’s day consists of knitting tea cozies, and waiting hand and foot on Martha Clare. Ruby’s spoiled twin sisters, May and June, don’t make life any easier for Ruby. Although they work in the city, they come home on weekends to visit Martha and to torment shy, overweight Ruby.

Meanwhile, psychiatrist Henry Shevlin’s life is in show more turmoil. His wife, Constance, went for a walk and never returned. After a year of searching for her, he’s decided to attempt to move on by relocating from the city of Belfast to the more rural location of Killoran. Henry settles into his new surroundings nicely while treating some pretty quirky characters, but he never stops hoping Constance will return.

There’s a lot going on in The Godforsaken Daughter – several stories are intertwined and told. While at first it seems to start out as yet another spin on the classic Cinderella story, readers will be quite happy to see that it is so much more than that. Christina McKenna has woven a beautiful tapestry of characters, set against the glorious backdrop of Northern Ireland. Her characters are so charming, compelling and well developed, I was immediately invested in their well-being. I wanted to hug Ruby and tell her everything would be okay.

There are some definite religious undertones at play in The Godforsaken Daughter, but this is Northern Ireland in the 80s after all, so it’s to be expected. The Troubles between Protestants and Catholics are injected at various points in the story. The IRA and British authorities play an important role as well. Ruby’s experimentation with the occult is short-lived and met with negative consequences.

The ending is magnificent and I felt very satisfied with the way the author put all the pieces together. The story was never contrived or overdone.

While reading The Godforsaken Daughter, which I did in one day since it was so wonderful, I found myself searching for more of Christina McKenna’s books. I love her writing and have every intention of reading all of her books. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading engaging stories of life, love and perseverance. show less