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Multi- Award-winning historical fiction author Ashely Sweeney's writing shines in her newest novel, "The Irish Girl." It's a family saga, a coming-of-age story, and the Irish immigrant experience. Narrated by the protagonist, 13-year-old Mary Agnes Coyne, the story's time frame is between the 1880s to 1890s. It spans from a rural village in Galway, Ireland, to New York, Chicago, and Colorado. Mary Agnes has been banished from her Irish home by her mother, who fails to believe a family member molested her. She flees to her grandparents' home. They decide to book a passage for Mary Agnes to America, hoping she will find a better life there and become more educated. Despite her young age, Mary Agnes travels by herself from Ireland to New York City. After a month, she moves to Chicago by train to live with her uncle and his family. But Mary Agnes' story doesn't end there; it continues to Colorado Springs and ends up back in Chicago, all before she turns 21!
Sweeny's vivid sentences are descriptive and filled with sensory details that bring out all the senses, from the Irish seaside to the persistent rain that hangs over the country, the smells and confined spaces on the steamer, the sounds and sights of New York and Chicago, and the wide open spaces of a Colorado ranch. Sentences are punctuated with literary gems and lyrical prose. Period dialogue is used effectively.
Mary Agnes endures the stigma of poverty and discrimination for being Irish. She endures harrowing misfortunes, economic struggles, disappointments, rejection, a clash of heritage, religion, and unsettling matters of the heart. She has a tender heart longing to find true love, a home, and a real place to which she belongs. Through Mary Agnes's perseverance, optimism, courage, and resilience, she finds the love of her life only to lose him, unexpected kindness, and acceptance. Supporting characters are well-developed, adding depth, complexity, and conflict to the main storyline. The chronic lack of sufficient food permeates the storyline, impacting the characters' lives as they try to survive.
The story is loosely based on the author's great-grandmother's experience as an Irish immigrant. Sweeney's well-researched novel gives insight into the Irish's experiences before entering America and their continued struggles to be accepted once in the country.
The writing is of the highest caliber. I found the story of "The Irish Girl" to be mesmerizing and engrossing, finishing the book in a day. As a bonus to the story, readers are enriched with a deeper understanding and empathy for the immigrant experience. The last sentence of the story was indeed a clever way to end.
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