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Ellis Island #1
Grace's Pictures
Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her. Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.
392 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
54 people are currently reading
1368 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Thomson
25 books145 followersCindy Thomson is the author of both fiction and nonfiction, including her newest novel, Enya’s Son, third in the Daughters of Ireland series based on ancient legends. Being a genealogy enthusiast, she has also written articles for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today magazines, and children’s short stories for Clubhouse Magazine. She has also co-authored a baseball biography. Most everything she writes reflects her belief that history has stories to teach. Cindy and her husband live in central Ohio near their three grown sons and their families.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
August 26, 2013
To be totally honest, I had mixed feelings about Grace's Pictures by Cindy Thomson while I read it, and I’m still having difficulty deciding what I feel now—even as I write this review.
Initially, I thought I would absolutely love the book. The descriptions of Grace’s initial experiences in America—New York City, Ellis Island, the immigration process, and trying to find her “place” in this new country—were incredible. It felt so realistic to me. The story moved quickly at first, as Grace finds a place to live, is introduced to other immigrants, and is given a job as a nanny.
However, partway into the book, the story began to drag, and my interest wavered. Part of my struggle was that the two main characters (Grace and Owen) had little interaction with each other. That went on for so long that there eventual “relationship” seemed a bit forced to me. Additionally, the mobster story that took center stage for much of the book was just odd and extremely confusing to me at times.
Finally, Grace constantly repeated a saying that her mother told her as a child: “You are smart. You are important. You are able.” Ring any bells? It’s VERY close to the line that is repeated through the 2009 best seller The Help: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” It was a little too close, in my opinion.
While not my favorite, this book does present a very well-rounded story. You get to see Grace and Owen’s lives as a 360 picture, rather than merely one- or two-dimensional. Their home life, work life, family, friends, and past all play important parts of their story, which was nice to see. [3.5 stars]
I received a temporary e-copy copy of this book from Tyndale House via Net Galley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Initially, I thought I would absolutely love the book. The descriptions of Grace’s initial experiences in America—New York City, Ellis Island, the immigration process, and trying to find her “place” in this new country—were incredible. It felt so realistic to me. The story moved quickly at first, as Grace finds a place to live, is introduced to other immigrants, and is given a job as a nanny.
However, partway into the book, the story began to drag, and my interest wavered. Part of my struggle was that the two main characters (Grace and Owen) had little interaction with each other. That went on for so long that there eventual “relationship” seemed a bit forced to me. Additionally, the mobster story that took center stage for much of the book was just odd and extremely confusing to me at times.
Finally, Grace constantly repeated a saying that her mother told her as a child: “You are smart. You are important. You are able.” Ring any bells? It’s VERY close to the line that is repeated through the 2009 best seller The Help: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” It was a little too close, in my opinion.
While not my favorite, this book does present a very well-rounded story. You get to see Grace and Owen’s lives as a 360 picture, rather than merely one- or two-dimensional. Their home life, work life, family, friends, and past all play important parts of their story, which was nice to see. [3.5 stars]
I received a temporary e-copy copy of this book from Tyndale House via Net Galley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
June 3, 2014
I really wanted to finish this, but it was very very boring. At least in my opinion.
I was initially very excited to read this, the story seemed exciting and the cover was (well, is) very pretty. But unfortunately I got very bored around the halfway mark. The plot got very flat and drawn out. Mrs. Hawkins annoyed me with her use of "love" every other sentence (as in "It'll be alright, love.").
I was expecting a sweet romance at least by the halfway mark, but when I got to 70% I still did not get the romance I was excepting/wanted. Now romance is not everything, don't misunderstand me. I'll read books that don't have romance in them, but when a book is categorized as a romance book, I want romance. Had it not been listed under romance it may have been a bit better, but i still don't think it would have changed my opinion of the book.
The one thing I did like, however, was Grace's interest in photography. The interest appeared very early in the story, which I enjoyed. I've read many books with titles suggesting a characters interest but not actually getting into that hobby until far past the halfway mark. It wasn't hugely prominent, but her interest grew as the story went on, as many realistic interests do.
All in all, I will not read this book again, at least for a long time.
I bought this book for free on Kindle
I was initially very excited to read this, the story seemed exciting and the cover was (well, is) very pretty. But unfortunately I got very bored around the halfway mark. The plot got very flat and drawn out. Mrs. Hawkins annoyed me with her use of "love" every other sentence (as in "It'll be alright, love.").
I was expecting a sweet romance at least by the halfway mark, but when I got to 70% I still did not get the romance I was excepting/wanted. Now romance is not everything, don't misunderstand me. I'll read books that don't have romance in them, but when a book is categorized as a romance book, I want romance. Had it not been listed under romance it may have been a bit better, but i still don't think it would have changed my opinion of the book.
The one thing I did like, however, was Grace's interest in photography. The interest appeared very early in the story, which I enjoyed. I've read many books with titles suggesting a characters interest but not actually getting into that hobby until far past the halfway mark. It wasn't hugely prominent, but her interest grew as the story went on, as many realistic interests do.
All in all, I will not read this book again, at least for a long time.
I bought this book for free on Kindle
December 7, 2020
This was both a sweet and also interesting story I loved how strong Grace yet was still kind and gentle. The only romance was in the epilogue.
September 12, 2017
Again as a fan of historical fiction I enjoyed this book. I was most interested in Grace's experiences and have to admit that I did get a bit bored with scenes that involved the NYPD. I almost found these portions to be melodramatic
May 19, 2014
Grace McCaffrey leaves Ireland to start a new life in America. When she arrives at Ellis Island a photographer asks permission to take her picture. Grace hesitantly agrees and she accepts a business card from the photographer in case she would like to have the photo once it is developed. As she settles into her new life in New York she is inspired by the photographer and decides to buy her very own Brownie camera. As Grace ventures out to the streets of New York she is eager to take photos of unsuspecting pedestrians. This does not set to well when she may have taken a picture of a known gang and their leader. The gangsters are determined to get the camera from her which puts her in danger.
When she lived in Ireland she abhorred the police. She never trusted them in Ireland and refused to trust them in America because most of them were Irish. It seemed one policeman had taken it upon himself to see to her safety and it did not hurt that her found her very attractive. He convinced her to let him escort her to and from her nanny job as means of protection.
Will Grace ever trust men, especially the Irish policeman. She was even afraid to trust God.
The author has added an interesting element which was the Brownie camera along the presumption that a woman in 1900 would dare to venture into the field of photography. Some of the characters the author has worked into the story are known historical figures. I am always eager to learn something new about our American history.
This story is full of suspense that will have you holding your breathe at times. There is also the stirrings of romance. But most important there is forgiveness and reconciliation. God does not turn from this woman even when she turned from Him. The author writes of how God reveals His path for these characters.
I highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network/Tyndale House Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my own opinion.
If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.
When she lived in Ireland she abhorred the police. She never trusted them in Ireland and refused to trust them in America because most of them were Irish. It seemed one policeman had taken it upon himself to see to her safety and it did not hurt that her found her very attractive. He convinced her to let him escort her to and from her nanny job as means of protection.
Will Grace ever trust men, especially the Irish policeman. She was even afraid to trust God.
The author has added an interesting element which was the Brownie camera along the presumption that a woman in 1900 would dare to venture into the field of photography. Some of the characters the author has worked into the story are known historical figures. I am always eager to learn something new about our American history.
This story is full of suspense that will have you holding your breathe at times. There is also the stirrings of romance. But most important there is forgiveness and reconciliation. God does not turn from this woman even when she turned from Him. The author writes of how God reveals His path for these characters.
I highly recommend this book.
I rated this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network/Tyndale House Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my own opinion.
If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.
April 24, 2014
Great book. Nothing bad in it. My Mom read this at the same time so I hunted down a Kodak Browning camera like in the book and bought it for her. I think she really liked it
March 29, 2016
About this book:
“Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her. Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Ellis Island” series {The second book is called “Annie’s Stories”.}
Spiritual Content- Psalm 105:4 in at the beginning; Grace thinks she’s not good enough for God; Reverend Clarke witnesses, and talks about God; A couple of Scriptures are quoted; some one says “for the love of St. Michael” once; a hymn is sung; Prayers; Talks about God, His Will, Trusting Him & why He lets things happen. Owen has a Faith and Grace re-gets hers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘blast’s, a ‘what the devil’, a ‘criminy’, an ‘idiot’, and a ‘shut up’; Grace gets called a ‘biddy’ seven times; Drinking & Smoking (but not by the main characters); Children are kidnapped (no details, everything works out fine)
Sexual Content- Owen said he had seen the worst of people like “merciless men extorting money from ten- and eleven-year old prostitutes.”(no details); A baby is born (detailed); One semi-detailed kiss; And a very light romance theme--Love & Falling in love.
-Grace McCaffery
-Owen McNulty
P.O.V. switches between them.
Set in 1900
389 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
“Grace’s Pictures” had a really unique storyline, but didn’t have action. It was a much slower paced novel, even the parts that I think were supposed to be heart-pounding, weren’t to me. The parts I did like and looked forward to was when she had her camera. As a fellow photographer, I enjoyed reading those parts. :)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this review.
“Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her. Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Ellis Island” series {The second book is called “Annie’s Stories”.}
Spiritual Content- Psalm 105:4 in at the beginning; Grace thinks she’s not good enough for God; Reverend Clarke witnesses, and talks about God; A couple of Scriptures are quoted; some one says “for the love of St. Michael” once; a hymn is sung; Prayers; Talks about God, His Will, Trusting Him & why He lets things happen. Owen has a Faith and Grace re-gets hers.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘blast’s, a ‘what the devil’, a ‘criminy’, an ‘idiot’, and a ‘shut up’; Grace gets called a ‘biddy’ seven times; Drinking & Smoking (but not by the main characters); Children are kidnapped (no details, everything works out fine)
Sexual Content- Owen said he had seen the worst of people like “merciless men extorting money from ten- and eleven-year old prostitutes.”(no details); A baby is born (detailed); One semi-detailed kiss; And a very light romance theme--Love & Falling in love.
-Grace McCaffery
-Owen McNulty
P.O.V. switches between them.
Set in 1900
389 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
“Grace’s Pictures” had a really unique storyline, but didn’t have action. It was a much slower paced novel, even the parts that I think were supposed to be heart-pounding, weren’t to me. The parts I did like and looked forward to was when she had her camera. As a fellow photographer, I enjoyed reading those parts. :)
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this review.
December 10, 2017
This was an interesting story about a young woman embarking on a new life away from her beloved Ireland. Having been sent to America by her mother and stepfather who hope for better things for her and a new start for the future. I enjoyed the historical details the author includes and life in New York in a new century. Anything from the tenements where the very poor live to the hills where the very rich live and anywhere in-between. You get a glimpse of it all through Grace's eyes and the lenses of her new Brownie camera. I also enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Hawkins, a widow who runs the Irish immigrant charity house Grace lives in. She is wise and kind and helps guide Grace and the other girls to make a new life for themselves. She was probably my favorite character!
Owen was a police officer who is always striving to be above board and break the stereotypical mold for his profession. He vows to protect Grace when she accidentally takes a picture of the gang leader the police force has been after. Having some bad dealings with “peelers”, Grace is distrustful and wary of him. I wished there would have been more of a romantic feel between these two, but it never really developed like I had hoped! Owen is a good man, someone Grace can count on and learn to overcome her past with. I just imagined in the end that they eventually got together and had their happily-ever-after!
While not a bad story, it wasn't all together what I expected either. Like I said, I wished there was more of a romantic feel between Owen and Grace. And I also would have liked Grace's character to be more developed when it came to her settling down in her new role in life. Where she was more comfortable in her own skin, I guess is what I'm trying to say. She had so much potential and opportunity to really shine!
All in all, it was a good story that I think any fan of historical reads would like. I did learn a lot about life in early 1900's and the author threaded a great spiritual theme within the pages. There's two other stories in the Ellis Island series that I'm interested in reading. I'd like to find out more about Annie, the other young lady staying at Mrs. Hawkins house.
*I received an advanced readers copy from the author and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. *
Owen was a police officer who is always striving to be above board and break the stereotypical mold for his profession. He vows to protect Grace when she accidentally takes a picture of the gang leader the police force has been after. Having some bad dealings with “peelers”, Grace is distrustful and wary of him. I wished there would have been more of a romantic feel between these two, but it never really developed like I had hoped! Owen is a good man, someone Grace can count on and learn to overcome her past with. I just imagined in the end that they eventually got together and had their happily-ever-after!
While not a bad story, it wasn't all together what I expected either. Like I said, I wished there was more of a romantic feel between Owen and Grace. And I also would have liked Grace's character to be more developed when it came to her settling down in her new role in life. Where she was more comfortable in her own skin, I guess is what I'm trying to say. She had so much potential and opportunity to really shine!
All in all, it was a good story that I think any fan of historical reads would like. I did learn a lot about life in early 1900's and the author threaded a great spiritual theme within the pages. There's two other stories in the Ellis Island series that I'm interested in reading. I'd like to find out more about Annie, the other young lady staying at Mrs. Hawkins house.
*I received an advanced readers copy from the author and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. *
June 6, 2013
A sweet historical novel with a touch of danger that keeps you reading until the end.
I love history so when I saw this book featured a heroine from Ireland, my favorite country to read about outside of the U.S., I jumped at the chance to review it.
Grace's Pictures brought up some I history that I, quite frankly, had never thought of. Sitting here with my little touch-screen Nikon with its pink case and Marylin Monroe neck strap, I never really thought about what it would be like for people when the Brownie box camera was first introduced. “So easy even a child can use it”, those are some pretty empowering words if you really think about it. Now anyone could take photos, forever capturing the smile of a loved one or a scenic view that you wished to remember for years to come. Along with the newfound freedom came a question of ethics, loss of privacy, and even danger if you photographed the wrong person. We sure have come a long way since 1900.
Another piece of History that I hadn't thought much about involved Tammany Hall. I had heard of Tammany Hall before and the widespread corruption, but I hadn't really thought that there might have been a few honest cops that didn't knuckle under. The hero of Grace's Pictures, Owen, is one such cop.
This book is not Historical Romance. Historical, yes, but not overly romantic. Grace's Pictures is more about Grace, herself. Grace has a lot to learn, about...everything. With her emotional growth stunted by years of verbal abuse, first from her father, and then at the workhouse, she is torn screaming from her mother and then unable to see her for years. She is sent to America, an alien country, where she has to mature and learn to take care of not only herself, but the children she nannies for. Grace has to learn to trust others, herself, and most importantly, God.
Will Grace learn to trust and find the inner strength that only God can give, in time to save herself and the others now in danger because of her? My suggestion is to read this book and find out!
(I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)
I love history so when I saw this book featured a heroine from Ireland, my favorite country to read about outside of the U.S., I jumped at the chance to review it.
Grace's Pictures brought up some I history that I, quite frankly, had never thought of. Sitting here with my little touch-screen Nikon with its pink case and Marylin Monroe neck strap, I never really thought about what it would be like for people when the Brownie box camera was first introduced. “So easy even a child can use it”, those are some pretty empowering words if you really think about it. Now anyone could take photos, forever capturing the smile of a loved one or a scenic view that you wished to remember for years to come. Along with the newfound freedom came a question of ethics, loss of privacy, and even danger if you photographed the wrong person. We sure have come a long way since 1900.
Another piece of History that I hadn't thought much about involved Tammany Hall. I had heard of Tammany Hall before and the widespread corruption, but I hadn't really thought that there might have been a few honest cops that didn't knuckle under. The hero of Grace's Pictures, Owen, is one such cop.
This book is not Historical Romance. Historical, yes, but not overly romantic. Grace's Pictures is more about Grace, herself. Grace has a lot to learn, about...everything. With her emotional growth stunted by years of verbal abuse, first from her father, and then at the workhouse, she is torn screaming from her mother and then unable to see her for years. She is sent to America, an alien country, where she has to mature and learn to take care of not only herself, but the children she nannies for. Grace has to learn to trust others, herself, and most importantly, God.
Will Grace learn to trust and find the inner strength that only God can give, in time to save herself and the others now in danger because of her? My suggestion is to read this book and find out!
(I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)
June 9, 2013
Grace is an immigrant from Ireland who passes through Ellis Island in 1900. A poor young woman with no one to vouch for her in a big city, Grace is in constant peril of succumbing to the city's underside until she meets a young police officer on a mission to keep his beat safe for decent citizens, including Grace.
This book felt long. It dragged. It kept going and going. The plot suffers drastically from a lack of contrast between the emotional highs and lows of the story. Grace is starving, homeless, country-less. She's just escaped the clutches of the evil English work house, only to find herself working for a woman who is emotionally troubled. Her one outlet, a brownie camera, keeps getting her in trouble with gangs. What ought to have been a heart-rending emotional journey of self discovery was less than a series of vignettes featuring immigrant life in turn of the century New York.
Similarly, the police officer who is Grace's potential romantic interest and the other main character suffers equally from poor writing. Yes, I understood what he was supposed to be: a young man of courage and conviction who is willing to turn his back on everything he's ever known as a member of the upperclass to help make life better for others. But again, the writing is so flat, I had trouble believing he actually had the chutzpah to do what was needed to defeat the villains.
Other than that, this book was fairly non-objectionable. Any repercussions from discussing abandonment, child abuse, the affect of an emotionally unstable parent, the drug trade burgeoning at that time in NYC, dirty cops, beatings, harassment, death threats, etc. are practically mitigated by the monotone narration.
This book fails solely to poor execution. I have read other books with similar plots and themes which I enjoyed, and wouldn't mind reading again. But this novel fails to fill its niche. There just wasn't enough emotional content for me to buy into.
This book felt long. It dragged. It kept going and going. The plot suffers drastically from a lack of contrast between the emotional highs and lows of the story. Grace is starving, homeless, country-less. She's just escaped the clutches of the evil English work house, only to find herself working for a woman who is emotionally troubled. Her one outlet, a brownie camera, keeps getting her in trouble with gangs. What ought to have been a heart-rending emotional journey of self discovery was less than a series of vignettes featuring immigrant life in turn of the century New York.
Similarly, the police officer who is Grace's potential romantic interest and the other main character suffers equally from poor writing. Yes, I understood what he was supposed to be: a young man of courage and conviction who is willing to turn his back on everything he's ever known as a member of the upperclass to help make life better for others. But again, the writing is so flat, I had trouble believing he actually had the chutzpah to do what was needed to defeat the villains.
Other than that, this book was fairly non-objectionable. Any repercussions from discussing abandonment, child abuse, the affect of an emotionally unstable parent, the drug trade burgeoning at that time in NYC, dirty cops, beatings, harassment, death threats, etc. are practically mitigated by the monotone narration.
This book fails solely to poor execution. I have read other books with similar plots and themes which I enjoyed, and wouldn't mind reading again. But this novel fails to fill its niche. There just wasn't enough emotional content for me to buy into.
April 6, 2017
Clean Christian historical novel I give 5 stars
The characters were easy to connect with. There was a lot of drama and scary at times but this story was great and needed to be told. This author is very talented and I recommend her and this book. This book honored God and told about salvation. Please keep up writing God honoring story's.
The characters were easy to connect with. There was a lot of drama and scary at times but this story was great and needed to be told. This author is very talented and I recommend her and this book. This book honored God and told about salvation. Please keep up writing God honoring story's.
November 15, 2021
This was a fantastic Christian fiction book! I'm excited to read the next book in the series!
February 9, 2016
Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
*This post has been updated with my new format
on February 9th, 2016, thanks to the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin.*
When I was preparing the Coming Soon from the Pen post featuring historical Irish-fiction author Cindy Thomson, I was planning to link back to my review of Grace's Pictures, An Ellis Island Novel #1 that I read in July 2013 and loved beginning to end. I was surprised to discover while that review is prominently on my Goodreads shelf it seems to have either disappeared or never quite made it to my blog. But then, that was a drastic summer (surgery and all). Now I'm delighted to post that review as well as the brand new interview with Cindy to entice you to the entire series!
Grace is a different character from what I usually read and I did not take to her at first. However, our hero had me as a fan from before Grace was even sure what she thought of him. Grace's story starts in Ireland, continues on a ship and then in New York from about three or four different settings if you include Owen's locations. December 1900 America - Irish lass. While reading, I was taking blip notes as I bookmarked and said, Interesting start. "I already like Owen, definitely hero worthy so far. :) Grace is timid, but growing on me. I'm not sure what I think about Grace, but then I have no way to really relate to her experiences and fear. Owen, however, is seemingly a dream right off the bat. I have no clue how they might end up together, which I assume is the end direction. I'm definitely reading this book for Owen but I have hope for Grace..." By the end of the story, I'm definitely fond of Grace as she grew as a person and a character. While this is not seemingly the normal historical fiction I read it was enchanting throughout and kept me entertained and turning pages. 
At the end, I did not expect certain things with her step-father and mother as it has been painted a different way, but I think that made the growth and knowledge of the characters past and presents all the more. The mixture of gang issue with the police force of the time was really neat to read as I'm sure I haven't seen it anywhere else before. The cover calls this An Ellis Island Novel, so I'm intrigued to see if Cindy will come out with more I'm delighted to be reading the sequel and second novel of Irish Immigrants through Ellis Island in Annie's Stories right now! I definitely wouldn't mind reading them even more stories if they were to come to publication. After all, this got a five star from me, and that's a hard score to reach. :) 
This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.
June 28, 2013
3.5 stars
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about Grace's Pictures! It's such a wonderful book to open ones eyes to the life of an immigrant during the early 1900s. The historical detail is marvelous! I enjoyed the education on "early" cameras. That's not something I get to read about everyday! Learning a bit more about the world of police officers during that time period was also fun.
Unfortunately, I had a very difficult time getting into the book, though. I didn't completely connect with the writing style. It almost comes off having a dark cloud over it for the most part, and has a serious tone to it. While I can enjoy those books perfectly great, I've got to be in the mood for it. When I'm already feeling on the down side, I seem to need more of a "fluffy" read. If I had read this a week later, I *may* have possibly had a better reading experience. I know several of you prefer books like this, so I still encourage you to give this book a try! I honestly believe some of you will *love* it!
Grace is a character that will have to grow on you! I wasn't overly fond of her for most of the story. She has a great deal of trust issues, and she comes off quite rude at first. She's a work in progress, though! She's working hard to overcome her past.
Overall, if you enjoy books with a great deal of historical value, and little romance involved, give this one a chance!
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about Grace's Pictures! It's such a wonderful book to open ones eyes to the life of an immigrant during the early 1900s. The historical detail is marvelous! I enjoyed the education on "early" cameras. That's not something I get to read about everyday! Learning a bit more about the world of police officers during that time period was also fun.
Unfortunately, I had a very difficult time getting into the book, though. I didn't completely connect with the writing style. It almost comes off having a dark cloud over it for the most part, and has a serious tone to it. While I can enjoy those books perfectly great, I've got to be in the mood for it. When I'm already feeling on the down side, I seem to need more of a "fluffy" read. If I had read this a week later, I *may* have possibly had a better reading experience. I know several of you prefer books like this, so I still encourage you to give this book a try! I honestly believe some of you will *love* it!
Grace is a character that will have to grow on you! I wasn't overly fond of her for most of the story. She has a great deal of trust issues, and she comes off quite rude at first. She's a work in progress, though! She's working hard to overcome her past.
Overall, if you enjoy books with a great deal of historical value, and little romance involved, give this one a chance!
August 16, 2013
Grace's Pictures is an in depth look at what life was like for an Irish immigrant in the early 1900's. The author did such a good job of making me feel like I was back in that time. I found myself feeling frustrated that Grace had such a mistrust of the police. However, with an understanding of her background in Ireland, it made perfect sense. I really enjoyed Owen's character. As a rich young man who made the decision to become a policeman and help clean up the streets of the poorest neighborhoods, he was a strong character in the story.
Grace is scared and distrustful as she arrives in America. Eventually, she becomes the nanny in a household with plenty of strange issues of its own and begins to find her place within this family, taking care of children who desperately need love. Grace also begins taking snapshots with her new Brownie camera and inadvertently finds herself in a heap of trouble as local gangsters target her when they believe she has taken their pictures.
I enjoyed this story, however, I was expecting the romance to develop between Owen and Grace more throughout the whole story. This book does have a hint of romance, but the major storyline is about Grace making her way in America and Owen trying to rid the city of gangsters and crooked cops. An overall enjoyable read.
I am thankful to have received this book for free in a giveaway on Cara Putman's blog.
Grace is scared and distrustful as she arrives in America. Eventually, she becomes the nanny in a household with plenty of strange issues of its own and begins to find her place within this family, taking care of children who desperately need love. Grace also begins taking snapshots with her new Brownie camera and inadvertently finds herself in a heap of trouble as local gangsters target her when they believe she has taken their pictures.
I enjoyed this story, however, I was expecting the romance to develop between Owen and Grace more throughout the whole story. This book does have a hint of romance, but the major storyline is about Grace making her way in America and Owen trying to rid the city of gangsters and crooked cops. An overall enjoyable read.
I am thankful to have received this book for free in a giveaway on Cara Putman's blog.
February 22, 2014
Reading the summary and seeing the cover of this book I thought this would be a great story. I was wrong, it was SO boring. I kept reading on and on waiting for something adventurous to happen and it never really happened. Yeah, Grace and Owen got chased by these bad men but nothing - Oh my gosh! - happened. But on the positive side...
Love, love, love the cover of the book! And I love the lesson that you can learn from this story. Grace struggles with thinking that God doesn't love her enough to love, protect, and care for all of her earthly and spiritual needs. From the time she was little she was emotionally abused by her father, and she was taken away from her mother, then, taken to work in a factory. She has a very hard time trusting anybody ever since, including God. But, God takes her on a journey where she will learn to trust, develop friendships, and gives her people that will love her. Most importantly, she comes to know that God really is a loving God and she can trust Him with every little need.
I give this book a 5 star rating with the cover and lesson that we can all learn. And a 2 star rating for the story.
Love, love, love the cover of the book! And I love the lesson that you can learn from this story. Grace struggles with thinking that God doesn't love her enough to love, protect, and care for all of her earthly and spiritual needs. From the time she was little she was emotionally abused by her father, and she was taken away from her mother, then, taken to work in a factory. She has a very hard time trusting anybody ever since, including God. But, God takes her on a journey where she will learn to trust, develop friendships, and gives her people that will love her. Most importantly, she comes to know that God really is a loving God and she can trust Him with every little need.
I give this book a 5 star rating with the cover and lesson that we can all learn. And a 2 star rating for the story.
May 22, 2014
Grace is living in a poorhouse in Ireland when she learns she's been sponsored to come to America. She has no skills and must rely on the kindness of her benefactors to make a living. But when she comes in contact with a photographer and a policeman, her life is changed forever.
The book had an incredibly slow start for me. I was almost half way through before I became engaged enough with the main characters to step into the story. It picked up after that and the characters came more alive. The main female character was a bit dark and depressing for most of the book. I actually enjoyed some of the back ground characters more. The author did a great job of portraying history and the lives of the immigrants, but failed at engaging me with the plot or characters. The romantic aspect of the story was almost non-existent for me. It felt very forced and rushed at the end. So overall this book was only an okay story for me.
I received this book free of charge from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.
The book had an incredibly slow start for me. I was almost half way through before I became engaged enough with the main characters to step into the story. It picked up after that and the characters came more alive. The main female character was a bit dark and depressing for most of the book. I actually enjoyed some of the back ground characters more. The author did a great job of portraying history and the lives of the immigrants, but failed at engaging me with the plot or characters. The romantic aspect of the story was almost non-existent for me. It felt very forced and rushed at the end. So overall this book was only an okay story for me.
I received this book free of charge from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.
March 11, 2017
I really enjoyed reading Grace's Pictures, by Cindy Thomson.
It is the story of Grace Mc Caffery who is sent to America by her mother, for a chance at a better life form that in Ireland. The story in set in New York City during the 1900's
When Grace arrives at Ellis Island in New York City her picture is taken by a photographer, and she becomes interested in photography and purchases a Brownie camera to take snapshops.
The book follows Grace as she settles into life in New York, as a nanny and housekeeper to the Parker family. She also meets Owen Mc Nulty, who is from a high class family; but has decided to devote his life to clean the City of New York up from gangsters and other crimes.
Grace's new found hobby of taking picutres, help the "good" cops of New York clean up some of the gangsters and their dealings.
I would highly recommend this book This is the first book that I have ever read of Cindy Thompson and I really enjoyed the story and characters .
It is the story of Grace Mc Caffery who is sent to America by her mother, for a chance at a better life form that in Ireland. The story in set in New York City during the 1900's
When Grace arrives at Ellis Island in New York City her picture is taken by a photographer, and she becomes interested in photography and purchases a Brownie camera to take snapshops.
The book follows Grace as she settles into life in New York, as a nanny and housekeeper to the Parker family. She also meets Owen Mc Nulty, who is from a high class family; but has decided to devote his life to clean the City of New York up from gangsters and other crimes.
Grace's new found hobby of taking picutres, help the "good" cops of New York clean up some of the gangsters and their dealings.
I would highly recommend this book This is the first book that I have ever read of Cindy Thompson and I really enjoyed the story and characters .
June 21, 2016
Very poorly written book! Characters are very unbelievable and underdeveloped. The only thing that was interesting, were some of the facts of photography and its invention.
The main character is such a weakling! She doesn't have a any sense. Seriously! I was so frustrated with her for being so oblivious (or should I say plain dumb) in many situations, where it was obviously easy to see what to do! If you have been reading modern authors of christian fiction books all your life maybe you would be okay with this book, but if you've read masterpieces from authors like Victor Hugo, Rafael Sabatini, Baroness Orczy, Augusta Jane Evans, Martha Finley, E.D.E.N Southworth, Myrtle Reed, etc., then it would be hard to enjoy this book.
The main character is such a weakling! She doesn't have a any sense. Seriously! I was so frustrated with her for being so oblivious (or should I say plain dumb) in many situations, where it was obviously easy to see what to do! If you have been reading modern authors of christian fiction books all your life maybe you would be okay with this book, but if you've read masterpieces from authors like Victor Hugo, Rafael Sabatini, Baroness Orczy, Augusta Jane Evans, Martha Finley, E.D.E.N Southworth, Myrtle Reed, etc., then it would be hard to enjoy this book.
June 30, 2018
Enjoyed reading this historical novel. I appreciate the strong characters especially Mrs. Hawkins. Today, we use our camera phones for practically everything so it was interesting to think about when cameras first were being used by individuals. Thanks for the history lesson on that Cindy!
May 21, 2018
When I read the summary of this novel, it sounded like a very interesting novel to me because of the time period (at the turn of the century 1900-1901 and Grace's interest in photography. However, the book itself was a disappointment in many ways. The writing felt very stilted and lacking in both depth and details in the plotline and character development. There was very little action even though the story involved New York police officers going after gangsters. I did find the portrayal of the corruption of Tamany Hall interesting. Although Grace, a 19 year old Irish girl who has just come to America, is the main character, I found Owen's character and story more interesting. He is a New York cop who has left his wealthy upbringing to do what he feels is God's mission for him---to serve as a police officer and help the less fortunate people. There is a spiritual theme but it is very low key.
December 22, 2019
IT was an easy, but boring rom-com. Grace, had a verbally abusive father and grew up in a workhouse. However through her mothers' marriage she was able to move to america. She found a job, but can't get the abusive of her father out her head and the cruelness of her father out of her head.
Along with Grace's story, there's Owen. The rich boy who tried to save a girl from a runaway train but fails. So he becomes a cop to help others. While the story with grace is going on, he is trying to find out the mob boss Goo Goo Knox. (what kind of mob name is that?).
Either way, I wasn't impressed with Thomson writing. The story line was boring and at some times confusing. How did Owen find that Mob? How was grace ALWAYS in the wrong spot at the right time and not one of the cops thought that was suspicious? And by golly, good thing the ending Grace trusted her heart b/c otherwise she wouldn't have gone steady with Owen.
Along with Grace's story, there's Owen. The rich boy who tried to save a girl from a runaway train but fails. So he becomes a cop to help others. While the story with grace is going on, he is trying to find out the mob boss Goo Goo Knox. (what kind of mob name is that?).
Either way, I wasn't impressed with Thomson writing. The story line was boring and at some times confusing. How did Owen find that Mob? How was grace ALWAYS in the wrong spot at the right time and not one of the cops thought that was suspicious? And by golly, good thing the ending Grace trusted her heart b/c otherwise she wouldn't have gone steady with Owen.
November 8, 2023
This story caught my eye mainly because of the Kodak Brownie camera. Growing up my parents had one and the cover on the box will always be stuck in my memory. It had a little girl sitting on a stool with a paintbrush in front of a canvas. Beautiful colors!
I admired Grace mainly because of her courage to come to America as an immigrant from Ireland, and to be in New York City of all places. She met a photographer which gave her the idea to buy a brownie camera. Taking pictures all over the city finds her in danger when she may have accidentally taken one of a gang and their leader. She also has to earn a living and wants to be able to bring her mother to America. I found it a little slow in places but having the danger element included gave it more page flipping action. I enjoyed it overall and the other two books by Cindy Thomson that I had previously read. This was a personal purchase. I review all the books I read.
I admired Grace mainly because of her courage to come to America as an immigrant from Ireland, and to be in New York City of all places. She met a photographer which gave her the idea to buy a brownie camera. Taking pictures all over the city finds her in danger when she may have accidentally taken one of a gang and their leader. She also has to earn a living and wants to be able to bring her mother to America. I found it a little slow in places but having the danger element included gave it more page flipping action. I enjoyed it overall and the other two books by Cindy Thomson that I had previously read. This was a personal purchase. I review all the books I read.
March 4, 2025
Thomson had me at Irish immigrant and Ellis Island. My Irish heritage is always clamouring for more Irish heroes and heroines. Erin Go Bragh! In addition, this turn of the century historical has an incredibly unique twist that adds the spice of suspense to an already gripping tale.
The depth in characterization and the impossible but historically accurate situations made this a riveting read. It wasn’t long before I was lost in another place and time, riveted by emotions that leapt off the page and wrapped around my heart. Grace has a traumatic past to overcome and her unwillingness to trust brings her close to disaster more then a time or two.
Grace’s Pictures will evoke images and feelings you won’t soon forget. It is a moving tribute to the courageous immigrants who made their way across Ellis Island in the hopes of creating a new and better life. An exceptional read.
https://kavsbestreads.ca/2025/03/04/g...
The depth in characterization and the impossible but historically accurate situations made this a riveting read. It wasn’t long before I was lost in another place and time, riveted by emotions that leapt off the page and wrapped around my heart. Grace has a traumatic past to overcome and her unwillingness to trust brings her close to disaster more then a time or two.
Grace’s Pictures will evoke images and feelings you won’t soon forget. It is a moving tribute to the courageous immigrants who made their way across Ellis Island in the hopes of creating a new and better life. An exceptional read.
https://kavsbestreads.ca/2025/03/04/g...
June 28, 2013
"I said I didn't understand why he allowed suffering, and that is still true. What I do know, Grace, is that he is here with us, guiding and providing, and he never changes, though the world around us and the people in our lives do. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow."
Cindy Thomson, Grace's Pictures
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Psalm 105:4
Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.
Read an Excerpt
Like most of the books that I read, the cover of this Christian Historical Fiction novel was the first thing that caught my eye and drew me in. I love this cover; the colors, the picture, the scrapbooking type emblem that highlights the title and author, the sky and Lady Liberty in the background. They work together perfectly. The woman on the cover reminded me of my sister, who has a passion for photography. I could envision her as being one of the first people to own a Brownie camera. I mainly read Christian Historical Fiction and the synopsis intrigued me.
This is the first book I've read written by author Cindy Thomson as well as the first book in her Ellis Island Series. Each book in the series will feature an important icon introduced during that time period. Grace’s Pictures features Eastman Kodak’s Brownie Camera, which made photography accessible to virtually anyone.
Grace McCaffrey comes to the shores of America, a shy and timid young lady, but transforms into a strong and capable woman. Because of her past, she has pre-conceived notions regarding law enforcement and makes assumes all who are a part of that profession are corrupt. Grace is judgmental, something we all can be accused of being at one time or another. She learns to trust her stepfather and Owen McNulty in spite of the fact that they are both “peelers”. One of my favorite character’s in this novel was Grace’s mother. Grace’s mother tells Grace, “Remember instead this: You are smart. You are important. You are able.” This reminded me of an A.A. Milne quote “Promise me you’ll always remember: You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart…I’ll always be with you.”
When Grace is a child, her mother sings her one of my personal favorite hymns at bedtime, which Grace reflects upon.
Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower;
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou min Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
I also enjoyed Mrs. Hawkins remembrances of Mr. Hawkins’ parables. My favorite one was “many a little makes a mickle”. I’ve never heard that proverb before, but it translates to “wee bits of effort could add up to much.”
Various themes run through Grace’s Pictures. Love like Jesus, the power of prayer, waiting on the Lord and seeking Him first, letting God be in control and Jesus’ love for us, are expertly woven into the story. While I was reading, I was trying to guess who GooGoo might be. Had I already been introduced to him by another name? I even went so far as to suspect Mr. Parker and Owen’s partner, Jake, as the leader of the mob. I was really glad that the “romance” portion of this book was realistic the hero and heroine were not all of a sudden betrothed by the end of the story. Their relationship hadn’t developed that far and a betrothal would have been far from believable.
The next novel in this series, Annie’s Stories, will focus on the classic children’s story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I’m looking forward to reading Annie’s stories, as Oz was one of my childhood favorites and has become a favorite of my children as well.
Grace’s Pictures, doesn’t make it to my favorite shelf, but it was a pleasant read. It’s a great book to borrow from a friend or from the library.
Thank you, Tyndale House and Net Galley, for the free copy of Grace’s Pictures to read in exchange for my honest review.
Cindy Thomson, Grace's Pictures
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Psalm 105:4
Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.
Read an Excerpt
Like most of the books that I read, the cover of this Christian Historical Fiction novel was the first thing that caught my eye and drew me in. I love this cover; the colors, the picture, the scrapbooking type emblem that highlights the title and author, the sky and Lady Liberty in the background. They work together perfectly. The woman on the cover reminded me of my sister, who has a passion for photography. I could envision her as being one of the first people to own a Brownie camera. I mainly read Christian Historical Fiction and the synopsis intrigued me.
This is the first book I've read written by author Cindy Thomson as well as the first book in her Ellis Island Series. Each book in the series will feature an important icon introduced during that time period. Grace’s Pictures features Eastman Kodak’s Brownie Camera, which made photography accessible to virtually anyone.
Grace McCaffrey comes to the shores of America, a shy and timid young lady, but transforms into a strong and capable woman. Because of her past, she has pre-conceived notions regarding law enforcement and makes assumes all who are a part of that profession are corrupt. Grace is judgmental, something we all can be accused of being at one time or another. She learns to trust her stepfather and Owen McNulty in spite of the fact that they are both “peelers”. One of my favorite character’s in this novel was Grace’s mother. Grace’s mother tells Grace, “Remember instead this: You are smart. You are important. You are able.” This reminded me of an A.A. Milne quote “Promise me you’ll always remember: You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart…I’ll always be with you.”
When Grace is a child, her mother sings her one of my personal favorite hymns at bedtime, which Grace reflects upon.
Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower;
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou min Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
I also enjoyed Mrs. Hawkins remembrances of Mr. Hawkins’ parables. My favorite one was “many a little makes a mickle”. I’ve never heard that proverb before, but it translates to “wee bits of effort could add up to much.”
Various themes run through Grace’s Pictures. Love like Jesus, the power of prayer, waiting on the Lord and seeking Him first, letting God be in control and Jesus’ love for us, are expertly woven into the story. While I was reading, I was trying to guess who GooGoo might be. Had I already been introduced to him by another name? I even went so far as to suspect Mr. Parker and Owen’s partner, Jake, as the leader of the mob. I was really glad that the “romance” portion of this book was realistic the hero and heroine were not all of a sudden betrothed by the end of the story. Their relationship hadn’t developed that far and a betrothal would have been far from believable.
The next novel in this series, Annie’s Stories, will focus on the classic children’s story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I’m looking forward to reading Annie’s stories, as Oz was one of my childhood favorites and has become a favorite of my children as well.
Grace’s Pictures, doesn’t make it to my favorite shelf, but it was a pleasant read. It’s a great book to borrow from a friend or from the library.
Thank you, Tyndale House and Net Galley, for the free copy of Grace’s Pictures to read in exchange for my honest review.
November 3, 2017
With wonderful descriptions that made the surroundings come to life I felt transported back in time with Grace's Pictures. Then the author, Cindy Thomson, brings us deeper into the era with her descriptions of the crime, the new gadgets, and immigrant hardships.
So many great charactors in this book but I fell in love with the character Grace. Her background growing up just broke my heart. I couldn't even imagine such hardship. She had a way to overcome though and I love it. Yet, like all of us, she still had to find a way to forgive and realize not everyone is the same.
Grace's Pictures was a page turner I couldn't put down. A wonderful wonderful historical novel.
So many great charactors in this book but I fell in love with the character Grace. Her background growing up just broke my heart. I couldn't even imagine such hardship. She had a way to overcome though and I love it. Yet, like all of us, she still had to find a way to forgive and realize not everyone is the same.
Grace's Pictures was a page turner I couldn't put down. A wonderful wonderful historical novel.
May 1, 2024
I really liked this book. Grace is an immigrant from Ireland who travels through Ellis Island. She is befriended by a police officer, but she carries her fears of police (called feenies in Ireland) after being evicted and separated from her mother when her father died. Grace has to face many fears as she is alone in America, but a benevolent society helps her begin her new life. There's a lot of history packed into this story -- things like the introduction of the every day camera (Brownie camera) and the work of Jacob Riis in exposing the living conditions for immigrants in New York City. It is a solidly Christian book.
January 28, 2020
The plot was pretty good. Also, the historical details helpped the period to live. However, several times the story would be inching towards a climax when all of a sudden you found yourself there not knowing how you arrived. This is because some of the steps to that climax were skipped. This is especially true with the romance aspect of the story. I think I will read this author's books again. However, they won't be my first choice. We'll see how her storytelling abilities develop.
March 23, 2021
This historical fiction novel shows the struggles of Irish immigrants at the turn of the last century. I didn’t know much about this part of American history and learned a great deal. The author did a wonderful job on her research to bring their difficulties and the corruption in the police departments to light.
The characters are multi-layered, believable, and likeable. The well-written story drew me in immediately and I kept turning pages.
Great novel! I will look for more by this author.
The characters are multi-layered, believable, and likeable. The well-written story drew me in immediately and I kept turning pages.
Great novel! I will look for more by this author.
September 25, 2017
Many times during the book it was as though the writer didn't finish a complete thought then moved on to the next sentence, the story didn't flow. Them seemed in a hurry to conclude everything in the epilogue without having built up to it during the book or having only planted the ideas of how you would hope things would work out but didn't explore getting there.
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