The Beach at Doonshean

by Penny Feeny, Aoife McMahon (Narrator)

In Ireland, the past never dies....

Long ago, on a windswept Irish beach, a young father died saving the life of another man's child. Thirty years later, his widow, Julia, decides to return to this wild corner of Ireland to lay the past to rest. Her journey sparks her daughter Bel, an artist, joins her mother in Ireland, while son Matt and daughter-in-law Rachel, at home in Liverpool, embark on some soul searching of their own. As the threads of past and present intertwine, Julia's family confront long-buried feelings of guilt, anger, fear and desire. Only then can they allow the crashing waves of the beach at Doonshean to bond them together once again.

Genres: Ireland

Audible Audio

Published November 21, 2019

Reviews

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a poignant read of the past and the present, a family saga which showed how life turned out for 2 families, where a decision taken in the past had ripples of effect in the future.

A father William saved the life of another man's son and lost his life in the bargain. 30 years later, his wife Julia came back to the same beach where she met with the child saved, now a grown man, Tom.

My first book by author Penny Feeny, I loved the landscapes of the beach of Ireland, where the tag line that the past never dies ran true. The author's descriptions had me imagining the beauty of the setting in my mind. Along with Julia, came her daughter Bel for some soul searching.

This was a long slow read where the past merged with the present. The story followed the lives of all the characters Julia nd her children Matt and Isobel, Matt and his family. Emotions clashed like the waves in the beach sometimes in anger or fear, and most times in love and forgiveness. The two families needed closure so that they could move ahead. The past seemed to have everyone in its grips. The author has foretold a story which brings all this to the forefront.

My niggles too came through, it was a long slow read with a rushed ending. I wanted a bit more emotions from the characters.

Overall, it was a good read where I enjoyed some parts more than the others. I loved the cover.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a book that explores the dynamics and challenges of family life and relationships as well as the lasting impact that past events can have on the lives of those involved, then you need look no further than The Beach at Doonshean. Furthermore if, like Julia, you believe that coincidence is much more common than you imagine, you certainly won’t be disappointed. And for good measure, there are lovely descriptions of the landscape and coastline of western Ireland.

‘At its lowest ebb, the full wild beauty of the strand was exposed: the glistening of seaweed at the shoreline, the grill of lacy foam, the scattering of shells. And all around her, the rocks rose like exotic hanging gardens, rich with jeweller clumps of sea thrift and mallow.’

The sections of the book focussing on Matt and Rachael as they settle into their new home in Liverpool could seem like a separate story, perhaps even a separate book. However, the author skilfully brings together the two storylines when events take a dramatic turn bringing echoes of the past.

What unites all the characters in the book is the fact they are adjusting to changes in their lives: Julia, facing retirement and looking for new purpose; Bel, returning from adventures abroad and needing to rebuild her health; Matt and Rachael, making a new home for their son, Danny, and pondering their future; brothers Kieran and Tom, returning home to Ireland, the latter with unexpected new responsibilities and unsure of the welcome he’ll receive.

The book ends on a positive note with the possibility of new beginnings, second chances as well as the prospect of fresh goals and challenges making The Beach at Doonshean an absorbing, acutely-observed family drama.

[Fictionophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It spoke to the dysfunctional nature of families. Even the most stable families can be a tad dysfunctional on the inside.

The characters were all fully developed and people who I enjoyed meeting via the printed page.

"Were all families the same, Bel wondered: existing in a delicate state of checks and balances, compromise and negotiation?"

The settings were deftly described and easily imagined by the reader. The beautiful Irish landscape near the sea and the suburban Liverpool locale separated the narrative into two linked stories featuring different members of the same family in 2010. There is also a backstory set in 1981.

With themes of loss, forgiveness, self doubt, familial obligation, the complications inherent in step-families, parenthood, and fate, I am very confident that this novel will be enjoyed by many. Highly recommended to those who enjoy quality women's fiction and/or a great family saga.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about novels set in Ireland which attract me like a moth to a flame, and this is latest one I have so enjoyed.

Many years ago, Julia lost her first husband - and the father of her son - to a freak accident on an Irish beach. Understandably, she has never returned .. until now. Having recently retired and now divorced from her second husband with whom she has a daughter, she has swapped residences with her now adult son, his wife and their young lad giving her an apartment in the city and them a larger house in the country. They are still in the process of settling in, but there are other factors upsetting their applecart, not least of all the appearance of Matt's ex-stepfather. Families are never easy - and this one is no different . . .

From the very beginning, it's obvious that there is a back story to this one and it unfolds slowly and deliciously with so much happening in the present day to distract the reader from the history of this family. With the introduction of a second family and their relations, there is plenty to consider and I seemed to just fly through this book. I didn't really think about what was coming next; there was so much going on that the future wasn't really an issue. Well written, this has an easy flowing style which is so easy to read - an absolute pleasure in fact. I felt that the setting was just perfect, as was the author's understanding of the characters and the positions they all found themselves in. A really good read which resonated with me; not the first I've come across by Penny Feeny and I'll certainly be watching out for her future novels. Well worth the five stars I'm more than happy to give.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
First time reading this Author and thoroughly enjoyed this book
A fabulous story of love reflection and soul searching throughly enjoyed it and can highly recommend.

[KateP · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family saga set in the present day (but it feels quite old fashioned). Widow Julia returns to Ireland, where long ago her first husband died saving a young boy called Tom. Her daughter follows her and meets Tom on his way home with his brother Kieran. Meanwhile Bel’s Dad is causing trouble for his stepson and his wife. It was just ok for me, I found the characters actions hard to understand, the women seemed quite weak and/or made strange choices. Also the family relationships were a bit confusing at the start and I didn’t really warm to any of them.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Set in South West Ireland and Liverpool, England, this is a thoroughly enjoyable story.
Facing demons from the past, and also coming to terms with present day family predicaments; a brilliantly written story with great characters and an intriguing plot.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's one thing this Ginger Book Geek likes, it's discovering new authors. Penny Feeny is definitely a new author for me. What sold the book to me even more was the fact that the story is partly historical and it is partly set in Ireland. I have Irish heritage and love to read stories set there. I couldn't wait to dive in and I started to read the book within about 5 minutes of having the book sent to my Kindle.
It didn't take me long at all to become addicted to reading this book. In fact as soon as I began to read, I just knew that I wouldn't be able to put the book down. So it proved to be. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I was completely spellbound by the story and I just had to keep reading to discover how the story panned out and how that affected the different characters. If I had to put the book to one side for just a second then I would immediately look forward to picking the book up again. I felt like an addict in need of my next fix.
'The Beach At Doonshean' is really well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and she manages to keep that attention throughout the book. She has created characters who you can sort of relate to and they are realistic too. I was swept away by the quality of the writing. This is a book that taps into the dynamics of family life and relationship. The author also perfectly describes the challenges that family and relationships bring with them. The story is written using two different timelines. The first timeline deals with the past and what happened during that time. The second timeline deals with the present and how the past has impacted on the present. The two timelines interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly as a result. Reading this book was definitely a pleasure and not a chore.
Reading this book took me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride with all the highs, lows, happiness, sadness and well you get the picture. I seemed to be that in tune with the characters that I found myself going through all the same emotions that the different characters went through. I know this is a work of fiction but if I enjoy a book to the extent that I enjoyed this one then I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Beach At Doonshean' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I can't wait to read more of Penny's work. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dramatic, atmospheric and compulsive tale of secrets, passions and the ties that bind, The Beach at Doonshean tugs at the heartstrings and keeps readers on the edge of their seats with a beguiling blend of emotion, intensity and pathos.

Thirty years ago, on a windswept beach, a brave and valiant young man had not hesitated to give his life to save another. When he had seen a young child fighting for their life, this young father had selflessly brought a child back from the brink of death and surrendered his future for the sake of another. This act of kindness and sacrifice will have repercussions and ripple effects that will echo for many decades to come and that will force the young father’s family to reassess their lives and question things which they’ve taken for granted which could affect the trajectory of the rest of their days.

Returning to the Irish beach where she had lost her husband is a journey fraught with anguish, heartbreak and pain for Julia. Despite of the agony ahead, Julia knows that she must follow this path if she is to lay old ghosts to rest and move on with her life. Her daughter Bel also joins her mother on this difficult journey whilst Julia’s son and his wife stay at home in Liverpool and do some soul searching of their own. Can this family ever move on from the past? Will they be able to unshackle themselves from the chains that bind them to a past full of tragedy and pain? Or will they continue to be held hostage by events which took place three decades ago?

As long-buried feelings and emotions come to light after being suppressed for so long, will the bonds that have tied this family for so long be broken once and for all? Or can the beach at Doonshean bring them even closer together?

A seductive and captivating read with echoes of the late great Maeve Binchy, The Beach at Doonshean is high quality women’s fiction at its most dazzling. A fantastic tale that touches the heart and which will have readers reaching for their tissues, The Beach at Doonshean is a tale of hope and healing that is a struggle to put down.

Penny Feeney is a writer who writes with great sensitivity and style and in The Beach at Doonshean, she has written a lyrical, captivating and engrossing read that will linger in the mind and heart of the reader long after the last page is turned.

[Jan Fore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beach at Doonshean
Penny Feeny
August 15, 2019

Julia and William Wentworth, a young Irish couple lived near the beach at Doonshean. After stopping for a drink with their son, Matt, they started having a discussion of sorts that found them at ends with each other. William was tired of the talk and said he was heading home. Julia sat for awhile with Matt thinking over words spoken. William drove near the beach at Doonshean when he noticed a scuttle of people on the shore running and shouting. He pulled in to find a young boy in the waterfront caught in a riptide. William ran down the hill and out into the water. He was able to save the child but he was taken down by the tide.
Julia was overcome at his loss. She took Matt and moved to London to continue on with her practice in pediatrics. Years down the line she met and fell in love with a semi-famous artist, Leo.
As the years progressed Matt grew and married Rachel. Julia and Leo lived in the same home for years. Their daughter, Isabel, now grown as well has just returned from working in Sudan. She is staying with her brother and his wife in their childhood home as Julia has chosen to retire and live in Matthew and Rachel’s smaller home in London.
This book is a family history that gives us a picture of the Wentworths, their children and the life to follow. It also introduces us to the Farrilley clan of Dublin. Tom Farrilley was the young boy who was saved that day on Doonshean Beach. Via Julia’s sudden trip to Dublin to stay at a rental Bed and Breakfast cabin we find the two families histories collide once again.
It was a long read but one I continued to enjoy. The story was told in an English and Irish dialect that made the telling very appealing. It’s not a light comfort read but a novel of an entertaining familial journey, a good women’s saga.
The Beach at Doonshean by Penny Fenny will be published on August 15, 2019. It is published by Aria and is available online by Amazon Digital Services.

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story told in several perspectives, it all began with a death by drowning on the Irish Coast, as now some thirty years later the people have come to connect once again, some knowing, others not so much. Rachel and her husband Matthew with their young son Danny are living in Matthew’s childhood home, the one his mother and stepfather bought after his father drowned when they were on vacation in Ireland. Spending all of his life hearing about his “heroic” father, Michael is contained, restrained and usually even-tempered except when it comes to his half-sister and stepfather. But, his mother headed out to France after her retirement, and now the police have arrived looking for her – her rental was found miles away from where it should have been, and calls to her mobile are unanswered. Michael’s wife Rachel is a bit of a wishy-washy character – too eager to avoid conflict, too anxious, far too contained. She’s got almost no confidence in herself - and that insecurity is palpable to readers.

This story was the ultimate family saga- plenty of angst, self-doubt, conflict and untold resolutions of issues and relationships – from finally finding a sense of closure, to witnessing the long-standing effects of a simple act, through resolving ages old conflicts from childhood. With plenty of growth, some current day struggles and a series of events that allowed the family to finally lay some of their issues and conflicts to rest, it was engaging and entertaining – a telenovela with a slight Irish twist.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author. I am drawn to books set in Ireland for some reason - some of my favourite authors over the years have been Irish and I know without reading the blurb on the back of the book that they will all be good reads. There is usually something magical or mystical about books set in the Emerald Isle.

The book follows 2 storylines which although they are linked could read as seperate stories. It explores how actions and events in the past impact on families as the years go by. 30 years ago William saves a young boys life in the sea at Doonashean but sadly loses his own life. 30 years later his widow Julia come back to the same beach and meets Tom - the boy who was saved. This opens up another storyline centred around Tom and his family. The other story involved Julia's son Matt and his wife Rachel who are settling into their new home with their son Dan. Other characters are introduced which cause friction within the family.

The location was atmospheric and well described - I have never been to Ireland but it makes me want to go. The story was a slow burner for me - maybe a little too slow - but it ended on a more positive note which makes me want to find out what happened next in the lives of the main characters.

This won't be my last book by this author - already have another one lined up on my Kindle.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"They called it the secret beach" a secluded, not well-known beach in Ireland. Will stands on the ledge above the beach searching for his family when he hears the cries of a child and he can't tell if they are cries of excitement or fear. He sees a little boy lose his footing and topple into the water. Without hesitation, Will runs into the freezing ocean and only one person survives the water on that day.
It's now thirty years later and the story fast forwards to that same beach and town in Ireland. The two families whose lives were entangled on that day come together seeking closure and answers to their questions. Has Matt, the little boy saved from that ocean on that fateful day wasted his life seeking something that seems to evade him?
The story is a good one and is presented on many levels, how the past affects all of the people in both families. It fell a little short on the ending and the characters needed more development for me, however, there is room for a sequel. Feeny does an excellent job describing the countryside and beach in Ireland. Doonshean is a townland situated in the western County Kerry, Ireland.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beach at Doonshean is a beautiful isolated beach in Ireland, which is the setting of a terrible tragedy that begins this novel, and tells the story of how William Wentworth saved a child's life, Tom, that day in 1981 and come to lose his own. Many years later, Williams' wife Julia visits the beach and her life is again intertwined with Tom's family. This is an epic story of tragedy and loss and how events of the past affects family development, acceptance of grief and pain. This is all taking place in the beautiful setting of Ireland. Feeny masterfully created these characters that are as everyday as possible and yet truly complex and relatable that pushes the reader to want to read more about them and their individual ways of dealing with pain, guilt, anger and fear. It is a beautifully written Adult/Women's Fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, Head of Zeus and Author Penny Feeny for the ecopy arc of this book for honest review and opinion

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heroic, yet tragic event affects the emotional development of two families connected historically by the tragedy on Doonshean beach.

The quality that resonates from this story is the family’s dysfunction. Superficially, Julia’s family seems normal, but dig a little deeper and the cracks appear. The characters are believable because they are flawed, and in some cases unlikable. Ronnie’s family is also divided. Her sons left at the first opportunity, and never fulfilled her hopes for them. Especially, Tom. Despite his lucky escape, he doesn’t seem to be making the most of his life, but maybe things are about to change.

This story has a great deal of charm, its an easy, emotional read. Both families are affected by the past tragedy, now they are together again, will something positive emerge?

A story of coincidence, tragedy and family life.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

William saved Tom from drowning thirty years ago- but he lost his own life. His widow Julia remarried, raised Matt, her son by William, and Bel, her daughter by her second husband Leo. at the same time, Tom Farilley grew into his own. This big fat family saga is about how things turned out for everyone and how they cope with it when Julia and Tom meet again. The characters are well drawn and sympathetic (well, not always). I loved the descriptions of the beach. Thanks the Netgalley for the ARC. This one is hard to describe in a short review but know that fans of modern family sagas that start in tragedy and end in joy will love it.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A well written family saga which tells the consequences of one tragedy many years ago and how the past affects both families today. I enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the book. The location in Ireland was perfect - I could clearly visualise the setting as they are so vividly described by the author.

A great emotional saga, an ideal summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kerry Britnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few books by Penny Feeny now and am already aware that she can build beautiful pictures in your mind of the locations she uses and again she doesn't fail on this occasion. Being from an Irish family it was nice to be transported back to the wilds of the west coast of Ireland.
The story is about how a single action has far-reaching repercussions for all concerned, a great well-written family sage showing that we are all dysfunctional in our own right.

Brilliantly written as always thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BEACH AT DOONSHEAN is a richly drawn family drama, set against the backdrop of the Irish coast. The characters wrestle with echoes of the past and the honest challenges of family dynamics in ways that felt true and very believable. I particularly loved author Penny Feeney's lush and vivid descriptions of the stark beauty of the beach and the landscape around it. A great summer read in the style of Maeve Binchy.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia returns to a village in Ireland where her husband lost his life saving a child. The storylines between her family and the family of the boy she saved become entwined. I loved the way she drew the characters- you really felt like you knew them well and I liked the way that the 2 settings ran side by side. I am keen to read more by Penny Feeny and I would love to know what happened next to the characters I've just left behind.

[Helen Manoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the story very likeable character's,working of a dysfunctional family loved Rachel and Matt,found a bit hard to understand Julian and her reason for going back to Ireland after so many years was not clear in the plot.I personally thought that some of the characters needed more work especially towards the end,it felt a bit rushed unless there is a sequel to the book.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, well written and engrossing.
I loved the plot, the fleshed out cast of characters and the setting.
This is a book full of emotions, a perfect summer read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beach at doonshean by Penny Feeny.
A really good read with likeable characters. I liked Rachel she was my favourite. I liked the ending too. I also liked the cover. 4*.

[Eileen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable story, well written with an absence of unnecessary sentimentality. Would recommend readers to give it a chance. Would definitely read Penny's work again.

[Paula Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great good. Started off well but I felt it dragged in the middle.