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This House Will Feed
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Expected 27 Jan 26Amidst the devastation of Ireland’s Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor house haunted by a strange power and the horror of her own memories in this chillingly evocative historical novel braided with gothic horror and supernatural suspense for readers of Katherine Arden’s The Warm Hands of Ghosts and The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins.
County Clare, 1848: In the scant few years since the potato blight first cast its foul shadow over Ireland, Maggie O’Shaughnessy has lost everything—her entire family and the man she trusted with her heart. Toiling in the Ennis Workhouse for paltry rations, she can see no future either within or outside its walls—until the mysterious Lady Catherine arrives to whisk her away to an old mansion in the stark limestone landscape of the Burren.
Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter, Wilhelmina, and hoodwink solicitors into releasing Wilhelmina’s widow pension so that Lady Catherine can continue to provide for the villagers in her care. In exchange, Maggie will receive freedom from the workhouse, land of her own, and the one thing she wants more than a chance to fulfill the promise she made to her brother on his deathbed—to live to spite them all.
Launching herself into the daunting task, Maggie plays the role of Wilhelmina as best she can while ignoring the villagers’ tales of ghostly figures and curses. But more worrying are the whispers that come from within. Something in Lady Catherine’s house is reawakening long-buried memories in Maggie—of a foe more terrifying than hunger or greed, of a power that calls for blood and vengeance, and of her own role in a nightmare that demands the darkest sacrifice . . .
County Clare, 1848: In the scant few years since the potato blight first cast its foul shadow over Ireland, Maggie O’Shaughnessy has lost everything—her entire family and the man she trusted with her heart. Toiling in the Ennis Workhouse for paltry rations, she can see no future either within or outside its walls—until the mysterious Lady Catherine arrives to whisk her away to an old mansion in the stark limestone landscape of the Burren.
Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter, Wilhelmina, and hoodwink solicitors into releasing Wilhelmina’s widow pension so that Lady Catherine can continue to provide for the villagers in her care. In exchange, Maggie will receive freedom from the workhouse, land of her own, and the one thing she wants more than a chance to fulfill the promise she made to her brother on his deathbed—to live to spite them all.
Launching herself into the daunting task, Maggie plays the role of Wilhelmina as best she can while ignoring the villagers’ tales of ghostly figures and curses. But more worrying are the whispers that come from within. Something in Lady Catherine’s house is reawakening long-buried memories in Maggie—of a foe more terrifying than hunger or greed, of a power that calls for blood and vengeance, and of her own role in a nightmare that demands the darkest sacrifice . . .
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 27, 2026
80 people are currently reading
24650 people want to read
About the author
Maria Tureaud
2 books167 followersMaria Tureaud hails from the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of Ireland. A Developmental Editor of fourteen years, and acclaimed author of children's and adult fiction, you can find her drinking tea in New Jersey as she dreams of moving home to her beloved County Clare, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
December 17, 2025
My dear friends, I present to you a historical-horror-supernatural masterpiece. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 Bravo to the author!
This is a tale that portrays The Great Hunger, known in America as The Irish Potato Famine. It wiped out an estimated 4.5 million people! However, I didn’t focus in history class, so I learned something new.
Maggie O’Shaughnessy is the sole survivor of her entire family. Everyone gone. Starved to death or by sickness. Until, she is presented a life changing opportunity…. pretend to be someone else in order to receive land, a home, and ultimately her freedom.
What I thought was going to be about a gothic witchery tale turned into an epic story of resilience. This House Will Feed absolutely gutted me. Ripped me open. There were times I was almost brought to tears.
Trigger warnings throughout. Genocide, cannibalism (mentioned lightly), child death, starvation, and more.
Please check out the author’s note! The book is told in 1848 Irish dialect. This was new to me with certain words and phrases. Tureaud has even included a pronunciation guide and websites as resources.
If you love gothic vibes with your horror, add this to your TBR! This book will stay with me forever and deserves nothing less than 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 1/27/26
Grateful to Kensington and the author for my gifted copy.
This is a tale that portrays The Great Hunger, known in America as The Irish Potato Famine. It wiped out an estimated 4.5 million people! However, I didn’t focus in history class, so I learned something new.
Maggie O’Shaughnessy is the sole survivor of her entire family. Everyone gone. Starved to death or by sickness. Until, she is presented a life changing opportunity…. pretend to be someone else in order to receive land, a home, and ultimately her freedom.
What I thought was going to be about a gothic witchery tale turned into an epic story of resilience. This House Will Feed absolutely gutted me. Ripped me open. There were times I was almost brought to tears.
Trigger warnings throughout. Genocide, cannibalism (mentioned lightly), child death, starvation, and more.
Please check out the author’s note! The book is told in 1848 Irish dialect. This was new to me with certain words and phrases. Tureaud has even included a pronunciation guide and websites as resources.
If you love gothic vibes with your horror, add this to your TBR! This book will stay with me forever and deserves nothing less than 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 1/27/26
Grateful to Kensington and the author for my gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.
This House Will Feed was so much more than I expected it to be and I am so glad I got to read it.
It had horror elements, but the story is really fragile and heartbreaking, because it is set during Ireland's Great Famine and depicts so very well how a young woman is haunted by those events. I could feel the anguish, starvation and hopelessness of the characters while trying to stay alive. My heart broke also for Maggie, for everything that happened to her.
The mystery of the novel starts once Maggie accepts an offer from Lady Catherine and moves to an old mansion with her. Once there, strange things happen and buried memories start resurfacing.
I loved Maggie's determination to find the truth and to fight for what's hers, and it broke my heart to read about what she and her family went through.
I must say, the ending was satisfactory, especially after such a turmoil of emotions while reading.
Do read also the author's note, it is very informative.
This House Will Feed was so much more than I expected it to be and I am so glad I got to read it.
It had horror elements, but the story is really fragile and heartbreaking, because it is set during Ireland's Great Famine and depicts so very well how a young woman is haunted by those events. I could feel the anguish, starvation and hopelessness of the characters while trying to stay alive. My heart broke also for Maggie, for everything that happened to her.
The mystery of the novel starts once Maggie accepts an offer from Lady Catherine and moves to an old mansion with her. Once there, strange things happen and buried memories start resurfacing.
I loved Maggie's determination to find the truth and to fight for what's hers, and it broke my heart to read about what she and her family went through.
I must say, the ending was satisfactory, especially after such a turmoil of emotions while reading.
Do read also the author's note, it is very informative.
May 2, 2025
This House Will Feed is both a luscious Gothic, as well a poignant examination of the nature of loss and collective memory in a time of unspeakable horrors. I absolutely adored it, and look forward to what Tureaud has in store for us next.
January 16, 2026
I absolutely loved the descriptive prose and foreboding atmosphere of this gothic novel. There’s something deeply unsettling about this isolated house with a locked attic that no one is ever allowed to enter. Our main character is imitating the household’s presumed-dead daughter, but it’s clear from the start that there’s far more going on than meets the eye.
I really appreciated the historical setting and I felt for Maggie as she navigates the poverty and grief left in the wake of the Irish potato famine. She’s had a hard life, which makes her understandably cautious about trusting others. The Irish folklore elements were a major highlight, I loved learning about myths I’d never heard of before.
While much of the plot was predictable, there were still a few surprises along the way. And honestly, the writing was strong enough that the predictability didn’t bother me. Ultimately, I really loved this book, especially its rich Irish folklore and moody gothic setting.
I really appreciated the historical setting and I felt for Maggie as she navigates the poverty and grief left in the wake of the Irish potato famine. She’s had a hard life, which makes her understandably cautious about trusting others. The Irish folklore elements were a major highlight, I loved learning about myths I’d never heard of before.
While much of the plot was predictable, there were still a few surprises along the way. And honestly, the writing was strong enough that the predictability didn’t bother me. Ultimately, I really loved this book, especially its rich Irish folklore and moody gothic setting.
May 16, 2025
A Note from the Author (Content Warnings)
This book portrays one of the worst tragedies (and some argue, genocide) of the 19th Century—An Gorta Mór (The Great Hunger, known simply in America as the Irish Potato Famine). The population of Ireland halved as a result, from an estimated 9 million down to just 4.5 million.
As such, depictions of extreme starvation, desolation, death (including instances of child death), possession, use of slurs, cannibalism, suicide, and murder appear on-page. This book includes epigraphs, most documenting eye-witness accounts (from Irish, British, and American observers) and should be read with caution.
As an Irish author, born and raised, the researching and writing of this book dredged up generational trauma that we as a people have not truly dealt with. Therefore I suggest native Irish readers should approach with a steady heart, and the heady knowledge that our great-great grandparents were forged in steel, and you are the freedom and legacy they dreamt of.
This book portrays one of the worst tragedies (and some argue, genocide) of the 19th Century—An Gorta Mór (The Great Hunger, known simply in America as the Irish Potato Famine). The population of Ireland halved as a result, from an estimated 9 million down to just 4.5 million.
As such, depictions of extreme starvation, desolation, death (including instances of child death), possession, use of slurs, cannibalism, suicide, and murder appear on-page. This book includes epigraphs, most documenting eye-witness accounts (from Irish, British, and American observers) and should be read with caution.
As an Irish author, born and raised, the researching and writing of this book dredged up generational trauma that we as a people have not truly dealt with. Therefore I suggest native Irish readers should approach with a steady heart, and the heady knowledge that our great-great grandparents were forged in steel, and you are the freedom and legacy they dreamt of.
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June 28, 2025the english are the real villains as is literally always the case in history
but also (and this is a compliment) the actual supernatural elements were not nearly as horrifying as the starvation and pain that lead the lead character into the supernatual elements
but also (and this is a compliment) the actual supernatural elements were not nearly as horrifying as the starvation and pain that lead the lead character into the supernatual elements
January 20, 2026
A historical horror done right!! This book was so atmospheric and will literally chill you to your bones. I loved the writing format and the flash backs were so well done. Im also a huge fan of supernatural elements mixed with historical elements and loved the way the author tackled this. Absolutely recommend, all the stars
January 16, 2026
Oh. My. Goodness.
I can’t even put into words the emotions I felt while reading this book. Combining a real life devastating time, with this absolutely capturing storyline was the move of all moves. I ate this UP. Maggie was such a fierce and determined FMC, and I found myself crying with AND for her. I feel like I learned so much about this time in history, and it makes me want to do a deep dive into it to learn more.
This just earned my first 5 read of the year. Thank you to Kensington Books for my gifted copy and the opportunity to read it ❤️
I can’t even put into words the emotions I felt while reading this book. Combining a real life devastating time, with this absolutely capturing storyline was the move of all moves. I ate this UP. Maggie was such a fierce and determined FMC, and I found myself crying with AND for her. I feel like I learned so much about this time in history, and it makes me want to do a deep dive into it to learn more.
This just earned my first 5 read of the year. Thank you to Kensington Books for my gifted copy and the opportunity to read it ❤️
September 6, 2025
This book is a historical horror novel. It's also a ghost story. However, those looking for purely a ghost story should be warned that the ghosts don't arrive until a huge amount of the book has gone past, maybe 40-60% or so before the ghosts? Before that it's all potato famine all the time. It's very well researched and very horrifying. The kind of horrifying that is uniquely the province of the truth. That is to say that the potato famine was so horrific in life that a book about it is all the more horrible because it is true. I devoured the first 40% of the book in one sitting, but then it became so real and so hard to stare into the abyss that I had to read the rest of the novel more slowly in several sittings. This is a novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical horror. I also think that anyone who enjoyed the book The Reformatory by Tananarive Due will also enjoy this one. Just as the true events in the Reformatory are a piece of the past that we should all remember, so too are the events of the potato famine.
December 31, 2025
Review to come-- suffice to say: This is my favorite book I've read this year. A powerful dive into a time many of us know next to nothing about. Maria beautifully blends incredible storytelling while holding a painful tragedy with respect and care. Can't recommend this highly enough.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This House will Feed us a slow burn Gothic horror set during the Great Famine in Ireland. While I had heard of this event, I didn't know much and the book prompted me to do some extra reading of the horrific, devastating time. We follow Maggie our FMC, who is living in a workhouse after losing her entire family. A wealthy landlord arrives with a proposition she cannot refuse and the story bounces between present and past as we learn details while also weaving in Irish lore.
The character development and relationships in this book are so well done. I was immediately attached and invested in Maggie and her story. And I also developed quite a bit of hatred and resentment for the English during that time period.
The creepiness picks up about half way through and once hitting 70% I did not want to put it down.
I don't think there was any way for me to be more satisfied with the ending. My only feedback is that I wish the pronunciation guide was in the front of the book versus the end. There's one point towards the end when the final reveals and truth are coming out, but it had been too long since I read the original perspective so I had too many questions.
Overall this book was engaging, emotional, thought provoking and satisfying. Well done. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The character development and relationships in this book are so well done. I was immediately attached and invested in Maggie and her story. And I also developed quite a bit of hatred and resentment for the English during that time period.
The creepiness picks up about half way through and once hitting 70% I did not want to put it down.
I don't think there was any way for me to be more satisfied with the ending. My only feedback is that I wish the pronunciation guide was in the front of the book versus the end. There's one point towards the end when the final reveals and truth are coming out, but it had been too long since I read the original perspective so I had too many questions.
Overall this book was engaging, emotional, thought provoking and satisfying. Well done. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.
January 20, 2026
✨6 stars ✨
Every chapter had me clutching my chest like a sickly Victorian woman about to faint. A gothic heartbeat dressed as poetic fantasy.
The kind of sadness in the pages sits with you and haunts you until the grief crawls under your skin. Dripping with quiet, unsettling melancholy.
This dark gothic fantasy is perfect for fans of One Dark Window, The Knight and The Moth, Alchemised, and In The Veins of the Drowning.
Immediately preordered. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC!
Every chapter had me clutching my chest like a sickly Victorian woman about to faint. A gothic heartbeat dressed as poetic fantasy.
The kind of sadness in the pages sits with you and haunts you until the grief crawls under your skin. Dripping with quiet, unsettling melancholy.
This dark gothic fantasy is perfect for fans of One Dark Window, The Knight and The Moth, Alchemised, and In The Veins of the Drowning.
Immediately preordered. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC!
January 1, 2026
An Gorta Mór (Ireland’s Great Famine/Great Hunger) is a moment in history that lends itself well to being the setting of a Gothic horror. Tureaud expertly entwines the historical details of a genocide into a tale of the supernatural while honoring the million of real people who died along with the generational trauma that continues to present day. My heart broke as Maggie began to remember the details of what happened between when she expected to marry Teddy and when Lady Catherine takes her out of the Ennis workhouse.
The Cailleach was the perfect threat to drive the plot and Lady Catherine's house with a village that appeared to be surviving a little bit better than the rest of Ireland was just the right setting for Maggie to work through her grief while also facing some supernatural horrors.
This is one of those reads that delivers both a perfectly unsettling slow burn of a Gothic horror while also showing how terrible true events can be. It'll stick with you long after you turn the last page.
The cover art is stunning too.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The Cailleach was the perfect threat to drive the plot and Lady Catherine's house with a village that appeared to be surviving a little bit better than the rest of Ireland was just the right setting for Maggie to work through her grief while also facing some supernatural horrors.
This is one of those reads that delivers both a perfectly unsettling slow burn of a Gothic horror while also showing how terrible true events can be. It'll stick with you long after you turn the last page.
The cover art is stunning too.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2026
This book was heartbreaking, incredibly well-written, and full of thrilling gothic/horror elements. It was a little slow at times, but I think it was necessary to create the level of depth and complexity this story needed.
I felt so many emotions while reading this but was overall very happy (albeit with complicated feelings) with how everything unfolded. Maggie was the perfect FMC for this book. She faced an unimaginable reality and I was completely captivated by her story. I appreciated how the twists and details were incorporated throughout the story and how the timelines were woven together to create something so special.
(I also strongly recommend reading the author’s note to fully grasp the importance of this book.)
I felt so many emotions while reading this but was overall very happy (albeit with complicated feelings) with how everything unfolded. Maggie was the perfect FMC for this book. She faced an unimaginable reality and I was completely captivated by her story. I appreciated how the twists and details were incorporated throughout the story and how the timelines were woven together to create something so special.
(I also strongly recommend reading the author’s note to fully grasp the importance of this book.)
January 15, 2026
Fuck the English on God
December 10, 2025
thank you to kensington and maria tureaud from who i received an ARC in exchange for a review.
"this house will feed" is a gothic horror in all of the classic literary fashions while subverting the very same genre's expectations of accountability, climax, and resolution of not just the major conflict in the novel but of the source of the horrors itself. while this is a ghost story with spirits and myth, it is also deeply based in reality and chronicles the great hunger in ireland—which takes focus as the gothic horror's central theme and source of terror. unique among its genre companions, the monster isn't a creature in the dark or villain in the night, but the truth of what happened to ireland and its people. and tureaud doesn't sugar coat a second of it.
maggie, our heroine against all odds, is often blinded by love, foolishness, and perhaps ignorance. throughout the novel, maggie's failure to make an educated leap from moment to moment keeps her in a tailspin of victimhood and some manner of helplessness. this helps ground maggie's character in how truly limited her options for security are (even though it may have annoyed me) and drives the ultimate conflict of the novel. the pacing at times left me wanting as we danced back and forth between memories unfolding and maggie's inability to progress while awake. ultimately, well written and deeply researched, tureaud's novel was truly haunting for more than just the ghosts.
"this house will feed" is a gothic horror in all of the classic literary fashions while subverting the very same genre's expectations of accountability, climax, and resolution of not just the major conflict in the novel but of the source of the horrors itself. while this is a ghost story with spirits and myth, it is also deeply based in reality and chronicles the great hunger in ireland—which takes focus as the gothic horror's central theme and source of terror. unique among its genre companions, the monster isn't a creature in the dark or villain in the night, but the truth of what happened to ireland and its people. and tureaud doesn't sugar coat a second of it.
maggie, our heroine against all odds, is often blinded by love, foolishness, and perhaps ignorance. throughout the novel, maggie's failure to make an educated leap from moment to moment keeps her in a tailspin of victimhood and some manner of helplessness. this helps ground maggie's character in how truly limited her options for security are (even though it may have annoyed me) and drives the ultimate conflict of the novel. the pacing at times left me wanting as we danced back and forth between memories unfolding and maggie's inability to progress while awake. ultimately, well written and deeply researched, tureaud's novel was truly haunting for more than just the ghosts.
August 26, 2025
Before I start, I want to mention a few things about this book. First, if I could give more than 5 stars, I would. I don't say this lightly either, and almost never think about wanting to give more than five stars, but this book more than deserves it. Second, this book is so much more than it seems; it's lush, horrifying and beautiful and tells a tale like no other.
It's 1848 during the Irish Potato Famine, and young Maggie O'Shaughnessy is in the workhouse after losing her entire family. From ten people down to the remaining one. A workhouse like hers is only a way of barely staving off starvation and death; even then, many fall to sickness and perish due to the conditions and lack of hearty meals. Maggie has not only lost her family, but also the man she loved, betrayed by him in her moments of most need. She sees no out for herself and despairs at the conditions she will continue to live in. A woman named Lady Catherine then arrives and changes everything for the young Maggie, whisking her away to a grand house in the landscape of the Burren with the promise of giving her a home and property on which to live - all she has to do is impersonate Lady Catherine's dead daughter. She gets more than she bargained for when spirits start to appear, irish folklore comes to life and her lost memories start returning to haunt her dreams.
This House Will Feed is the peak of the historical fiction horror novel - a genre that I would happily say is my favorite and contains favorites like The Hunger by Alma Katsu and The Terror by Dan Simmons. In this story we not only see the struggle of Maggie, Lady Catherine and the staff of the Browne home, but also the struggle of Ireland as a whole. The vivid descriptions of how the potatoes were found in blighted conditions is heartbreaking, and the intermixed Gaelic language and irish folklore brings the story to life, transporting you back to Ireland during the 1840s. Due to reading this novel, I looked more into the potato famine to better understand it and just like Maria Tureaud writes, the famine wasn't just a problem with crops. It was a politically fueled dismissal of the Irish people by the British, a failure of absentee landlordism and a horrible dependence on a single crop to keep the people alive.
Everyone should read this book and understand this story - not only Maggie's, but Ireland as a whole. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC, and thank you to Maria Tureaud most of all for an amazing read.
It's 1848 during the Irish Potato Famine, and young Maggie O'Shaughnessy is in the workhouse after losing her entire family. From ten people down to the remaining one. A workhouse like hers is only a way of barely staving off starvation and death; even then, many fall to sickness and perish due to the conditions and lack of hearty meals. Maggie has not only lost her family, but also the man she loved, betrayed by him in her moments of most need. She sees no out for herself and despairs at the conditions she will continue to live in. A woman named Lady Catherine then arrives and changes everything for the young Maggie, whisking her away to a grand house in the landscape of the Burren with the promise of giving her a home and property on which to live - all she has to do is impersonate Lady Catherine's dead daughter. She gets more than she bargained for when spirits start to appear, irish folklore comes to life and her lost memories start returning to haunt her dreams.
This House Will Feed is the peak of the historical fiction horror novel - a genre that I would happily say is my favorite and contains favorites like The Hunger by Alma Katsu and The Terror by Dan Simmons. In this story we not only see the struggle of Maggie, Lady Catherine and the staff of the Browne home, but also the struggle of Ireland as a whole. The vivid descriptions of how the potatoes were found in blighted conditions is heartbreaking, and the intermixed Gaelic language and irish folklore brings the story to life, transporting you back to Ireland during the 1840s. Due to reading this novel, I looked more into the potato famine to better understand it and just like Maria Tureaud writes, the famine wasn't just a problem with crops. It was a politically fueled dismissal of the Irish people by the British, a failure of absentee landlordism and a horrible dependence on a single crop to keep the people alive.
Everyone should read this book and understand this story - not only Maggie's, but Ireland as a whole. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC, and thank you to Maria Tureaud most of all for an amazing read.
October 3, 2025
This House Will Feed...
and feed it does.
It's been awhile since I've started and finished a book within 24 hours.
This House Will Feed is a historical horror novel that draws you in from the moment you read the first sentence. I could not stop lest I have to sleep tonight wondering what happened in the end.
There is much in the story that is steeped with the truth of what the Irish went through during a very dark time, and most was not easy to read. (Specially as a mother). But it is the foundation laid down for the paranormal folk lore horror that will consume you, and it is all brought together very well.
Some of the plot was a bit painfully obvious in some parts, however the other not so obvious moments of the past brought present were sti engaging enough to remove said pain.
I did enjoy being enthralled with this book today, but you will excuse me now as I start reading something a little lighter, and hold my son so very very close.
Thank You to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read This House Will Feed before release.
and feed it does.
It's been awhile since I've started and finished a book within 24 hours.
This House Will Feed is a historical horror novel that draws you in from the moment you read the first sentence. I could not stop lest I have to sleep tonight wondering what happened in the end.
There is much in the story that is steeped with the truth of what the Irish went through during a very dark time, and most was not easy to read. (Specially as a mother). But it is the foundation laid down for the paranormal folk lore horror that will consume you, and it is all brought together very well.
Some of the plot was a bit painfully obvious in some parts, however the other not so obvious moments of the past brought present were sti engaging enough to remove said pain.
I did enjoy being enthralled with this book today, but you will excuse me now as I start reading something a little lighter, and hold my son so very very close.
Thank You to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read This House Will Feed before release.
September 2, 2025
IT WAS NEVER A FAMINE, IT WAS GENOCIDE!
What an interesting novel exploration of what is known by descendants as The Great Hunger, and usually taught elsewhere as The Potato Famine. As someone of Irish descent with relatives in Ireland, I thoroughly enjoyed the way it was treated in this novel.
It’s 1848 and in the years since the potato blight began, Maggie O'Shaughnessy has lost her family and her love and is at the Ennis Workhouse doing what is necessary to earn her rations. One day, Lady Catherine shows up and whisks her away to her mansion. Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter so that Lady Catherine can use her widow pension to keep her villagers safe and cared for. If Maggie agrees and all goes well, Maggie will receive her freedom and land of her own. But as Maggie learns to act as Wilhelmina, she begins remembering more of her past and hearing whispers of a mysterious woman in white. Will Maggie be able to complete this task, and will Lady Catherine keep her promises?
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel.
What an interesting novel exploration of what is known by descendants as The Great Hunger, and usually taught elsewhere as The Potato Famine. As someone of Irish descent with relatives in Ireland, I thoroughly enjoyed the way it was treated in this novel.
It’s 1848 and in the years since the potato blight began, Maggie O'Shaughnessy has lost her family and her love and is at the Ennis Workhouse doing what is necessary to earn her rations. One day, Lady Catherine shows up and whisks her away to her mansion. Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter so that Lady Catherine can use her widow pension to keep her villagers safe and cared for. If Maggie agrees and all goes well, Maggie will receive her freedom and land of her own. But as Maggie learns to act as Wilhelmina, she begins remembering more of her past and hearing whispers of a mysterious woman in white. Will Maggie be able to complete this task, and will Lady Catherine keep her promises?
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel.
July 1, 2025
Incredibly engrossing genre blend of historical fiction and horror set during the Irish famine and steeped in folklore. The writing was both visceral and incredibly emotional. I loved leaving this book feeling like I learned something, but also like I really felt and understood something tragic. Plus it is an amazing revenge story - can’t go wrong with that!
January 13, 2026
The prose is so lovely that it hurts. The pain is visceral; the loss unimaginable; the suffering not at all softened by the ocean of time. This House Will Feed is a masterpiece.
Maggie O'Shaughnessy has endured more than most of us could ever despair to conceive. An Gorta Mór - the Great Hunger - was a period in which millions of Irish starved to death, and millions more fled elsewhere to escape the devastation wrought by failed crops and British colonial hatred. It took her family. It took her brothers and sisters and mother and father. It took her child. The first line of this book sets the tone for everything that is to come, and there is no exaggeration or aggrandizing: it sets off at a painful, limping sprint, and there is little to no reprieve.
Maggie's tale is deftly woven from her memories of the past and her present experiences at Browne House with Lady Catherine (who sponsored her freedom from the workhouse in which she otherwise would have surely perished, albeit more slowly than outside), studying dutifully to become her late daughter Wilhelmina in a (frankly minor) scheme of light inheritance fraud while simultaneously struggling to understand what it is the resident Browne House haunts - some foreign, some familiar - want from her. The village is strange, and the people guarded; secrets and secrecy abound.
What particularly impresses me about This House Will Feed is that it manages to be a ghost story and a horror story, yet its horror is not actually derived from its haunting. The folkloric and the supernatural almost become a relief - a reprieve from the needless cruelty and suffering dutifully enhanced by the Anglo gentry and landowners and lords - in much the same way that women almost always choose the bear: at their worst, the bear may be hungry, but the man desires subjugation. Brutality. Barbarity.
Maria Tureaud has set a new bar for historical gothic horror, and I can't recommend This House Will Feed enough to literally anyone reading this. Seriously. I'm probably going to annoy all of my friends and acquaintances with it in 2026. I do not care. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to share my thoughts on this ARC, and to author Maria Tureaud herself for what she has poured into its pages.
Maggie O'Shaughnessy has endured more than most of us could ever despair to conceive. An Gorta Mór - the Great Hunger - was a period in which millions of Irish starved to death, and millions more fled elsewhere to escape the devastation wrought by failed crops and British colonial hatred. It took her family. It took her brothers and sisters and mother and father. It took her child. The first line of this book sets the tone for everything that is to come, and there is no exaggeration or aggrandizing: it sets off at a painful, limping sprint, and there is little to no reprieve.
Maggie's tale is deftly woven from her memories of the past and her present experiences at Browne House with Lady Catherine (who sponsored her freedom from the workhouse in which she otherwise would have surely perished, albeit more slowly than outside), studying dutifully to become her late daughter Wilhelmina in a (frankly minor) scheme of light inheritance fraud while simultaneously struggling to understand what it is the resident Browne House haunts - some foreign, some familiar - want from her. The village is strange, and the people guarded; secrets and secrecy abound.
What particularly impresses me about This House Will Feed is that it manages to be a ghost story and a horror story, yet its horror is not actually derived from its haunting. The folkloric and the supernatural almost become a relief - a reprieve from the needless cruelty and suffering dutifully enhanced by the Anglo gentry and landowners and lords - in much the same way that women almost always choose the bear: at their worst, the bear may be hungry, but the man desires subjugation. Brutality. Barbarity.
Maria Tureaud has set a new bar for historical gothic horror, and I can't recommend This House Will Feed enough to literally anyone reading this. Seriously. I'm probably going to annoy all of my friends and acquaintances with it in 2026. I do not care. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to share my thoughts on this ARC, and to author Maria Tureaud herself for what she has poured into its pages.
January 14, 2026
I love the cover of this book. It screams hauntings and a troubled past. I was right! I felt the cold seep through my bones, shivers down my spine at the hauntings, and yet I stuck around because I'm a curious cat and I needed to know how the story ended.
What stood out: I've never read about Ireland's potato famine, let alone what happened during this devastating time. This book depicted the harsh conditions people went through in the lives of its characters, especially for Maggie, the FMC, and her family. The historical details are rich without taking away from the plot of the story.
I will say the setting is a standout for this book. A big house with servants - I can picture how dim and foreboding it is. The lady of the house acts strangely. Not to mention the appearance of the lady in white. The fog and mist that made my bones weary just by the thought of it. It's very immersive.
This is a love story. A revenge story. A story with Irish folklore elements woven with the tragedy of Ireland's Great Famine. The combination gave me a roller coaster of emotions - heartbreak for the families lost, anger for the deception, and a few scares whenever the hauntings began. The shifts between timelines didn't distract me from following the story either. It was seamlessly done.
Similar vibes: If you loved gothic horror like Mexican Gothic and House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, you'll enjoy this one too.
You'll love this if: You want an unsettling house, myth and folklore interwoven, and dual timelines.
Content warnings: Death, violence, implied cannibalism
Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the advance copy.
What stood out: I've never read about Ireland's potato famine, let alone what happened during this devastating time. This book depicted the harsh conditions people went through in the lives of its characters, especially for Maggie, the FMC, and her family. The historical details are rich without taking away from the plot of the story.
I will say the setting is a standout for this book. A big house with servants - I can picture how dim and foreboding it is. The lady of the house acts strangely. Not to mention the appearance of the lady in white. The fog and mist that made my bones weary just by the thought of it. It's very immersive.
This is a love story. A revenge story. A story with Irish folklore elements woven with the tragedy of Ireland's Great Famine. The combination gave me a roller coaster of emotions - heartbreak for the families lost, anger for the deception, and a few scares whenever the hauntings began. The shifts between timelines didn't distract me from following the story either. It was seamlessly done.
Similar vibes: If you loved gothic horror like Mexican Gothic and House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson, you'll enjoy this one too.
You'll love this if: You want an unsettling house, myth and folklore interwoven, and dual timelines.
Content warnings: Death, violence, implied cannibalism
Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the advance copy.
January 4, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for generously providing an ARC of this book.
This House Will Feed broke my heart, creeped me out, and gave me hope. I loved it. Ireland and her people are most definitely the main character of the story, and it’s impossible not to be moved by the resilience of the Irish and heartbroken over the suffering caused by the genocide. But this wasn’t an ordinary historical novel - the tinge of the supernatural makes the story new and gripping in a multitude of ways. Even though you know the British are the enemy, you’re left wondering whether there aren’t other dangers in the attic or out in the wild.
Although there are ample references to real people, places, and events that ground this story in reality, it really is the story of the courage and ingenuity of one (fictional) woman - Maggie, and her struggle to survive first the genocide and second the bargain struck with the enigmatic Lady Catherine. I originally was interested in the supernatural elements of this book but really found that Maggie’s story was the real hook. As Maggie tries to secure her future, the puzzle of Maggie’s history starts to unravel, tragedy after tragedy. And all you can think about is how is she going to get her HEA because oh my god if she doesn’t get a HEA I’m going to cry myself to sleep.
I appreciated the author’s nods to the true history of The Great Hunger, as well as the resources listed so readers can learn more. It’s important to remember with a book like this that although this is fictionalized story taking place during a true historical time, real people likely suffered as much or more than Maggie. I appreciate fictional stories like this that educate while telling a really compelling story.
This House Will Feed broke my heart, creeped me out, and gave me hope. I loved it. Ireland and her people are most definitely the main character of the story, and it’s impossible not to be moved by the resilience of the Irish and heartbroken over the suffering caused by the genocide. But this wasn’t an ordinary historical novel - the tinge of the supernatural makes the story new and gripping in a multitude of ways. Even though you know the British are the enemy, you’re left wondering whether there aren’t other dangers in the attic or out in the wild.
Although there are ample references to real people, places, and events that ground this story in reality, it really is the story of the courage and ingenuity of one (fictional) woman - Maggie, and her struggle to survive first the genocide and second the bargain struck with the enigmatic Lady Catherine. I originally was interested in the supernatural elements of this book but really found that Maggie’s story was the real hook. As Maggie tries to secure her future, the puzzle of Maggie’s history starts to unravel, tragedy after tragedy. And all you can think about is how is she going to get her HEA because oh my god if she doesn’t get a HEA I’m going to cry myself to sleep.
I appreciated the author’s nods to the true history of The Great Hunger, as well as the resources listed so readers can learn more. It’s important to remember with a book like this that although this is fictionalized story taking place during a true historical time, real people likely suffered as much or more than Maggie. I appreciate fictional stories like this that educate while telling a really compelling story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
By melding Irish folklore with true events from the Great Hunger, the author creates a narrative that feels both mythic and painfully real, honoring history while illuminating it in a fresh and thoughtful way. What makes this book especially powerful is its restraint. The folklore elements are woven in with care, never overshadowing the historical reality but instead enriching it by offering symbolic weight to the suffering, resilience, and spiritual endurance of the Irish people. The Great Hunger is portrayed without sensationalism; its horrors are hard to swallow, but they are presented with respect and gravity, allowing the devastation to speak for itself. The story is atmospheric and deliberate, capturing the quiet dread of starvation, loss, and displacement alongside moments of fragile hope. The story does not shy away from the brutality of the era, yet it treats its characters, and the real lives they represent, with dignity. This balance makes the book emotionally heavy but never exploitative. It succeeds as both a tribute and a reckoning: a reminder of a devastating historical reality and a testament to storytelling’s ability to preserve memory through art.
January 14, 2026
This House Will Feed was my Aardvark pick for January and it absolutely wrecked me in the best way.
This is a story about grief, family, history, and the way trauma is passed down through generations like an inheritance no one asked for. Yes, there is horror here,shocking, unsettling horror; but it’s never gratuitous. Everything feels deeply intentional and painfully human.
The house itself feels alive, heavy with memory and loss. The family dynamics are complex, heartbreaking, and raw, and the way love and grief intertwine is both beautiful and devastating. What could have been sensational instead becomes intimate, tragic, and emotionally earned.
This book doesn’t just tell a story, it lingers. It sits with you. It makes you uncomfortable in the quietest, most thoughtful way. By the end, I was completely undone.
An unforgettable read that blends history, heartbreak, and horror seamlessly. An easy 5 stars.
This is a story about grief, family, history, and the way trauma is passed down through generations like an inheritance no one asked for. Yes, there is horror here,shocking, unsettling horror; but it’s never gratuitous. Everything feels deeply intentional and painfully human.
The house itself feels alive, heavy with memory and loss. The family dynamics are complex, heartbreaking, and raw, and the way love and grief intertwine is both beautiful and devastating. What could have been sensational instead becomes intimate, tragic, and emotionally earned.
This book doesn’t just tell a story, it lingers. It sits with you. It makes you uncomfortable in the quietest, most thoughtful way. By the end, I was completely undone.
An unforgettable read that blends history, heartbreak, and horror seamlessly. An easy 5 stars.
January 19, 2026
I had to let this one sit with me for a bit so I can get my words right, yet I still don’t think anything I say is going to do this one enough justice! It was THAT good!! 🙌
Book peeps, just trust me and pick this one up! It is set during the Great Famine in Ireland and this book opened my eyes to just how horrible and devastating that was! 😢 I absolutely loved our FMC Maggie! I felt a roller coaster of emotions with her. All of the loss she experienced, the hurt, the anger…the revenge. Oh and let’s not forget the creepy vibes of a haunted mansion! Absolutely loved this and cannot recommend it enough!! 👏
Thank you to partner Kensington Publishing for the gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! And Maria Tureaud, you are now one of my auto-buy authors solely based on this book alone!! ❤️
Book peeps, just trust me and pick this one up! It is set during the Great Famine in Ireland and this book opened my eyes to just how horrible and devastating that was! 😢 I absolutely loved our FMC Maggie! I felt a roller coaster of emotions with her. All of the loss she experienced, the hurt, the anger…the revenge. Oh and let’s not forget the creepy vibes of a haunted mansion! Absolutely loved this and cannot recommend it enough!! 👏
Thank you to partner Kensington Publishing for the gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! And Maria Tureaud, you are now one of my auto-buy authors solely based on this book alone!! ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Set against the real horrors of the potato famine in Ireland, this supernatural gothic horror was quite the ride! Although a fictional tale, there are true facts and real people referenced throughout. Our FMC, Maggie endures terrible personal hardship and loss before meeting a mysterious lady who promises her a brighter future in exchange for pretending to be her daughter. With nothing to lose, they set off to her imposing home where the local people all seem to have avoided the worst of the famine afflicting the rest of the country.
As the story unfolds we try to understand who is good and who is bad, who can be trusted, and what strange entity is protecting those who choose to live nearby.
Beautifully written, this book is a lesson in history as well as a gripping horror/thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and yhe publisher for the ARC.
As the story unfolds we try to understand who is good and who is bad, who can be trusted, and what strange entity is protecting those who choose to live nearby.
Beautifully written, this book is a lesson in history as well as a gripping horror/thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and yhe publisher for the ARC.
November 3, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!
What to expect:
🏚 Gothic horror setting
🌾 Historical famine backdrop
💀 Supernatural elements
🪞Creepy old house
🕯 Slow start, strong finish
💔 Loss and survival themes
🖤 A haunting, emotional conclusion
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started this book or how the famine aspect would tie into the story, but I had an idea based on its gothic horror roots. It started slow, and I found myself struggling to get into it until the final third of the book, when everything shifted and I was completely hooked.
While this wasn’t as horrifying as I expected for the genre, the realism of the story felt far more disturbing than the supernatural elements. There were definitely moments that made me cringe in disgust and even say “ew” aloud, yet the context made it understandable why those scenes unfolded the way they did.
The house itself is steeped in negative magic, and you watch Maggie take on a new role after losing her entire family. The way she navigates her promises to Lady Catherine, her need for survival, and her drive to secure her future makes the conclusion deeply satisfying.
Overall, despite a slow start, this ended up being a great read with a haunting payoff.
What to expect:
🏚 Gothic horror setting
🌾 Historical famine backdrop
💀 Supernatural elements
🪞Creepy old house
🕯 Slow start, strong finish
💔 Loss and survival themes
🖤 A haunting, emotional conclusion
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started this book or how the famine aspect would tie into the story, but I had an idea based on its gothic horror roots. It started slow, and I found myself struggling to get into it until the final third of the book, when everything shifted and I was completely hooked.
While this wasn’t as horrifying as I expected for the genre, the realism of the story felt far more disturbing than the supernatural elements. There were definitely moments that made me cringe in disgust and even say “ew” aloud, yet the context made it understandable why those scenes unfolded the way they did.
The house itself is steeped in negative magic, and you watch Maggie take on a new role after losing her entire family. The way she navigates her promises to Lady Catherine, her need for survival, and her drive to secure her future makes the conclusion deeply satisfying.
Overall, despite a slow start, this ended up being a great read with a haunting payoff.
January 19, 2026
Easily in the top 5 of best historical horror I’ve ever read.⭐️
The first 75% talks about the horrors that Maggie & her family faced, from political horrors to The Great Famine. This beautifully, and sadly, describes the things that the Irish faced during this genocide. I don’t think I’ve read a book before that truly encapsulates the dread & slush of the rotten potatoes like this one has, and this being a horror just adds to that.
The last 25% is the ‘stereotypical’ horror part, with Maggie trying to save herself from the isolating manor & the monsters that live inside it. I like how the stakes ramp up even higher & higher, while still being appropriately paced & logical.
What a great book to start this year out with!!
The first 75% talks about the horrors that Maggie & her family faced, from political horrors to The Great Famine. This beautifully, and sadly, describes the things that the Irish faced during this genocide. I don’t think I’ve read a book before that truly encapsulates the dread & slush of the rotten potatoes like this one has, and this being a horror just adds to that.
The last 25% is the ‘stereotypical’ horror part, with Maggie trying to save herself from the isolating manor & the monsters that live inside it. I like how the stakes ramp up even higher & higher, while still being appropriately paced & logical.
What a great book to start this year out with!!
January 20, 2026
This was totally new territory for me and I ended up really liking it!! I’m still not sure horror/supernatural/gothic is really my thing, but this book was definitely a great read. The 1840s Irish dialect made some parts a bit tricky to follow, but wow, the writing was incredible. It really stood out for me
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