Ring of Salt: Finding home and hope on the Wild Coast of Ireland

by Betsy Cornwell

On her son's first birthday, Betsy Cornwell fled her home, checking into a hotel under a false name so her husband couldn't find them. In the uncertain months that followed, her fierce determination to give her child what she never had - a safe and stable home - saved them.

In Ring of Salt, Betsy traces her journey from that desperate moment to Ireland's windswept west coast, where the Atlantic Ocean crashes against ancient cliffs. There, nestled beside a quiet lake in the wilds of Connemara, she discovers a long-abandoned knitting factory - forgotten, but full of possibility. She sets out to restore it into a sanctuary for herself and her son - and, eventually, a creative refuge for single mothers.

As she renovates the crumbling house and fights to keep custody of her son, Betsy begins to rebuild something a sense of belonging. In the cool mists of the countryside, and with the help of fellow survivors and an unexpected community, she pieces together a new kind of family.

Mixing Maid's gripping portrait of single motherhood with Wintering's wild, romantic sense of place, this is a powerful memoir of survival, new beginnings, and the quiet, everyday magic of finding home on one of the world's most storied and soul-stirring coastlines.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Ireland, Audiobook, Adult, Biography Memoir, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 9, 2025

About the author

Betsy Cornwell is a New York Times bestselling author living in west Ireland. She is the story editor and a contributing writer at Parabola, and her short-form writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and literary translation and has appeared in Fairy Tale Review, Zahir Tales, The Violence Prevention Initiative Journal, and elsewhere. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from Smith College.

Mechanica was published in 2015 and has featured on several best of the year lists, including Amazon.com’s Best Young Adult Books and USA Today‘s Must-Read Romances. In a starred review, Kirkus called this retelling of Cinderella “a smart, refreshing alternative to stale genre tropes.” Mechanica is a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominee for 2016.

Betsy’s debut novel, Tides, was published in 2013 to critical acclaim including a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, a place in the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year, and a Bisexual Book Awards nomination.

Betsy has two more novels forthcoming from Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in 2017 and 2018.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir was both beautiful and completely propulsive. The author writes about her past abuse from her father and husband thoughtfully and gently for the reader, without shying away from the hardest parts. But it's not a story that lingers on the shock and awe of the cruelty of men (or the complicity of bystanders). Instead, the story focuses strength that comes with motherhood, as the authors young baby inspires her to leave her abusive home to save both her baby and herself. The book also highlights the power of community, ranging from a survivors group in Ireland to an online alumni group. It's amazing to see how the author found that becoming more vulnerable and asking for help opened up more support and safety for her -- and gave her the opportunity to give back by creating The Knitting Factory as a retreat for other single parents. The importance of stories (both the stories we read and the stories we tell about ourselves) is also a central theme of the book. The author is a young adult author of fairytale retellings and deftly weaves in analogous myths and legends to fit the stories from her life. Finally, the lyrical language - especially describing the landscape of Ireland are so beautiful it made me want to book a trip there as soon as possible. This book felt like a friend and a teacher at the same time. I loved reading it and know so many other readers will as well. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written and inspiring memoir.

I was already familiar with Betsy’s story from following her crowdfunding campaign for The Old Knitting Factory. It hooked me as soon as I heard about it on social media, and I’m so glad it’s now out there in book form.

Betsy’s writing style is compelling, and I devoured this book after a trip to Ireland (where I finally got to meet Betsy and see The Old Knitting Factory and the wild beauty of Connemara in person!). It’s a fairy tale with a hefty dose of reality. I love how Betsy incorporates her talent for adapting old tales, adding her own spin with messages about finding home, the resilience of motherhood, and the power of all kinds of community.

[Stephanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptionally hopeful book of a young woman who survived not only paternal sexual abuse as she fled the States after filing charges against her father, but also a courageous survivor of domestic violence by her ex-husband Tommy. Betsy Cornwell defied the unbelievably difficult odds of being granted a divorce in Ireland, gaining citizenship, and ultimately crowdfunding the purchase of the Old Knitting Factory (which I am now following on Facebook!) in the rural outskirts of the Connemara coastline which she gives back to the single women who supported her journey.

To be honest, I haven’t heard of Cromwell as an author before - sorry Betsy! - because her other books have been modern retelling of fairy tales which is typically not my go-to genre. Yet, she writes this wholly engaging memoir as a way to come up with the down payment of the Factory to give her and her son a home, and also to provide a respite for other single mothers who just need a break.

There were so many times that I felt her dream to be fully unreachable, and in my heart I wanted to tell her to move on and find something else, especially when deadlines were so near and yet so far. Yet Cromwell sees the dream amidst the blossoming mold, broken down shutters, leaking bathrooms, drafty damp hallways, and would swallow any pride to reach out to her community of writers that she had built over years for support, for guidance, and even money.

Cromwell showed me what it is like to go towards a dream with pure tenacity and spirit even when exhausted and despairing. She showed me what it’s like to put herself on the line to save her own child from experiencing the abuse that she did. She showed me that even with tremendous self-doubt in her own abilities, with being marred and scarred by the harsh treatment of men, and with the legal system against her at every turn, she chose not only to survive but to thrive.

I am thrilled that she achieved her dream, and am a bit ashamed at myself for being wholly skeptical of Cromwell because of the seemingly impossible obstacles in her way. Just goes to show that sometimes, people do get the fairy tale in the end, but not without grit and fierce determination. Well done, Betsy

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be thinking about this book forever. So beautifully written. I appreciated that the author didn’t dwell on intense descriptions of her abuse; you just got enough sense of it to understand her mindset and drive to make a better life for herself and her son. Her determination to relish in life and art and nature is really inspiring.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced reader's copy review

This memoir was a masterpiece. I truly have no words for how beautiful this book was. Betsy Cornwell went through so much in her life, and she laid it all out in this memoir. My heart ached for her and everything that had happened to her. Yet at the same time she infused the entire story with so much hope and joy, and it warmed my heart. She reflected on her pain and came out happier for it some how, still so optimistic about the world. Just for that alone this deserves five stars. But Betsy Cornwell is also an amazing writer all around. Her prose was stunning, imbued with the essence of fairy tales and fables. She included so many references to her own work and other’s books, and very helpfully attached a reading list to the end that I will definitely be making my way through. And I would love to visit the Old Knitting Factory some day; it sounds like a paradise. So all of this is to say that this memoir is moving and emotional and inspiring and hopeful, and I think everyone should read it. I truly cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you Avid Reader Press and Netgalley for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Claire Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyrical and moving memoir of motherhood and chasing your dreams. You can tell that Betsy left her heart on the page, and her beautiful writing is captivating and transportive – I felt the cold Irish winters in my bones and the beautiful Connemara sunset on my face. This is a story of survival, healing, and rebirth. My heart broke for her so many times, but I am grateful she shared her story, and I know others will feel the same. Seeing the list of donors for The Knitting Factory included at the end also gave me so much hope, because if there’s one overarching theme of this memoir, it’s that you can’t do it all alone. We need community, and wonderful things happen when we (women, especially) support each other. Highly recommend.

Pub Date: 9/30/2025
Review Published: 9/30/2025
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeanine Federline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning! Cornwell weaves a beautiful tapestry with her skillful and authentic storytelling. I love the themes of women’s love and support for each other throughout history. Deeply inspiring. I couldn’t stop listening.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read much adult nonfiction, but this memoir was recommended to me before a trip to Ireland, and I'm so grateful. I devoured this in two days and was very moved. Betsy is a beautiful writer and while her story has plenty of heartbreak as she recalls her abuse, it's really about healing and hope- an ode to single mothers and women supporting women. Lovely.

[Beverlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Avid Reader Press for the ARC. Beautiful memoir of hope, resilience, perseverance and survival.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book of perseverance, hope, community, and more. It is a memoir that reads like a novel. I hope to visit Betsy someday at the Knitting Factory.

[Catherine Shattuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately a book about finding strength, a giving and receiving grace. What I think will stick with me, besides the desire to go to Ireland and see its magic firsthand: the way she kept reminding herself to reach for the stars, that sometimes dreaming is what saves us, there or not our dreams come true; and to cultivate pride in our accomplishments even if they seem small to others. You don’t need to live a big life to lead a good one.

[Sarah Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my personal experience, I would say that Cornwell’s description of domestic emotional abuse is extremely accurate. As a single mother myself, I know the exhaustion, the anxiety, and the difficulty in learning to ask for help. I read the hell out of this book! I have nothing but admiration for this writer, mother, friend.

[Mary Nolan-Fesmire · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I have followed Betsy for several years on her socials regarding 'the old knitting factory'. it was wonderful to read her story even though it talked about abuse from her family and partner. I enjoyed reading how she crowdfunded to buy her current home and how she is using it to help other single moms. amazing.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I (almost) always give memoirs 3 stars. I think rating a memoir is too much l Iike rating the author's life. Also, no matter how good it is, it's only part of the story. So, three stars for this one. It was interesting to read about Ireland and its family and immigration laws.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘We left home on my baby’s first birthday. I hadn’t known when I packed his diaper bag that morning that it would never feel safe to go back.’

Ring of Salt by Betsy Cornwell published October 16th with Renegade and is described as ‘a powerful memoir of survival, new beginnings, and the quiet, everyday magic of finding home on one of the world’s most storied and soul-stirring coastlines.'

Recently I read Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell and found it to be a very emotional and affecting tale. Although fictional it felt very authentic, with a storyline that was so very relevant to one too many families today. Ring of Salt had a similarly powerful impact on me except, this time, it wasn’t a fictional story but a factual account of the circumstances one woman found herself in while living on the west coast of Ireland.

Betsy Cornwell is clearly a strong and resilient woman, a role model for many and an example of how pure determination, drive and hope can keep someone from falling off the edge. When Betsy came to Ireland in 2012, she was on a student visa with a plan to work in a hostel on the Aran Islands. She immediately fell in love with Inis Mór, the island she was on, describing it as ‘absurdly wholesome and incredibly romantic’. She enjoyed the work and the company of the other international students, and as the months passed, she felt stronger than ever, more alive and in tune with herself and others. What she had not anticipated was that she would also find her husband. He was ‘the kind of person Americans call Black Irish, who might be read as Spanish or Italian at first glance. He’d clearly graduated with flying colours from the Colin Farrell School of Irish Smoulder.’

Tommy was a horse trainer and older than Betsy but age did not come into their relationship. Betsy fell passionately in love with this dark Irish soul who understood her and encouraged her to bloom and be happy. There was the occasional hint that he had a dangerous side but Betsy was blinded by love. Following their marriage, Betsy accepted the lifestyle he offered and the hardship it entailed. She was gloriously in love and that was all that mattered. And it was…until things started to change. Tommy became more controlling and emotionally abusive stripping Betsy of her confidence and independence. When their son Robin was born, Betsy was physically and mentally exhausted until she reached a point of acknowledgement that all was not well in her marriage.

One day she decided she had had enough. She packed her bags and went to a centre in Galway that offered her the much needed assistance to get away from Tommy, but as a non-national her options were limited. Betsy Cornwell is a writer and always had dreams of being a successful one. Writing was her escape valve but also her only form of income so she desperately searched for any writing role that would provide for her and her young son. She slept little, working hard while always looking over her shoulder for Tommy, who was permanently there shadowing her every move.

Betsy had a dream of setting up a refuge for single mothers, a place where they could find solace away from their daily lives. She knew her idea was quite aspirational but Betsy never gave up hope, eventually discovering an abandoned knitting factory for sale ‘in the wilds of Connemara’ that she now calls home.

Ring of Salt is Betsy’s story to date as she struggled through years of difficulty and challenges. Her own personal backstory is not an easy one to read but to see her flourish today is quite an extraordinarily uplifting story. Betsy never ever forgot her child and every decision she made, and makes, is always with his best interests at heart. Betsy suffered so much trauma yet there is almost a fairy-tale element to her story. At one point, homeless and downtrodden, she always kept a light switched on in her mind that she would survive and she would thrive.

I am in actual awe of this inspiring woman. I wish her the very best in life and I do so hope that she has found her forever happy-ending. Ring of Salt is a tremendous read. It is demanding. It is insightful. It is hopeful. Bringing the Connemara coast alive in all its wildness and colour, Betsy Cornwell has written a truly remarkable memoir. Majestic and inspirational with challenging themes and a whole lot of love, Ring of Salt deserves a worldwide audience and Betsy Cornwell deserves so much support for her work. Bravo Betsy and go n-éirí an bóthar leat (May the road rise to meet you).

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir was a beautiful and heartbreaking walk alongside the author. I think reading memoirs helps us hold space and sit in hardship with friends. Gaining empathy and kinship in other peoples stories through reading especially memoirs helps me be a better friend and community member. The community and support detailed here is what I hope for everyone. I had no idea what this was about before listening, but I really enjoyed it!

[Lauren Puckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Such a compelling memoir. And it takes place in my favorite place in the world, Ireland. Betsy is such an inspirational and resilient human being and I was truly honored to read her story. She’s an amazing writer sometimes I forgot I was even reading a memoir. I want to recommend this to my clients too because it’s such an inspiration when you’re coming out of an abusive marriage and navigating life after.

[Patsey]

I am woman hear me roar. With support and community we can do anything. Congratulations Betsy Cornwell

[Lindsey Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written memoir.

[Fleury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've tried to post a review 3 times and they are not being accepted.

Try again

This was a compelling memoir, its a book about finding strength. It's a lovely and ultimately uplifting book about survival.

I liked this book but I didn't love it.

[Ghost in the Stacks · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a memoir that feels like a deep breath of Atlantic sea air, Ring of Salt is a stunning choice. Betsy Cornwell offers a lyrical, vulnerable account of rebuilding her life as a single mother in a ruined signal tower on the west coast of Ireland.

It’s a hauntingly beautiful read for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting over or found healing in the wilderness. It’s less about "travel" and more about rooting oneself in a place that is as harsh as it is transformative.

[Rachel Solverud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. If you like Wild by Cheryl Strayed then you will love this book.

I bought this book from Charlie Byrnes bookstore in Galway, mentioned in the book, and have seen/heard of so many of the Western Ireland places Cornwell wrote about during my first month here in Galway. That makes it even more special.

Thanks to my Aunt Julie for the recommendation!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ring of Salt is a beautiful memoir of escaping child sexual abuse and domestic violence into the embrace of Ireland’s wild Atlantic coastline. The author is an American who’s made her name in young adult fairytale retellings, and her writing in this memoir certainly feels magical and very tied to the landscape. A beautiful and ultimately uplifting book.

[Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald]

Memoir A Whether this would be an A if I hadn’t lived it with her I don’t know but it was a beautiful read and I was grateful for it

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Narration was just ok. I read a lot of memoirs. This one wasn’t really for me. While the author did persevere and overcome quite a bit, I was surprised and frustrated with how fast she “fell in love” with her husband. The book was confusing as well because he gave her “the best sex of her life (she mentioned that several times) and she went on about how incredibly supportive he was about her abuse from her father….then in the next sentence (without warning or detail) she starts telling about his dark side and how awful her husband was. I felt as though I missed a chunk of the story. Anyway I’m glad she is happy and managed to heal and move forward from her terrible childhood and marriage.

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Adult author Betsy Cornwell shares her struggles and successes as she leaves her abusive home for Ireland where the love she finds there also turns abusive. A fiercely protective single mother, she leaves her marriage and struggles to not only find a safe home for herself and her son but a respite and writer’s retreat for other single moms. Betsy writes with warmth and honesty and provides resources for others in domestic abuse situations. The unique part of Betsy’s story is her vision and determination to find away to help others as well as herself, using all the resources and connections that she has.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely get the comparison to Maid here -- the author describes years of her life through complex trauma and finding a home in another country. Community feels like the main theme: how you find it, how you nurture it, and how it can support you in the hardest of times.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. read it, read it, read it

[Lauren Millsaps Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my headline for this memoir is “I LOVE IT WHEN WOMEN, WOMEN!” I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this memoir as the author was speaking at my local bookstore, Old Town Books. I came in hoping to learn more about memoir writing and left with an inspired story that I haven’t been able to shut up about since finishing!

The theme score to Practical Magic kept playing in my mind as I read this and as the author got nearer and nearer to the conclusion of her quest for the knitting factory- the songs crescendo felt more and more apt. Wow, just wow. I am both so incredibly proud of Betsey and also angry at the system and world surrounding her circumstances. There were many moments I gave a fist bump into the air for a courageous action Betsey took or a witty retort she gave that I know I wouldn’t have been strong enough to say. The commentary by those defending her abuser, elements of the system that I had NO idea were such horrible laws that were revealed made it hard to keep my blood pressure down. Whew, I was down right MAD (to use a southern turn of phrase) at points of the book and I felt secondhand fear of the constant hyper-vigilance and looks over the shoulder throughout.

I took away so many nuggets of wisdom but the key themes for myself were:
1.) the power of community - I was tearing up at the love and support that Betsey found in her community and the line at her court date of “you have a big family” had me weepy. Not just having access to these communities but actively contributing within them and being willing to vulnerably ask for help was so crucial.
2.) Reality vs Fiction- when faced with a very real situation straight out of a novel, our author leaned into the practical and took us along the ride with her. The comparison to writing in pieces and in accessible ways and timelines (between single mom and human chores) was inspiring. Writing isn’t just for glamorous Nancy Meyers characters- that isn’t the norm.
3.) The story and the story we tell ourselves. I felt called out when the author spoke on how she recorded events in her journal throughout her relationship. It’s only recently (I’m 30) that I started being brutally honest with my journal. The vignettes and commentary on what she journaled and how she felt about it I greatly appreciated.

I am not a mother, a domestic violence survivor, a published author or an American/Irish immigrant. On the surface I had nothing personally to relate to this author on. By the end of the book I felt I had gone on a beautiful and inspiring saga with Betsey. I related to so much of her story and appreciate so much her willingness to share so openly for others. This has absolutely inspired me to lean in even harder to my community of women locally and afar and to get more education about how to support women locally.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blistering look at how insidious relationship violence is, how often the most terrifying pieces of it aren't direct violence but personal annihilation, and the power of relying on and being community for other people. The only way we survive is together, and this memoir of escape, floundering, growth, reliance, and creation is also about the growth of a community.

Documenting her travel to Ireland, meeting her husband, and then having their child, it then transitions into the slow realization that in order to give her child the life he deserves (because she cannot yet demand the life SHE deserves) she must leave her husband. In a foreign country that she's now bound to, Betsy struggles to find peace and safety. We follow her finding and using various support services, walking the delicate line of accepting help from friends without wearing out her welcome, and realizing that she wants to and can make space for others in situations like hers.

Through motherly triumphs and fears of failure, strapping in to fight for herself and her child, new relationships and experiences after leaving her ex, realizing when and where she can do the most good, being in the embrace (metaphorical and literal) of other women who will be kind because they have the means and the same innate fears, and to fighting for her dream of the Old Knitting Factory. All of it while getting to imagine the beauty of Ireland, the ancient love and belief that shapes it as a country, and is both a help and a hindrance to Betsy's escape.

Full disclosure: I met Betsy before she published her first book. I've watched a lot of what happened in this book on the periphery or on the outside, so there's meaning and clarity here that might not exist for other readers.

However, this is going to mean so much to anyone who has ever had to escape an abusive and controlling relationship. The battle that feels like it will never end, the blame, the grief, and the reminders that you are not as alone as your abuser wants you to believe. The journey of this book is hard, but ultimately hopeful, and with touches of wry humor that made me smile or laugh.