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The Kelly Sisters
Sunday Times bestseller Maureen Lee returns with this heart-warming tale of three sisters striking out in the roaring twenties.
It's 1925 and Patricia, Tara and Aideen couldn't be more excited about leaving Dublin with their father and heading for a new life in Liverpool. Yet it soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems, for the day after they arrive in England, Danny hastily sweeps the girls onto a huge ocean liner heading to New York, leaving no forwarding address.
When their father vanishes mid-way across the Atlantic, the grieving sisters prepare themselves for a new life in the big city, far from home, friends and family. For whatever their father was running from has every chance of catching up with the girls, unless they can do their best to build new lives in New York . . .
It's 1925 and Patricia, Tara and Aideen couldn't be more excited about leaving Dublin with their father and heading for a new life in Liverpool. Yet it soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems, for the day after they arrive in England, Danny hastily sweeps the girls onto a huge ocean liner heading to New York, leaving no forwarding address.
When their father vanishes mid-way across the Atlantic, the grieving sisters prepare themselves for a new life in the big city, far from home, friends and family. For whatever their father was running from has every chance of catching up with the girls, unless they can do their best to build new lives in New York . . .
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 30, 2015
45 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Lee
76 books276 followersMaureen Lee was born in Bootle, England, UK, near Liverpool during the World War II. She attended Commercial College and became a shorthand typist. She married Richard, and they had three sons, now adults. The last years the marriage lives in Colchester, Essex.
During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 9, 2017
A Maureen Lee book is like having a bowl of your long gone Nana's soup. The warm caring memory attached to it makes you just glow inside. The Kelly Sisters was not a disappointed. I haven't read Maureen Lee in a while and I pleased to see the style of writing hasn't changed. I will always remember the sisters. The story takes you in so many directions with the root being family and love.
A perfect lazy day read.
Be taken on a heart felt emotional ride.
A perfect lazy day read.
Be taken on a heart felt emotional ride.
August 10, 2022
Nothing sells a book like the cover, right? So why the hell is there a pic of 3 little girls when the sisters in the book are in their late teens/early twenties? Could the person who got commissioned to do the cover not be bothered to read the brief?
The story was initially quite promising, 3 young Irish girls starting a new life in New York in 1920’s. It could have been amazing, but unfortunately, the story was a bit predictable, at times sounded a bit bizarre and far-fetched. Lazy writing, story lines that didn’t lead anywhere, comprehensible question marks - why has no one mentioned bringing the little brother that was left to fend for himself in Ireland to the US?
Ok book if there’s nothing better to read. 3 stars.
The story was initially quite promising, 3 young Irish girls starting a new life in New York in 1920’s. It could have been amazing, but unfortunately, the story was a bit predictable, at times sounded a bit bizarre and far-fetched. Lazy writing, story lines that didn’t lead anywhere, comprehensible question marks - why has no one mentioned bringing the little brother that was left to fend for himself in Ireland to the US?
Ok book if there’s nothing better to read. 3 stars.
February 3, 2016
Firstly, a big thank you as this was my first book won through a goodreads giveaway.
I have read several Maureen Lee books before, but this was completely different. It's easy to read and it got me interested right away, where as I often find it takes me a few chapters to get in to a book. The story focuses on Patricia, Aideen and Tara Kelly and how each of them choose to live their lives after finding themselves in New York. I'm not sure how to review this book, once the initial shock of finding themselves in New York was over, the story didn't really go anywhere, it just sort of ambled along. I found I didn't love the story but neither did I hate it.
I have read several Maureen Lee books before, but this was completely different. It's easy to read and it got me interested right away, where as I often find it takes me a few chapters to get in to a book. The story focuses on Patricia, Aideen and Tara Kelly and how each of them choose to live their lives after finding themselves in New York. I'm not sure how to review this book, once the initial shock of finding themselves in New York was over, the story didn't really go anywhere, it just sort of ambled along. I found I didn't love the story but neither did I hate it.
April 5, 2020
Does the artist who does the cover bother to look at the book - a story of 3 girls aged 18, 16 and 14 and the cover shows three small children so you start the book with completely the wrong idea of what the book will be about. I found the middle too long drawn out then suddenly at the end it appeared she had got bored with writing the book and everything was sorted out in a few pages.
January 29, 2021
Really good story got this book who won it on first reads,loved the characters a father who's in a lot of trouble leaves Dublin with his three girls leaving his young son they end up in new York there father disappeared on the boat told there father was dead,it's a story how they survive got abit lost over half way still a good book worth reading.
April 9, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down. Great story as usual from Maureen Lee. The only thing I wasn't too happy with was the last bit about Tara and how she got in that situation. Could have been a few more pages about that, it ended too abruptly. Milo going to Ireland could well be another book. Don't want to give anything away. Definitely would recommend this book to others.
September 13, 2022
Easy read but no real gripping plot.
June 9, 2018
This was a great fun loving book with a very interesting story. This lady always impresses.
September 7, 2016
First something completely irrelevant. Why are there three little girls on the cover art? All three Kelly sisters were well into their teens even in the beginning of the book.
So many extraordinary things happened to these sisters! Unbelievable! But it was easy to read on and believe that life could be so full of twists and turns for all three sisters.
So many extraordinary things happened to these sisters! Unbelievable! But it was easy to read on and believe that life could be so full of twists and turns for all three sisters.
February 16, 2016
I love reading Maureen Lee. This book is no exception. A read that shows how people's lives intertwine, and how someone else's actions can have such a drastic change on your life. 8/10
August 8, 2023
Totally confusing, lots of jumping around, lots of very unrealistic story lines... Was hard to finish!
August 2, 2020
A bit rushed at the end
January 25, 2022
An enjoyable read, as are most of Maureen Lee's books. How three Irish sisters think they are going to a new life in Liverpool, but they actually end up in New York. There father falls overboard on the boat, leaving them to fend for themselves. Tells how they managed and the people that they met. However, I felt that it ran out of steam a bit at the end and felt that there were a lot of loose ends to be tied up in the last chapter, which seemed to be done in a bit of a hurry. It was a reasonable read.
May 7, 2024
Nice story where a family of Irish sisters do well when being made to move to America by their father. Each of them seemingly beautiful, talented, and married well.
Predictable in parts, too simple in others where they get all the luck in the world. It did cover an interesting time period and made the most of touching on things such as Hollywood and nazi Germany.
Overall, it was an easy and fun book
Predictable in parts, too simple in others where they get all the luck in the world. It did cover an interesting time period and made the most of touching on things such as Hollywood and nazi Germany.
Overall, it was an easy and fun book
June 21, 2024
I enjoyed this book, although I would've liked to read the sister's stories in more depth. I think this book really could've been in 3 parts - for each of the sisters. I kind of felt short-changed, as each of the Kelly girls were interesting and had interesting lives and it would've been good to read more about them.
July 8, 2020
A very slow moving stoey i felt with alot of hopping forwards and no back story to it but i did love how the three sisters survived on there own through out wveryrhing even after being abandoned in a strange country an overall easy read
December 12, 2022
Cute book, it had the potential to be better but everything about it seems a bit far fetched. I understand the times it was written is no similar to today but I would’ve loved a bit more depth. An easy flow read if there’s nothing else to pick up.
February 13, 2018
Audio version of this book, nice easy listen, great storyline
November 12, 2018
Oh the blarney!!
This was a fantastic story. It covered so much about family, differences, war and life. The characters were written about in a sympathetic way. Real storytelling.
This was a fantastic story. It covered so much about family, differences, war and life. The characters were written about in a sympathetic way. Real storytelling.
May 3, 2019
Another great story by the wonderful Maureen Lee
March 5, 2020
Love this author
August 22, 2021
I enjoyed this book as I have all of the Maureen Lee books that I have read she is a brilliant storyteller and I just love the way her characters evolve
Read
October 9, 2021DNF at 70% just bored .
September 7, 2022
A lovely story about three Irish sisters, who emigrated to America with their father,but the intrigue starts on the ship. A very good read
November 24, 2023
First part good, then either story, or I, lost steam.
March 29, 2024
Too much of the plot was just skimmed over ! Frustrating, covered too much ground too superficially. Nice characterisation though.
May 13, 2024
A good book that ended as if there was going to be a sequel. I was also surprised how one of the sisters had 8 children in 8 years even with one set of twins.
February 18, 2017
Great story about three Irish sisters who settle in New York and how their respective lives turn out. I was left wanting more which is a good sign, but felt the book came to rather an abrupt end.
August 7, 2024
Very good read
January 23, 2016
I received the paperback copy through the Goodreads first to read programme.
It's an interesting story about three Irish sisters, Patricia, Aideen and Tara who by circumstances out of their control find themselves in New York. Their father mysteriously disappears whilst on the voyage from Liverpool to the States.
I like the characters of the three sisters and did get involved into how their lives evolved and of course whether or not they had their happy ending.
I did find the lack of twenties/thirties atmosphere lacking, and a few parts of the story didn't really make sense, especially with the name of Tara's love interest.
The chopping and changing from one sisters part to the others was distracting, taking me out of the storyline for a moment, which became slightly irritating in parts.
On the whole its a lovely story but for me personally, I would have liked to have 'felt' the atmosphere of the roaring twenties in New York, flowing into the uncertainty of the thirties and the upheaval and controversy surrounding the uprising fascist movement.
It's an interesting story about three Irish sisters, Patricia, Aideen and Tara who by circumstances out of their control find themselves in New York. Their father mysteriously disappears whilst on the voyage from Liverpool to the States.
I like the characters of the three sisters and did get involved into how their lives evolved and of course whether or not they had their happy ending.
I did find the lack of twenties/thirties atmosphere lacking, and a few parts of the story didn't really make sense, especially with the name of Tara's love interest.
The chopping and changing from one sisters part to the others was distracting, taking me out of the storyline for a moment, which became slightly irritating in parts.
On the whole its a lovely story but for me personally, I would have liked to have 'felt' the atmosphere of the roaring twenties in New York, flowing into the uncertainty of the thirties and the upheaval and controversy surrounding the uprising fascist movement.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews