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The Liberation of Brigid Dunne: Warmth, wisdom and love on every page - if you treasured Maeve Binchy, read Patricia Scanlan
*** THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ***
One explosive family reunion. A lifetime of secrets revealed.
Can these three women ever find common ground to heal the wounds?
Marie-Claire has just discovered that the man she hoped to one day marry has been cheating on her. Reeling, she leaves behind her apartment in Toronto to travel home to Ireland, hoping some familiar faces will help ground her. She's arriving just in time to celebrate her great aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s retirement and eightieth birthday. It will be a long-awaited reunion for three generations of her family, bringing her mother Keelin and grandmother Imelda - who have never quite got along - together as well.
And then all hell breaks loose.
Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a startling revelation at the party that forces them all to confront their pasts, admit mistakes, and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to forgive the past and share a future?
Spanning generations and covering seismic shifts in the lives of women in Ireland, The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is a compelling, thought-provoking, important and highly emotional novel from a trailblazing author in women's fiction.
What readers are saying about Patricia Scanlan's storytelling:
'Utterly magical and wonderful ... warmth and compassion shine through' Marian Keyes
'Like being enfolded in a hug from the great writer herself: warm, comforting and full of love' Cathy Kelly
'There can be little doubt that Patricia Scanlan is the prolific queen of contemporary Irish popular fiction' Sunday Times
''There is a heartbreaking authenticity in her observations' Irish Times
'The ultimate comfort read' Glamour
One explosive family reunion. A lifetime of secrets revealed.
Can these three women ever find common ground to heal the wounds?
Marie-Claire has just discovered that the man she hoped to one day marry has been cheating on her. Reeling, she leaves behind her apartment in Toronto to travel home to Ireland, hoping some familiar faces will help ground her. She's arriving just in time to celebrate her great aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s retirement and eightieth birthday. It will be a long-awaited reunion for three generations of her family, bringing her mother Keelin and grandmother Imelda - who have never quite got along - together as well.
And then all hell breaks loose.
Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a startling revelation at the party that forces them all to confront their pasts, admit mistakes, and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to forgive the past and share a future?
Spanning generations and covering seismic shifts in the lives of women in Ireland, The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is a compelling, thought-provoking, important and highly emotional novel from a trailblazing author in women's fiction.
What readers are saying about Patricia Scanlan's storytelling:
'Utterly magical and wonderful ... warmth and compassion shine through' Marian Keyes
'Like being enfolded in a hug from the great writer herself: warm, comforting and full of love' Cathy Kelly
'There can be little doubt that Patricia Scanlan is the prolific queen of contemporary Irish popular fiction' Sunday Times
''There is a heartbreaking authenticity in her observations' Irish Times
'The ultimate comfort read' Glamour
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2020
237 people are currently reading
1899 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Scanlan
61 books404 followersPatricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. Her #1 bestsellers include Apartment 3B; Finishing Touches; Foreign Affairs; Promises, Promises; Mirror, Mirror; City Girl; City Woman; City Lives; and Francesca’s Party. She has sold millions of books worldwide and is translated into many languages. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the award winning Open Door literacy series, which she developed for adult literacy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 3, 2020
EXCERPT:
PROLOGUE Christmas Eve
1953
She pulls her shabby black woollen coat tighter around her and wraps her scarf snugly against her cheeks. It is bitterly cold, her breath forming an opaque mist in the frosty moonlight. The stony path that leads from her grandmother’s cottage down to the farmhouse is slippery with ice, and she skitters and slides, grabbing a furze bush with her woollen-mitted hands to save herself from a fall. She pauses to catch her breath.
Venus, a radiant golden jewel, shines as brightly as the yellow slice of new moon against a black velvet sky speckled with glittering stars. Candlelit windows down in the valley and on the hillsides spill pools of light in the darkness. She’d lit the fat, red candle in her grandmother’s parlour window before she left, for the traditional welcome to the Christ child on Christmas Eve.
Normally she would feel delight and anticipation on this blessed night, though she is no longer a child and doesn’t believe in Father Christmas, unlike her two excited youngest siblings at home, who have already hung their stockings at the end of their beds.
Tonight she is bereft, her heart shattered into a thousand sharp-edged pieces. She looks down to her left beyond the stony fields that quilt the mountain, where weather-bowed, bare-branched trees and hedgerows define the boundaries to the Larkins’ farmland. Her heart feels as though a knife has stabbed and twisted it when she thinks of black-haired, brown-eyed Johnny Larkin, who had told her that he loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone. Who had pressed her up against the cold, hard wall of his father’s barn and kissed and caressed her in her most private places and done things to her that, even though she’d demurred and then protested, had shocked her, yet given her a fierce delight that Johnny loved and wanted her and not that skinny little rake, Peggy Fitzgerald, whose father owned the big farm next to the Larkins’.
Two days after Johnny told her he loved her, his engagement to Peggy had been announced. Tomorrow at Christmas Mass, Peggy will simper and giggle on Johnny’s arm, flashing the diamond ring Pa Larkin has lent his son the money to buy.
She can’t bear it. An anguished sob breaks the deep silence of the night. Her sorrow overwhelms her. A sudden, unexpected pain in her belly doubles her up, causing her to groan in agony. She feels dampness on her thighs, and pulling up her clothes sees the trickle of blood down her legs. Another spasm convulses her and, frightened, she takes deep breaths until it eases.
In the distance, she hears the sound of the carol singers who go from house to house, singing the glorious story of the birth of a child who would bring peace to all mankind.
As she loses her own child, in the shelter of the prickly furze bush, she hears the singing of “O Holy Night” floating across the fields from her parents’ house.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Marie-Claire has just made the shocking discovery that her boyfriend (and business partner) is cheating on her. Reeling, she leaves her apartment in Toronto to travel home to Ireland, hoping the comfort of her family and a few familiar faces will ground her. She arrives just in time to celebrate her beloved great-aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s retirement and eightieth birthday. It will be a long-awaited and touching reunion for three generations of her family, bringing her mother Keelin and grandmother Imelda—who have never quite gotten along—together as well.
But then all hell breaks loose.
Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a startling revelation at the party that forces them all to confront their pasts and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to find common ground and move forward?
MY THOUGHTS: Families: you can't live with them; you can't live without them.
The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan is a little like an onion. It is multi-layered and probably going to make you cry.
It is a novel of family relationships, of how easy it is to tear a family apart and how hard it is to put it back together. It is a novel of secrets and jealousies, of heartbreak and hope, of forgiveness and redemption set over a wide time span and against the changing background of the Catholic Church. It tells of the struggle for women's rights in Catholic Ireland, the fight for safe methods of birth control.
There is a strong background of Irish politics and Catholicism to this novel, but the primary focus is on the relationships between the four women of the family: sisters Brigid and Imelda, Imelda's daughter Keelin, and her daughter Marie-Claire.
The characters are well portrayed and very realistic. We probably all have an Imelda, or some version of her, in our families. This is more a character driven than plot driven novel.
It is a novel of dreams and ambitions, both thwarted and achieved. It is a reminder of how easy it is to blame others for our own shortcomings, our failures, rather than taking ownership of our own decisions; of how much love and support we deflect by hanging on to petty resentments and jealousies. It is also a reminder that what we see and the reality of the situation are often poles apart.
If you are worried that this might be a moralistic or 'preachy' read, don't be, because it's not. It's not soppy, or sloppy. It's a well constructed story of four women in one family, each of them strong in their own way, but also struggling with life, and their relationships with one another.
I enjoyed The Liberation of Brigid Dunne, but I didn't love it. A good solid read deserving of 3.5 very solid stars.
💫💫💫.5
#TheLiberationOfBrigidDunne #NetGalley
'A workaholic (is) a flower with only one petal unfurled.'
THE AUTHOR: Patricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. Her #1 bestsellers include Apartment 3B; Finishing Touches; Foreign Affairs; Promises, Promises; Mirror, Mirror; City Girl; City Woman; City Lives; and Francesca’s Party. She has sold millions of books worldwide and is translated into many languages. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the award winning Open Door literacy series, which she developed for adult literacy
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
PROLOGUE Christmas Eve
1953
She pulls her shabby black woollen coat tighter around her and wraps her scarf snugly against her cheeks. It is bitterly cold, her breath forming an opaque mist in the frosty moonlight. The stony path that leads from her grandmother’s cottage down to the farmhouse is slippery with ice, and she skitters and slides, grabbing a furze bush with her woollen-mitted hands to save herself from a fall. She pauses to catch her breath.
Venus, a radiant golden jewel, shines as brightly as the yellow slice of new moon against a black velvet sky speckled with glittering stars. Candlelit windows down in the valley and on the hillsides spill pools of light in the darkness. She’d lit the fat, red candle in her grandmother’s parlour window before she left, for the traditional welcome to the Christ child on Christmas Eve.
Normally she would feel delight and anticipation on this blessed night, though she is no longer a child and doesn’t believe in Father Christmas, unlike her two excited youngest siblings at home, who have already hung their stockings at the end of their beds.
Tonight she is bereft, her heart shattered into a thousand sharp-edged pieces. She looks down to her left beyond the stony fields that quilt the mountain, where weather-bowed, bare-branched trees and hedgerows define the boundaries to the Larkins’ farmland. Her heart feels as though a knife has stabbed and twisted it when she thinks of black-haired, brown-eyed Johnny Larkin, who had told her that he loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone. Who had pressed her up against the cold, hard wall of his father’s barn and kissed and caressed her in her most private places and done things to her that, even though she’d demurred and then protested, had shocked her, yet given her a fierce delight that Johnny loved and wanted her and not that skinny little rake, Peggy Fitzgerald, whose father owned the big farm next to the Larkins’.
Two days after Johnny told her he loved her, his engagement to Peggy had been announced. Tomorrow at Christmas Mass, Peggy will simper and giggle on Johnny’s arm, flashing the diamond ring Pa Larkin has lent his son the money to buy.
She can’t bear it. An anguished sob breaks the deep silence of the night. Her sorrow overwhelms her. A sudden, unexpected pain in her belly doubles her up, causing her to groan in agony. She feels dampness on her thighs, and pulling up her clothes sees the trickle of blood down her legs. Another spasm convulses her and, frightened, she takes deep breaths until it eases.
In the distance, she hears the sound of the carol singers who go from house to house, singing the glorious story of the birth of a child who would bring peace to all mankind.
As she loses her own child, in the shelter of the prickly furze bush, she hears the singing of “O Holy Night” floating across the fields from her parents’ house.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Marie-Claire has just made the shocking discovery that her boyfriend (and business partner) is cheating on her. Reeling, she leaves her apartment in Toronto to travel home to Ireland, hoping the comfort of her family and a few familiar faces will ground her. She arrives just in time to celebrate her beloved great-aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s retirement and eightieth birthday. It will be a long-awaited and touching reunion for three generations of her family, bringing her mother Keelin and grandmother Imelda—who have never quite gotten along—together as well.
But then all hell breaks loose.
Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a startling revelation at the party that forces them all to confront their pasts and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to find common ground and move forward?
MY THOUGHTS: Families: you can't live with them; you can't live without them.
The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan is a little like an onion. It is multi-layered and probably going to make you cry.
It is a novel of family relationships, of how easy it is to tear a family apart and how hard it is to put it back together. It is a novel of secrets and jealousies, of heartbreak and hope, of forgiveness and redemption set over a wide time span and against the changing background of the Catholic Church. It tells of the struggle for women's rights in Catholic Ireland, the fight for safe methods of birth control.
There is a strong background of Irish politics and Catholicism to this novel, but the primary focus is on the relationships between the four women of the family: sisters Brigid and Imelda, Imelda's daughter Keelin, and her daughter Marie-Claire.
The characters are well portrayed and very realistic. We probably all have an Imelda, or some version of her, in our families. This is more a character driven than plot driven novel.
It is a novel of dreams and ambitions, both thwarted and achieved. It is a reminder of how easy it is to blame others for our own shortcomings, our failures, rather than taking ownership of our own decisions; of how much love and support we deflect by hanging on to petty resentments and jealousies. It is also a reminder that what we see and the reality of the situation are often poles apart.
If you are worried that this might be a moralistic or 'preachy' read, don't be, because it's not. It's not soppy, or sloppy. It's a well constructed story of four women in one family, each of them strong in their own way, but also struggling with life, and their relationships with one another.
I enjoyed The Liberation of Brigid Dunne, but I didn't love it. A good solid read deserving of 3.5 very solid stars.
💫💫💫.5
#TheLiberationOfBrigidDunne #NetGalley
'A workaholic (is) a flower with only one petal unfurled.'
THE AUTHOR: Patricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. Her #1 bestsellers include Apartment 3B; Finishing Touches; Foreign Affairs; Promises, Promises; Mirror, Mirror; City Girl; City Woman; City Lives; and Francesca’s Party. She has sold millions of books worldwide and is translated into many languages. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the award winning Open Door literacy series, which she developed for adult literacy
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 11, 2022
3 stars
Marie-Claire learns her boyfriend and business partner has been cheating on her. Instead of heading to New York as planned, she leaves Toronto for Ireland to attend the 80th birthday celebration for her great aunt, Reverend Mother Brigid. Previously Marie-Claire said she was unable to come because of work so it is a surprise to all when she turns up. Among those at the reunion will be Imelda, Brigid’s sister with whom she has always had an uneasy relationship. Keelin, Imelda’s daughter and Marie- Claire’s mother will also be there. Relationships of these women are fraught with misunderstandings and difficulties. But these are nothing compared to the furore that erupts at the celebration. One family, four women with strong opinions and plenty of secrets. Will they ever be able to find common ground?
It tells stories from 1953, mid eighties and 2017 and gives pictures of the life as a nun in Africa among other places. At times some religious people show none of the love and compassion of the biblical Jesus they claim to follow.
Staggering to think that in Ireland 1970 women needed a signed guarantor from their husband just to be issued a library card. Hard for those of us in this time and society to understand such bizarre rules. Then there are rules laid down by the Pope against Catholics using contraception. Instead they must only rely on the Billings method of natural family planning which at least one woman with nine children knows does not work,The world may be changing but not for some and certainly not fast enough for those who seek change. There are likable and unlikable characters. Imelda is the least likable. Does she have good reason for the bitterness that blights her life? The reader is left to decide.
I initially enjoyed learning about these women. But the longer the book went on as it heads towards Iona, I became far less interested. Started to skim and got tired of the excessive feminist rhetoric. This pulled the rating down from what I thought early I would be a four star read. Others may respond differently.
Marie-Claire learns her boyfriend and business partner has been cheating on her. Instead of heading to New York as planned, she leaves Toronto for Ireland to attend the 80th birthday celebration for her great aunt, Reverend Mother Brigid. Previously Marie-Claire said she was unable to come because of work so it is a surprise to all when she turns up. Among those at the reunion will be Imelda, Brigid’s sister with whom she has always had an uneasy relationship. Keelin, Imelda’s daughter and Marie- Claire’s mother will also be there. Relationships of these women are fraught with misunderstandings and difficulties. But these are nothing compared to the furore that erupts at the celebration. One family, four women with strong opinions and plenty of secrets. Will they ever be able to find common ground?
It tells stories from 1953, mid eighties and 2017 and gives pictures of the life as a nun in Africa among other places. At times some religious people show none of the love and compassion of the biblical Jesus they claim to follow.
Staggering to think that in Ireland 1970 women needed a signed guarantor from their husband just to be issued a library card. Hard for those of us in this time and society to understand such bizarre rules. Then there are rules laid down by the Pope against Catholics using contraception. Instead they must only rely on the Billings method of natural family planning which at least one woman with nine children knows does not work,The world may be changing but not for some and certainly not fast enough for those who seek change. There are likable and unlikable characters. Imelda is the least likable. Does she have good reason for the bitterness that blights her life? The reader is left to decide.
I initially enjoyed learning about these women. But the longer the book went on as it heads towards Iona, I became far less interested. Started to skim and got tired of the excessive feminist rhetoric. This pulled the rating down from what I thought early I would be a four star read. Others may respond differently.
April 22, 2020
Thanks to the author, Atria books and Netgalley for this e-arc.
What a fantastic book. I was hooked from the very first page through to the last. I haven't read a Patricia Scanlan book in years. I read and loved the City Girl series probably about 15+ years ago and think I must have read all the books Scanlan had written at the time and moved on to something else, and then forgotten how good they were, so I was really pleased to have spotted this one on Netgalley and to be approved.
The book follows three generations of Irish women. Reverend Mother Brigid, her sister Imelda, Imelda’s daughter Keelin and grand daughter Marie-Claire.
It starts with Marie-Claire finding out that her boyfriend has been cheating which helps her to make the decision to go back to Ireland to visit her family and for her Great Aunt Brigid''s 80th Birthday party and the fireworks start here!
Its a wonderful book that covers the lives of three generations, even through Convents. It may sound ridiculous, but it really is not and is a very well told story and although goes into the religious side and their lives, it gives it from several points of view, and there's always heaps of drama and scandal involved.
A thoroughly good book to curl up with. I'll definitely be looking out for the books Patricia Scanlan has written that I have missed and cant wait to get stuck into them again.
What a fantastic book. I was hooked from the very first page through to the last. I haven't read a Patricia Scanlan book in years. I read and loved the City Girl series probably about 15+ years ago and think I must have read all the books Scanlan had written at the time and moved on to something else, and then forgotten how good they were, so I was really pleased to have spotted this one on Netgalley and to be approved.
The book follows three generations of Irish women. Reverend Mother Brigid, her sister Imelda, Imelda’s daughter Keelin and grand daughter Marie-Claire.
It starts with Marie-Claire finding out that her boyfriend has been cheating which helps her to make the decision to go back to Ireland to visit her family and for her Great Aunt Brigid''s 80th Birthday party and the fireworks start here!
Its a wonderful book that covers the lives of three generations, even through Convents. It may sound ridiculous, but it really is not and is a very well told story and although goes into the religious side and their lives, it gives it from several points of view, and there's always heaps of drama and scandal involved.
A thoroughly good book to curl up with. I'll definitely be looking out for the books Patricia Scanlan has written that I have missed and cant wait to get stuck into them again.
March 10, 2020
This is a story of generations of Irish women coming together as a family to settle old grievances and glory in the progress that has occurred in Ireland vis-à-vis women’s rights. Though I generally love books set in Ireland, Maeve Binchy, etc. I found this very bleak and full of years of misery.
Though much is eventually set rights, I couldn’t relate to any of them. I do think women’s reading groups will be able to explore the roles of women, especially the consequences of pregnancy in non-progressive societies.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
Though much is eventually set rights, I couldn’t relate to any of them. I do think women’s reading groups will be able to explore the roles of women, especially the consequences of pregnancy in non-progressive societies.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
March 10, 2020
This stories are told from Brigid, Imelda, Keelin and Marie-Claire point of views. I got lost sometimes! Too much going on lol For the first 30% I wanted to DNF this book so bad. Gosh it's pretty boring but I had to finish it anyway because I feel guilty if I didn't finish a book that I got for free.
It was a good story and it's not that bad you know.
Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for The Liberation of Brigid Dunne ARC!
It was a good story and it's not that bad you know.
Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for The Liberation of Brigid Dunne ARC!
May 6, 2020
Wow this is the first full length novel I have read from Patricia Scanlan and I don’t know why I waited so long to pick this book up because it just blew me away. I adored the way this novel brings feminism and religion to the forefront and exposes the battle that goes on at every level of society between these two things.
This novel covers three generations of women and their lives inside and outside of the family. I loved the fact that we got all these different perspectives and go to see these women at various different times in history because it created a very full and rounded plot as well as bringing us these real and relatable characters.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the religious aspect of this book, but if you have similar concerns, let me assure you that this book doesn’t land on one side or the other when it comes to the religious fence. It takes an impartial and critical look at the church through the eyes of all of these characters and I like the way it was shown throughout the novel. It definitely made me think.
Obviously the titular character in this novel Brigid has a big part to play but I loved getting to know more about her through her family, Her mother, her sister and her niece are all wonderful characters to read about in their own right but they all contribute to the development of Brigid as a person. I had a real soft spot for Imelda. I think she has a really difficult journey in this book and I feel like she doesn’t have as much support as some of the other women. She spoke to me and I find myself still thinking about her now.
I have already mentioned that this book delves into the world of religion and where feminism sits within the world but it also covers a lot of other topics all wound up in a complex saga of a storyline. I loved the jumps between time and characters that we did and I think that helped in dealing with some of the issues covered without things getting too heavy or getting too weighed down with some of the ideas uncovered.
I really recommend this novel and if, like me, you haven’t read a Patricia Scanlan novel before, this is truly a great place to start.
This novel covers three generations of women and their lives inside and outside of the family. I loved the fact that we got all these different perspectives and go to see these women at various different times in history because it created a very full and rounded plot as well as bringing us these real and relatable characters.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the religious aspect of this book, but if you have similar concerns, let me assure you that this book doesn’t land on one side or the other when it comes to the religious fence. It takes an impartial and critical look at the church through the eyes of all of these characters and I like the way it was shown throughout the novel. It definitely made me think.
Obviously the titular character in this novel Brigid has a big part to play but I loved getting to know more about her through her family, Her mother, her sister and her niece are all wonderful characters to read about in their own right but they all contribute to the development of Brigid as a person. I had a real soft spot for Imelda. I think she has a really difficult journey in this book and I feel like she doesn’t have as much support as some of the other women. She spoke to me and I find myself still thinking about her now.
I have already mentioned that this book delves into the world of religion and where feminism sits within the world but it also covers a lot of other topics all wound up in a complex saga of a storyline. I loved the jumps between time and characters that we did and I think that helped in dealing with some of the issues covered without things getting too heavy or getting too weighed down with some of the ideas uncovered.
I really recommend this novel and if, like me, you haven’t read a Patricia Scanlan novel before, this is truly a great place to start.
January 22, 2020
This is a story of several generations of Irish women. I really enjoyed this novel. Enjoyed the interaction between all the women and the emotion it created. I will definitely look forward to reading other novels by Patricia Scanlan. Thank you Goodreads for the opportunity to read this ARC. I am recommending this to my book club.
February 4, 2020
Great read. Really like it.
January 21, 2020
I actually received an advance copy of this, which did in fact thrill my soul. I really liked the for 3/4 of the book. There is a very fine line for me between what I feel is story and character driven and when the author's voice and opinion seems to invade. This once crossed the line at the end for me.
March 10, 2020
Review to come.
December 3, 2020
Not my cup of tea at all. Mam reccomended it so I might steer clear of her reccomendations for a while.
Interesting in parts but was happy to finish it.
Interesting in parts but was happy to finish it.
March 11, 2020
Having studied in a convent from the age of four plus, I have a liking for anything convent or monastery like and this one fitted the bill.
Starting in Toronto Marie Claire seems to have it all - a career going places, a very handsome boyfriend with whom she sees a steady future ahead and everything looks rosy until she overhears a telephone conversation and her world is shattered. Determined to go out with chin up she moves away from Toronto back to Ireland to the comfort of what she knows best. Her family.
The timing is right - her beloved grand aunt's eightieth birthday and her retirement from the nunnery and the religious life and getting to meet her mother and father who will return to Ireland and meet up with her grandmother irascible though she is.
Woven into the strands of Marie Claire's life is also the life of Brigid (the nun) and Imelda her grandmother. Both are complicated lives with secrets hidden deep for decades. Then there is Marie Claire's mother and father with plenty of secrets of their own. At the eightieth birthday party with friends and religious present Imelda's viciousness holds no bounds and she lets it all rip apart destroying all pretense of family togetherness.
How to calm everyone down and bring some kind of peace to the family is the work of Brigid who wants to end the festering bitterness and animosity hidden. This is done in a particularly remarkable pilgrimage which was totally new to me (I am now looking into that aspect as it was a fascinating one).
A family saga with lots of history thrown in especially the role of the Church in the lives of Irishwomen and what disadvantages they faced as women by being part of the Church which was an intrinsic part of their lives.
This was a wonderful novel to read.
Starting in Toronto Marie Claire seems to have it all - a career going places, a very handsome boyfriend with whom she sees a steady future ahead and everything looks rosy until she overhears a telephone conversation and her world is shattered. Determined to go out with chin up she moves away from Toronto back to Ireland to the comfort of what she knows best. Her family.
The timing is right - her beloved grand aunt's eightieth birthday and her retirement from the nunnery and the religious life and getting to meet her mother and father who will return to Ireland and meet up with her grandmother irascible though she is.
Woven into the strands of Marie Claire's life is also the life of Brigid (the nun) and Imelda her grandmother. Both are complicated lives with secrets hidden deep for decades. Then there is Marie Claire's mother and father with plenty of secrets of their own. At the eightieth birthday party with friends and religious present Imelda's viciousness holds no bounds and she lets it all rip apart destroying all pretense of family togetherness.
How to calm everyone down and bring some kind of peace to the family is the work of Brigid who wants to end the festering bitterness and animosity hidden. This is done in a particularly remarkable pilgrimage which was totally new to me (I am now looking into that aspect as it was a fascinating one).
A family saga with lots of history thrown in especially the role of the Church in the lives of Irishwomen and what disadvantages they faced as women by being part of the Church which was an intrinsic part of their lives.
This was a wonderful novel to read.
March 10, 2020
(free review copy) I’m always up for a story about multiple generations of women in a family, and I love stories set in countries other than the US. And this one definitely delivered on that front! However, the back cover description is pretty misleading because it mentions nowhere that the book is almost 50% about the Catholic Church in Ireland and misdeeds done by the church. I’m not upset that the book contained this content, but I might have picked it up with a different understanding of what I was getting into if the description had been more accurate.
March 9, 2020
Probably one of my least favorite Patricia Scanlan books. It's not bad, as such, I just didn't enjoy parts of it. I don't really like religious stories and one of our main characters here is a nun, with a second family member training to become a nun. I did appreciate that it challenged a lot of things within the church, it was quite feminist in many ways. It's just not a setting for a story to appeal to me personally, but I give Patricia Scanlan full credit, I read the whole thing still and I did care about her characters.
March 10, 2020
If you enjoy well told family sagas definitely pick up this winner of a book. Emotional with a touch of tornado as four generations of women come together for a family celebration and it's anything but a celebration. This story will have you cheering and cringing at the same time. Happy reading!
April 1, 2020
This is a great story set in Ireland. Marie-Claire has decided to move back home when she discovers her boyfriend and business partner is cheating on her in Canada. She's just in time to help her Aunt Brigid celebrate her 80th birthday and retirement as a nun. It should be a wonderful celebration but Brigid's sister Imelda reveals some family secrets that has the whole family fussing. I love stories set in Ireland that reveal history and differences in culture. This one deals with some timely subjects. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 4, 2022
A high 3 I think. A bit different to the usual chick lit style of Patricia Scanlan and a very enjoyable read. The last few chapters were a bit "woo woo" as the character Imelda would say, which spoiled it a bit for me. Otherwise the rest of the book may have got a 4 star rating. One of Scanlans best I reckon.
September 10, 2020
Ireland’s bestselling writer Patricia Scanlan returns with a contemporary Irish family fiction of how the past can affect the future through differences in culture and beliefs.
Four head strong women all from the same clan get together for a very revealing reunion.
Marie Claire returns home to Dublin for her great aunt’s birthday.
Reverend Mother Brigid is about to turn 80 and retire from the church but a secret from her past is still rolling around in her head.
Also arriving is Marie Claire’s mother Keelin and her grandmother Imelda, who haven’t got on for many years.
Bitter and jealous, Imelda is about to make a distressing announcement that will make them all accost their past, their truths and their mistakes.
It’s been a number of years since we have been graced with a book from Patricia.
A tale of three generations of opinionated women with a good dosage of drama, a measure of emotion, a bulk of religion and a quantity of authenticity.
I was intrigued when I first started and as I continued I was a little worried the story may lose its appeal with the religion chat, there’s quite a bit throughout the story but I didn’t feel like I was being preached to.
The plot is engaging, addressing many different aspects of the church, the good and the bad, concentrating on mainly the complex relationships of the women and how their faith influences and alters each of them.
With Patricia’s usual warmth, humour and reality scattered throughout this novel it’s one that’s deserving of a four star rating.
Four head strong women all from the same clan get together for a very revealing reunion.
Marie Claire returns home to Dublin for her great aunt’s birthday.
Reverend Mother Brigid is about to turn 80 and retire from the church but a secret from her past is still rolling around in her head.
Also arriving is Marie Claire’s mother Keelin and her grandmother Imelda, who haven’t got on for many years.
Bitter and jealous, Imelda is about to make a distressing announcement that will make them all accost their past, their truths and their mistakes.
It’s been a number of years since we have been graced with a book from Patricia.
A tale of three generations of opinionated women with a good dosage of drama, a measure of emotion, a bulk of religion and a quantity of authenticity.
I was intrigued when I first started and as I continued I was a little worried the story may lose its appeal with the religion chat, there’s quite a bit throughout the story but I didn’t feel like I was being preached to.
The plot is engaging, addressing many different aspects of the church, the good and the bad, concentrating on mainly the complex relationships of the women and how their faith influences and alters each of them.
With Patricia’s usual warmth, humour and reality scattered throughout this novel it’s one that’s deserving of a four star rating.
March 28, 2020
This book tugged at my heart. I didn't grow up in the Catholic church, but it definitely had rules similar to Catholicism. So I mostly understood the religious thoughts. However, this is not a religious book. This is a book about family and how events happen that change people and their about family. I loved it! The family (mostly women) was completely torn apart by events. It was amazing to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a beautiful read in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a beautiful read in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2020
I have been a fan of certain authors for years. Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy, and Patricia Scanlan. Ever since her early book series City Girls on to today. Francesca’s Party will always be my favorite and is a re-read every year or two.I love that she is still writing the Irish sagas that I have come to love and The Liberation Of Brigid Dunne is no exception.
The novel follow three generations of women. Reverend Mother Brigid, her sister Imelda, Imelda’s daughter Keelin and grand-daughter Marie-Claire. The story opens with Marie-Claire discovering her boyfriend has been cheating which helps her to make the decision to go back to Ireland to visit her family and for the 80th Birthday party for her great-aunt Brigid, then the fireworks start, her grandmother Imelda has a boatload of resentments and she let’s them fly. The rest of the book covers the fall out from the party and the way three generations of women can learn from and move on from the past. If you like generational novels set in Ireland with a good dose of drama, this book is for you. If you have not read Patricia Scanlan before, give her a try. She spins a great yarn!
The novel follow three generations of women. Reverend Mother Brigid, her sister Imelda, Imelda’s daughter Keelin and grand-daughter Marie-Claire. The story opens with Marie-Claire discovering her boyfriend has been cheating which helps her to make the decision to go back to Ireland to visit her family and for the 80th Birthday party for her great-aunt Brigid, then the fireworks start, her grandmother Imelda has a boatload of resentments and she let’s them fly. The rest of the book covers the fall out from the party and the way three generations of women can learn from and move on from the past. If you like generational novels set in Ireland with a good dose of drama, this book is for you. If you have not read Patricia Scanlan before, give her a try. She spins a great yarn!
March 7, 2020
Four women, three generations gather together for the first time in years- what could go wrong? Marie- Claire, her mother Keelin, her grandmother Imelda and her great aunt Brigid all have strong opinions. Each of them has a secret too, but the most important ones lie with Brigid, who is a nun. Scanlan explores not only family dynamics but also how the Catholic Church impacted women's lives in Ireland. More character driven than plot driven. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the dysfunctional family/revelations novel will appreciate this one.
September 12, 2020
The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is a fabulous book. The four main characters are wonderful. It is a story of courageous women, each with their own secrets and difficulties. Brigid and Imelda grew up in the 1950's in rural Ireland where women were treated as second class citizens. They were the nurturers and carers of every family. Some girls never got the opportunity to work outside the home. They did not have independent means or a way of earning money so they could not escape the drudgery of housework and caring for elderly relatives. Their only option was to wait for their fathers to "make a good match" for them or they could enter a convent which also required a dowry so that they did not become "lay sisters" who were the convent workers. Men were free to "spread their wild oats" but would only marry a virgin.
Brigid made her escape when her father paid a dowery for her to join the nuns. She knew she didn't have a "vocation" but she saw it as a penance to atone for her "sin" of being forced to have sex with the local Casanova. Imelda was the younger sister and was then left with no means of escape, a situation she resented all her life. Keelin is Imelda's daughter and she entered the convent because she admired her Aunt "the nun" and she felt she too could make a difference on the missions in Africa. However her Mother superior tried to prevent her going to Africa as a test to her vow of obedience. Keelin did get to Africa but she then realised she had too many doubts to make her final vows and remain in the convent. She met the love of her life in the most unlikely place, however I felt they began a sexual relationship very quickly for two people who were both questioning their commitment to the religious life.
All four women come together to celebrate Brigid's 80th birthday and retirement but Imelda's jealousy and bitterness reaches breaking point and she reveals the secrets of her sister, daughter and granddaughter with devastating consequences.
Keelin has been studying the Gnostic Gospels and the four ladies make a "Pilgrimage" to the Isle of Iona in Scotland where there is a stained glass window depicting Christ holding hands with Mary Magdalen. They are all seeking peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. They each have more revelations to disclose, Imelda in particular has been keeping a deep secret about her marriage to Larry, who was a closet gay man. This came as a shocks the other three women and was a surprising twist to the story. The pilgrimage to Iona proves to be a turning point for all of them and they become close in a way they never thought possible
The story is very well researched. Clerical abuse, mother and baby homes, the Magdalen laundries, the "contraceptive train", the marriage referendum, the 8th amendment allowing for abortion in Ireland, Savita Halappanavar and the Tuam babies are all included in the story.
My only reservation is that it does not give enough acknowledgement to the many priests, nuns and religious who had true vocations and the selfless work they did while living truly christian lives.
Patricia Scanlan has very strong feminism ideals but also very anti Church views. I totally agree that women were oppressed by a patriarchal church and society and many reforms were essential but I also strongly believe that young women need to be careful not to swap one form of oppression for another. With the wide availability of contraception, some women may feel pressurised into sexual relationships before they are ready or pressurised into having an abortion because a pregnancy happens at an inconvenient time. I never judge anyone's choice but I believe unborn babies need protection and society needs to support women to make fully informed choices. All children need to be taught to respect each other and be confident in saying no.
It is a very powerful and thought provoking story. I intend to read The Gospel of Mary of Magdala
Book by Karen Leigh King as a follow on to this story.
Brigid made her escape when her father paid a dowery for her to join the nuns. She knew she didn't have a "vocation" but she saw it as a penance to atone for her "sin" of being forced to have sex with the local Casanova. Imelda was the younger sister and was then left with no means of escape, a situation she resented all her life. Keelin is Imelda's daughter and she entered the convent because she admired her Aunt "the nun" and she felt she too could make a difference on the missions in Africa. However her Mother superior tried to prevent her going to Africa as a test to her vow of obedience. Keelin did get to Africa but she then realised she had too many doubts to make her final vows and remain in the convent. She met the love of her life in the most unlikely place, however I felt they began a sexual relationship very quickly for two people who were both questioning their commitment to the religious life.
All four women come together to celebrate Brigid's 80th birthday and retirement but Imelda's jealousy and bitterness reaches breaking point and she reveals the secrets of her sister, daughter and granddaughter with devastating consequences.
Keelin has been studying the Gnostic Gospels and the four ladies make a "Pilgrimage" to the Isle of Iona in Scotland where there is a stained glass window depicting Christ holding hands with Mary Magdalen. They are all seeking peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. They each have more revelations to disclose, Imelda in particular has been keeping a deep secret about her marriage to Larry, who was a closet gay man. This came as a shocks the other three women and was a surprising twist to the story. The pilgrimage to Iona proves to be a turning point for all of them and they become close in a way they never thought possible
The story is very well researched. Clerical abuse, mother and baby homes, the Magdalen laundries, the "contraceptive train", the marriage referendum, the 8th amendment allowing for abortion in Ireland, Savita Halappanavar and the Tuam babies are all included in the story.
My only reservation is that it does not give enough acknowledgement to the many priests, nuns and religious who had true vocations and the selfless work they did while living truly christian lives.
Patricia Scanlan has very strong feminism ideals but also very anti Church views. I totally agree that women were oppressed by a patriarchal church and society and many reforms were essential but I also strongly believe that young women need to be careful not to swap one form of oppression for another. With the wide availability of contraception, some women may feel pressurised into sexual relationships before they are ready or pressurised into having an abortion because a pregnancy happens at an inconvenient time. I never judge anyone's choice but I believe unborn babies need protection and society needs to support women to make fully informed choices. All children need to be taught to respect each other and be confident in saying no.
It is a very powerful and thought provoking story. I intend to read The Gospel of Mary of Magdala
Book by Karen Leigh King as a follow on to this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2020
The Liberation of Bridget Dunne is a gem of a story. Within the pages of a family drama is also the story of the actions of the Catholic Church in the Irish Republic. The author shines a bright light on the many crimes the church committed against women as it clung to its patrimony... controlling morality, sexuality, and information. The historical facts are presented within the pages of an extremely well written and interesting story as three generations of Dunnes go about living. This is not a diatribe against Christianity or faith in general. Neither is it what I would call a Christian novel using the story of evangelize. It is a fictional recounting of the long struggle for equality of Irish women. Bridget spent her adult life as a nun working as a nurse in Africa. Her biological sister Imelda married and had children. It’s their internal motives and reactions to societal mores, and those of Imelda’s daughter and granddaughter that kept this reader glued to her e-reader. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.
March 6, 2020
Great characters, vivid setting and great story. I loved this book and was sad when it ended.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
March 5, 2020
I started off just loving this book and especially all the female characters The plot was quite engaging but about half way I felt it was just going on too long. The changing of times and locations was good but the necessity to move the story along sometimes meant the more interesting parts of the women’s lives were missed out. So although that sounds like a contradiction I do think huge chunks could have been left out and more of what the women really went through included.
I don’t want to give any spoilers so it’s difficult to be more specific.
I did love the conversations though they were beautifully written and I felt I was in the room listening.
I don’t want to give any spoilers so it’s difficult to be more specific.
I did love the conversations though they were beautifully written and I felt I was in the room listening.
March 1, 2020
I enjoyed this insightful drama very much. The storyline flows at a great pace, and the characters are well fleshed out. Highly recommended!
April 24, 2020
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/liter...
This story is about three generations of women bound together not only because of those family bonds but also by the fundamentals of being a woman in a society that ensured secrets would fester. If you wanted to be seen as a respectable pillar of your community then those secrets needed to be buried and buried deep.
In the prologue we witness scenes from 1953, 30 years later in the mid 1980’s and finally Christmas Eve of 2017 – you think you have all the information you need …
I enjoyed the format of flashing back to key points in Brigid and Imelda’s lives (the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement being one of those key events). In the present time, building up to Brigid’s 80th surprise party and the catalyst for change, we spend time with Marie-Claire, Keelin, Brigid and Imelda.
My initial thought about one of the characters was what makes a person so unhappy and miserable with their life? Surely, being bitter and resentful colours a life to block out the beauty of living. I began to thaw towards her and have to say that I was so involved in the story that when events unfold, I was left open-mouthed! Then you realise just how much strength is held inside.
Brigid’s epiphany was liberating and I loved seeing how things change. The trip to Scotland was a brilliant idea to bring the story together.
I’ve loved the themes running throughout – spirituality, striving for feminine independence, breaking from dogma, family, community and emotional healing.
Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time and The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is one of those books for me. I felt inspired to dust off from my bookshelf The Secret Teachings of Mary Magdalene. Coincidentally, The Magdalene Lineage appeared in my inbox too. This book is definitely a catalyst for me!
Highly recommended.
This story is about three generations of women bound together not only because of those family bonds but also by the fundamentals of being a woman in a society that ensured secrets would fester. If you wanted to be seen as a respectable pillar of your community then those secrets needed to be buried and buried deep.
In the prologue we witness scenes from 1953, 30 years later in the mid 1980’s and finally Christmas Eve of 2017 – you think you have all the information you need …
I enjoyed the format of flashing back to key points in Brigid and Imelda’s lives (the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement being one of those key events). In the present time, building up to Brigid’s 80th surprise party and the catalyst for change, we spend time with Marie-Claire, Keelin, Brigid and Imelda.
My initial thought about one of the characters was what makes a person so unhappy and miserable with their life? Surely, being bitter and resentful colours a life to block out the beauty of living. I began to thaw towards her and have to say that I was so involved in the story that when events unfold, I was left open-mouthed! Then you realise just how much strength is held inside.
Brigid’s epiphany was liberating and I loved seeing how things change. The trip to Scotland was a brilliant idea to bring the story together.
I’ve loved the themes running throughout – spirituality, striving for feminine independence, breaking from dogma, family, community and emotional healing.
Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time and The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is one of those books for me. I felt inspired to dust off from my bookshelf The Secret Teachings of Mary Magdalene. Coincidentally, The Magdalene Lineage appeared in my inbox too. This book is definitely a catalyst for me!
Highly recommended.
March 14, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and author Patricia Scanlan and Atria Books for this ARC.
If you like generational family, especially women's, stories then you will like this one. It is set in Ireland and follows 3 generations of women. All have troubles and have survived troubles but each in their own way. Some are more bitter, resentful and angry than others and they take turns with those feeling as well. The Catholic Church caused a lot of pain to them and yet oddly seemed to save them as well. The oldest even became a nun for which she was resented for by her sister. It was the oldest sister and nun that is the reason for the gathering...her birthday. Pretty immediately the storm ensues and emotions fly. The characters are developed well and the interactions among the women are interesting and understandable.
The Catholic Church is written as causing much of the pain with these women but at the same time, I did not come away from the book with terribly negative feelings towards the church. More, it was the times and society as a whole that was difficult.
This would make a great movie.
If you like generational family, especially women's, stories then you will like this one. It is set in Ireland and follows 3 generations of women. All have troubles and have survived troubles but each in their own way. Some are more bitter, resentful and angry than others and they take turns with those feeling as well. The Catholic Church caused a lot of pain to them and yet oddly seemed to save them as well. The oldest even became a nun for which she was resented for by her sister. It was the oldest sister and nun that is the reason for the gathering...her birthday. Pretty immediately the storm ensues and emotions fly. The characters are developed well and the interactions among the women are interesting and understandable.
The Catholic Church is written as causing much of the pain with these women but at the same time, I did not come away from the book with terribly negative feelings towards the church. More, it was the times and society as a whole that was difficult.
This would make a great movie.
March 20, 2020
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.
‘The Liberation of Brigid Dunne' is an emotional journey through the lives of four women, all in need of redemption and all needing to forgive themselves before moving on with their lives.
The story is about four women of differing generations, all from the same family. All four have long held secrets they have managed to keep closely guarded…until the 80th birthday for Reverend Mother Brigid. Then they all starts to unravel in a most spectacular way. Can these four women, Marie-Claire, Keelin, Imelda, and the Reverend Mother move past the anguish and heart ache that is revealed during the birthday gathering? Can they come to grips with their past and move on to forgiveness?
‘The Liberation of Brigid Dunne' is an emotional journey through the lives of four women, all in need of redemption and all needing to forgive themselves before moving on with their lives.
The story is about four women of differing generations, all from the same family. All four have long held secrets they have managed to keep closely guarded…until the 80th birthday for Reverend Mother Brigid. Then they all starts to unravel in a most spectacular way. Can these four women, Marie-Claire, Keelin, Imelda, and the Reverend Mother move past the anguish and heart ache that is revealed during the birthday gathering? Can they come to grips with their past and move on to forgiveness?
January 21, 2020
This is a story about tree generations of women. Marie Claire just learned that her boyfriend is cheating on her. She decides to leave Toronto and head to Ireland to celebrate her great aunt, Reverend Mother's retirement. Three generations will all be together. Marie Claire's mother Keelin, her grandmother Imelda and Marie Claire. Keelin and Imelda have never gotten along. Imelda is a bitter old woman who deliberately ruins the party. All these women must face what happened in the past. Is it the right time to make amends? This is a powerful and very emotional story. I could not put the book down. Patricia Scanlan is truly a gifted writer. Thank you for the opportunity of receiving this book. I will certainly pass it on.
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