Róisín Campbell: An Irishwoman in New York

by Joseph P. Garland

Róisín Campbell was eighteen when she stepped off a boat in New York Harbor in the summer of 1870. She knew little of the world beyond what she'd seen in her small town in County Limerick, Ireland, and what she'd read in the novels she devoured when her chores were done. She knew no one in New York other than her cousin Jimmy Regan and Michael Henry, a dapper bachelor she met on board who would become her confidante and advisor. Róisín receives service training from the Sisters of Mercy and is hired as a maid in the wealthy Geherty household. Jealousy, misunderstanding, and the strictures of social class lead to her dismissal and ultimate barring from work in the fashionable homes. A series of fateful events eventually find her training as a nurse at a clinic for the Irish poor where her life will change forever. When her younger sister arrives from home, unwed and heavy with child, Róisín is faced with decisions she never imagined. Set at the dawn of the Gilded Age, this is the story of a young Irishwoman who comes to America with nothing but determination and who finds not only herself and her calling, but also love in the heart of a good woman and in the soul of an innocent child.

Hardcover

Published October 6, 2022

About the author

Joseph P. Garland is a lifelong New Yorker. He grew up in Westchester County, which is just north of New York City. He moved to Manhattan's upper west side to attend Columbia Law School and remained there for over a decade as he began practicing law.

He returned to Westchester, where he now lives with his wife.

He has run competitively since he was in high school and more recently has performed his own songs in solo and band performances in Manhattan and Westchester.

Reviews

[M.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and moving. Insightful into the Irish diaspora to New York after the Famine. Well crafted and beautifully told. For these reasons I gave it 5 Stars!

[Jessica DMJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garland knows his stuff--this is a very realistic and gripping fictional account of an Irish immigrant woman in NYC. Definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in the 19th century or likes historical fiction.

[Louise Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roisin Campbell, A Review

The detail in this story is amazing, the plot, twists and turns, riveting. The characters became alive for me. I was sad to come to the end of it.

[Amanda Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a compelling novel about a woman's journey to New York in the early 1870s from Ireland. I loved reading the history and complexities of the social classes during that time. Roisin was a dynamic character with morals and determination. I highly recommend reading this!