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The Secret of Roscarbury Hall by Ann O'Laughlin
What's It About?
n a crumbling mansion in a small Irish village in County Wicklow, two elderly sisters, Ella and Roberta O’Callaghan, live alone in Roscarbury Hall with their secrets, memories, and mutual hatred. Long estranged by a dark family tragedy, the two communicate only by terse notes. But when the sisters are threatened with bankruptcy, Ella defies Roberta’s wishes and takes matters into her own hands, putting her baking skills to good use and converting the mansion’s old ballroom into a café.
Much to Roberta’s displeasure, the café is a hit and the sisters are reluctantly drawn back into the village life they abandoned decades ago. But gossip has a long life, and Ella finds herself reliving painful memories when Debbie, an American woman searching for her birth mother, begins working at the café. As the local convent comes under scrutiny, the O’Callaghan sisters find themselves caught up in an adoption scandal that dates back to the 1960's and spreads all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
What Did I Think?
Two estranged, elderly sisters, a beautiful period home that is in need of major renovation and a lifetime of secrets. A wonderful recipe for good historical fiction. There is also the added tale of forced and hidden adoption in Ireland going back decades. It may sound like fiction, but unfortunately, it seems to be based on true events. This is an extremely mesmerizing novel...in more ways than one. The characters are drawn with compassion. Loved the Ballroom Cafe. It and its surroundings sound idyllic and "delicious". The story is one of courage, strength and changing worlds. On the other hand it was a heartbreaking story. Set in Ireland it tell the story of an American lady looking for her Irish mother after discovering she had been adopted. She traces it back to the convent for unmarried mothers and a huge can of worms is unearthed, entwining the lives of the sisters and Debbie. Great story...wonderful characters...and very emotional material.
