🍀 ☘️ 💚 "A Dance in Donegal" (2021) 💚 ☘️ 🍀
MY REVIEW
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 2, 2021)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800738411
ISBN-13: 978-0800738419
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“All her life, Boston-born Moira Doherty has relished her mother's descriptions of the Emerald Isle. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira is compelled to fulfill her dying wish--that she become the teacher in Ballymann, the beloved village in Donegal, Ireland, she's heard so much about.
After an arduous voyage, Moira begins a challenging new job in an unfamiliar and ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.”
This is one of the RARE occasions where I bought a pre-order, through Revell (a division of Baker Books) because I had heard such good things about this book.
I was NOT able to get an ARC, I was not on a launch team, this was NOT a review copy. This was definitely a 100% purchase based on faith in a debut author.
I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!
I also wanted this as it was February’s book for Revell’s “Beyond the Book” Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/RevellBeyondtheBook). This was something that was started last year (January 21, 2020), and I try to participate every month. Some of the books I had read prior to the month, some I wasn’t interested in. This one? This was the first “new release” I read the entire month.
A bit about “Beyond the Book” – this is a special group that is more or less like an online “book club” with participation being voluntary. There is a set amount of “chapters” to be read per week, with questions (usually about 3-4) every Tuesday. At the end, there is sometimes an author event with the author doing either a live video or posting on the page. This is how I won Sarah Sundin’s When Twilight Breaks. I won that about a year ago. I watched as it went from “new release”, to title reveal, to cover reveal, to ARC offering, and then I held an autographed published version. So, BTB is definitely a special place.
Moving on …
Normally, a book like this is about a three (3) day read. I could’ve read it in about one (1) to two (2) days. The first night I read the “week” assignment – 20 chapters. And, I probably could’ve made it halfway. Each “week” I read the chapters in less than three (3) hours time, so that should give you an idea of how quickly I was able to read this book.
This review is going to be a bit different than the other reviews on my blog as I am going to include some of the discussion questions as well.
Even the “admin” over on BTB remarked the short chapters (and they are short – about 3-10 pages each) make it easier to read “one more chapter, just one more chapter, eh another chapter”. It also helps that the font is really easy to read.
Another cool feature? This has a map in the beginning to give the reader some perspective as to where everything is, and in the back? A Gaelic glossary with phonetic pronunciation. All this from a debut author? I’m REALLY impressed!! Deibel really crafted an authentic story from beginning to end and drew me right into it. I almost felt as if I was right there in the story at times.
The cover is absolutely stunning! While some readers might take issue with the historical romance cover theme of “lady from behind in a long dress”, after viewing how this cover came to be – this is actually my favorite version.
Here’s some background and photos. Note these photos belong to Revell and copyright as stated:
Notes from Revell’s team:
“Once the Revell team finds a cover we like, we send it off to the author for approval. From there, we’ll make tweaks or changes as needed. In this case, we paid close attention to clothing so that the model looked just like Moira would in the story—so we removed the fanciful barrette and added just a hint of lace around her sleeve cuffs.”
Getting back to the story ...
The characters were absolutely charming! Colm, Peg, Sean, and Moira were more like a family than friends. Áedach and Buach definitely fit the bill for “villains”. It was interesting how everyone interacted and were interconnected.
Word of warning –> there is a mention of attempted sexual assault. There are also themes of grief, loss, and a horrific death.
Right off, chapter one is stunning – Moira’s late mother has set up an opportunity she isn’t so sure she wants, but after a dream about her mother, Moira takes the leap of faith to head to Ireland.
While she has the skills to be a teacher – she is soon overwhelmed. Not only over the location; but the language and the names.
She also has a run-in with Buach, who is pretty creepy.
Slowly, she starts finding her way. It is through the help of Bríd, Sean, Colm, and Peg that Moira soon starts to settle in. She learns that the people there are people of blessings and curses, but not the witch type.
But, it isn’t just Buach that Moira has to worry about, it is one of her “students”, Áedach. He seems to know far more about her than she knows herself.
There is a history between her, her mother, and Glenveagh Castle though not even Moira knows what it is. Buach even starts stalking her and knows this secret. Still, Moira has no idea what it could be. And, there are not many people in Ballymann who do. There are rumors about her mother’s employment as well as Moira’s “origins”.
Things get worse for Moira when Áedach becomes ill. Peg and Moira begin caring for the boy in the wake of the deadly 1918 pandemic which the locals fear might return. Most of the community turns against Moira, but Peg and Colm support her. And, in a way, Sean does as well.
At one point, Moira meets another man, which ultimately doesn’t end up well. This serves to fuel some rumors even more. She feels ashamed because of what happened, which she mistakenly thinks Sean is angry with her. His heart hurts for her.
Áedach begins to feel better and wants Peg to read from the bible to him, something Moira did when she was caring for him.
But, Buach plans to “devastate” Moira for some reason. It is clear he is carrying some grudge towards her, though at this point, there is NO clear reason. Colm and Peg watch over her.
This ends up in a tragedy that is fueled by bitterness that originated in lies, rumors, and gossip. And, despite some being proven wrong, there are those who cannot even see past their own hate.
Once the truth is revealed most everyone greets Moira as a friend.
The discussion questions for this particular book were interesting and focused on vivid dreams that cause us to change the course of our lives, secrets being kept from us, caring for someone who perhaps isn’t the best sort of person, character growth, living according to a higher purpose, and the impact of rumors.
Moira’s dreams seemed to guide her to Ireland where she soon became lost, but over time she grew more confident. Yet, it was her mother’s secrets that nearly damaged her and even by the end of the story, it was hard to tell what the truth was regarding them.
I loved how Áedach’s illness, presumably the flu, caused a character shift in not only him, but Moira as well. Even Colm and Peg lived their lives as they always had and this definitely seemed to expand Moira’s growth as a character. It even impacts Sean. Still, they lived according to their purpose as opposed to what the town might have thought.
With Moira being shown grace and mercy, she was able to extend that to Áedach who in turn felt cared for and appreciated. He believed the rumors only because he didn’t know better.
There is a particularly heart-breaking moment in the story – the death of a character. The motive behind it highlights the devastating impact that rumors and malicious gossip can have.
I did have one question about Moira’s father since her parentage did seem to be a major plot point. Her father is never really talked about except for the “rumors”. There is nothing more revealed and I was very curious as to who he was and what happened to him.
Authentic, endearing, stunning, heart-breaking, and a bit suspenseful; with characters that feel more like family – this captivating book is going to stay with me for a long time!
As it is distributed by Revell, there will be references to God and prayer. There are themes of grace, mercy, and salvation.
Those who enjoy historical fiction and historical romance within the Irish hills will absolutely LOVE this book.
I am definitely looking forward to more of Deibel’s work, whether as standalone reads or a series.
RATING:
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com.
You can follow her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferDeibelAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferdeibel_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThisGalsJourney
* This post contains affiliate links
Comments
Post a Comment