Synopsis – Secrets at the Irish Adoption House
Ireland, 1920. Tears fill my eyes as I hear the whispers of the other girls in the dark of the night. But I won’t let them see me cry. I won’t let my secrets out. The family I’m hiding from could find me, and take my baby away…
To the other girls at St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home, Cecelia is just another fallen woman. But they don’t know her father is a penniless lord with an English title… And Cecelia is determined that they never will. She came here alone, in secret: if her family knew she was pregnant the life of her baby could be on the line.
Despite herself, the kind act of stolen bread being pressed into her hands when she’s in most need sees her confiding in the other women. Then the worst happens: Cecelia’s family find her and take her precious newborn. Was she betrayed by another girl in the home?
She’s determined to find her child… but with all her family’s connections, she can’t do it by herself. She hears whispers of a network of women working to unite mothers and babies. But with the baby’s father dangerously caught up in the unrest brewing across Ireland, will Cecelia or her darling daughter ever see him again?
This tear-jerking and unforgettable historical novel, full of family secrets, betrayal and friendship in the darkest times, is perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Sandy Taylor.
Author Bio
Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.
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My Review
Secrets at the Irish Adoption House: Absolutely gripping and heart-wrenching Irish historical fiction by Michelle Vernal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lovely story
This is the second book in a series about a Mother & Child home in Ireland. It can be read as a standalone though some of the characters do cross over from both stories.
This is a well written historical fiction novel told in different timelines. The brutal history of the way unmarried pregnant women were treated is hard to read and reconcile the horrible things done in the name of religion.
The book follows Cecelia as she participates in the Irish resistance and then discovers she is pregnant. She willingly checks herself into the home thinking it would be a safe place for her and her unborn child.
Like the first book, some of the subject matter explored is very difficult including forced adoptions and abuse.
Overall, this is a lovely story about a very tough period in history. I have enjoyed both books in the series and I look forward to any subsequent stories.
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