The Dublin Girls by Cathy Mansell
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war, Contemporary fiction, Women's fiction
Read: 21st August 2021
Published: 23rd July 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
In 1950s Dublin, life is hard and jobs are like gold dust.
Nineteen-year-old Nell Flynn is training to be a nurse and planning to marry her boyfriend, Liam Connor, when her mother dies, leaving her younger sisters destitute. To save them from the workhouse, Nell returns to the family home - a mere two rooms at the top of a condemned tenement.
Nell finds work at a biscuit factory and, at first, they scrape through each week. But then eight-year-old Róisín, delicate from birth, is admitted to hospital with rheumatic fever and fifteen-year-old Kate, rebellious, headstrong and resentful of Nell taking her mother's place, runs away.
When Liam finds work in London, Nell stays to struggle on alone - her unwavering devotion to her sisters stronger even than her love for him. She's determined that one day the Dublin girls will be reunited and only then will she be free to follow her heart.
Dramatic, emotional and romantic, if you love Lorna Cook, Tracy Rees and Jenny Ashcroft, you'll love this gripping and heartrending novel from Cathy Mansell, author of A Place to Belong.
MY REVIEW:
Another new-to-me author, Cathy Mansell brings us a dramatic and emotional tale of family drama in post-war Dublin. With a touch of Catherine Cookson and Lorna Cook, THE DUBLIN GIRLS begins in 1950 as three sisters struggle to find their place in the world.
Nineteen year old Nell Flynn had her whole life set out before her. In her second year of training to be a nurse, she was planning to marry her sweetheart Liam Connor and begin a new life in England. But then her mother tragically dies leaving herself and her two younger siblings orphans. Nell realises at once that her priorities have changed as she gives up her training and her dreams of life with Liam in order to get to care for her two younger sisters. Liam has offered more than once to take care of them but Nell knows that her sisters are her responsibility. She gets a job at the biscuit factory, which she hates, but it pays far better than a trainee nurse and she has now has rent to pay and three mouths to feed in the dirty rundown tenement flat they live in on the eighth floor.
Life in Ireland post-war is difficult. Jobs are scarce and the country is struggling to find its feet after the war. But Nell must do what she can to care for her sisters and keep them from the workhouse. Her work in the biscuit factory isn't much but it keeps a roof over their heads, food on the table and coal for the fire. She is soon promoted to the labelling section of the factory, which sure beats washing hundreds of tins that are returned to the factory every day. But it seems her efforts aren't good enough for her middle sister who has dreams above her station in life.
Kate is 15 years old and has dreams of her own. Just because Nell gave up her dreams doesn't mean that she should give up hers. She wants to get out of the grotty tenement in which they live and into a nice house with running water and indoor plumbing. If only her mam didn't die before they could be rehoused. But she had and now they were stuck in this horrible cold and draughty two room flat with Nell bossing her about like she had the right. She wasn't her mam and Kate could do what she liked.
So when Father John calls at the flat and insists that it's high time that Kate begin pulling her weight and helping her sister by taking up her mam's job of working at the presbytery for an hour after school each day, Kate is horrified. She doesn't want to be a cleaner! She has bigger dreams than that! Her mam wanted her to get an education and qualifications to ensure a proper job. But Catholic guilt leads her to the church the following day where she meets Michael Flannigan, who has taken on the job as a clerk, and falls instantly in love.
Suddenly Kate has no problem working at the church presbytery...not if it means seeing Michael. But it's when she starts slipping out with a lie on her lips as to her intentions, Nell begins to despair of her sister at the times she could really do with her help. With stars in her eyes and dreams in her heart, Kate continues to lie to her sister about her whereabouts all the while resenting her elder sister's new authoritative role in her life. Refusing to pull her weight, Kate continues to selfishly pursue her own independence keeping most of her much-needed wages for frivolities such as nylons, lipsticks and shoes. Meanwhile Nell struggles to put food on the table and coal in the scuttle while Kate chases foolish dreams.
And then there is Róisín who is 8 years old and has always been a frail child since birth, predicted to not live beyond five years. The little girl is obviously ill but with hardly enough money to pay for food and rent, there is little left over to pay for a doctor. The cold and uncaring nuns at the convent school, which each of the girls had attended, insist that Nell sees her sister get sufficient sleep at night to ensure she doesn't keep falling asleep in class which provides much distraction to the rest of the students. Angered, Nell knows that Róisín gets more than enough sleep and is concerned that something may be wrong with her sister. When she takes her to the free dispensary one Saturday morning, after hours of queuing and waiting, the doctor examines her briefly and insists that there is nothing wrong with the child and to stop wasting his time.
Then one day Róisín is unable to get out of bed, complaining that her legs hurt. Nell rushes downstairs and asks their only remaining neighbour left in the tenement Amy Kinch to help take Róisín to the doctor. They place her in a pram and walk the long distance to the doctor who Amy knows will be kind, sympathetic and take the time to get to the bottom of what is wrong with Róisín. The doctor is immediately concerned and has Nell take her straight to the fever hospital, where it is later confirmed that Róisín has rheumatic fever. Róisín stays at the hospital for many months - over Christmas and into the new year - as she received treatment and begins her recovery.
Meanwhile, Nell continues to struggle while Kate selfishly pursues her own independent life that she cannot possibly sustain. Packing her suitcase one day while Nell is at work, Kate leaves the tenement and her old life behind in search of something greater believing it is what she is entitled to. When Nell discovers her sister has gone she is beside herself with worry. She has given up her own dreams, her own life, to care for her sisters and everything is falling apart. Kate has gone and Róisín is ill in hospital and her dreams of a life with Liam have drifted further away as she pursues a job in London. And now, as the only remaining tenants in the building as Amy and her family of 10 children have been rehoused in a new estate, Nell is truly alone.
A heart-rendering story, THE DUBLIN GIRLS is an engaging read from beginning to end about three sisters who all have different challenges to face. Each has their own personality and dreams they wanted to achieve. Nell was responsible in giving up her dreams to care for her sisters. Kate was rebellious, selfish and often rude and made the worst possible choices. Róisín was a young frail child who still believes in Santa and dreams of a happy life with her sisters. Liam continues to pursue Nell, refusing to give up their dreams of a life together. Desperately saving money from his job in England so Nell and her sisters can join him for a better life, he has the best intentions in taking on the responsibility and caring for them all. But will Nell allow him to do so? And will Kate return to the fold?
Warm-hearted and heartbreaking at the same time, THE DUBLIN GIRLS evokes a multitude of emotions as the sisters journey their way through loves, loss, fear, hardship, heartbreak and poverty...and in Kate's case, a plethora of bad decisions. This coming of age tale highlights Nell's perseverance, her courage and her loyalty to her sisters and the promise of eventually following her dreams.
A simply delightful and easy read...even if I wanted to throttle Kate into seeing sense...THE DUBLIN GIRLS is a sad story with a happy ending. Perfect for fans of historical and contemporary fiction, as well as fans of Catherine Cookson, Tracy Rees, Kathleen McGurl and Lorna Cook.
I would like to thank #CathyMansell, #Netgalley and #Headline for an ARC of #TheDublinGirls in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Her great aunt was a story teller and a poet who emigrated to the Bronx. Her father wrote plays. Other influences have been the various writing groups she belongs to; Leicester Writers' Club, Just Write group, the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is president to Lutterworth Writers' Group.
Cathy writes Sagas set in various parts of Ireland, she also writes romantic suspense fiction set in 50s/60s Her reviewers compare her to the late Maeve Binchy and Catherine Cookson.
Having lived her childhood in Ireland, her books have that touch of authenticity. They depict the lifystyle and hardship of Irish families in those days, with the passion and emotion of her charachers who are wound up in intricate plots.
Cathy's debut novel, Shadow Across the Liffey, was a finalist at the R.N.A's Joan Hessayan national award in May, 2013.
Cathy's latest books, A PLACE TO BELONG and THE DUBLIN GIRLS published with Headline Publishing Group are available in paperback and all are availible in library large print in UK and Ireland . Available on Amazon in e-Book, audio, paperback, large print
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