The Irish Boarding House: Completely heart-warming Irish historical fiction

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Rarely do I find a book that can double me over with laughter and break my heart with tears... This book delivers and then some!' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars The boarding house was a warm refuge, filled with caring people. People who, though not related by blood were indeed a sort of 'family'. It was the sort of place you would want to live yourself. The dramatic scenes are heart-wrenching…The author really managed to write a beautiful tale about family, true love and friendship.” La Biblio De Caro This was such a unique book in that it takes place within the 1950s Ireland and I honestly feel that there are not enough books that better explore this decade within the UK.

The Boarding House Character Analysis | LitCharts The Boarding House Character Analysis | LitCharts

I absolutely adore this author. She has a way of transporting you to the world of her stories and the lives of her characters – books like hers are why I read. This was a beautiful book – I was invested in the lives of the characters, I lived out their dramas and came away changed… Loved it!” Renita D’Silva, 5 stars It was so easy to slip into this uplifting story and get carried away by the drama that surrounds the life of Mary Kate. She is such an admirable person and I found myself constantly cheering her on and smiling when things turned around for her. Life, at the start, was not easy for this woman. She grew up in poverty after being abandoned by her mother as a baby. But she was not without love. Her special grandparents raised and taught her the things of most importance in life. And although she missed a mother-daughter relationship, she blossomed into a wonderful nurturing person who went on to help many hardship persons who came her way. One might say her previous suffering shaped her heart in ways that proved immensely useful when she inherited a large sum of money. I will admit... books with a large cast normally turn me off because it takes a special author to be able to manage a lot of characters and deliver a story that feels complete and satisfying. This author was able to do that for a majority of her characters. I will say, what kept me from calling this a 5 star is that I did feel like at times the author wrapped up characters' stories very fast. I loved this book – I lost my whole day reading – just couldn’t bear to put it down! ’ Goodreads reviewer

This is a sweet story of Mary Kate Ryan who has grown up in Dublin without much except her grandparents love. Mary Kate gets an unexpected inheritance from the mother who abandoned her as a baby. She uses her inheritance to buy an abandoned house and create the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies.

The Irish Boarding House: Completely heart-warming Irish

Merrion Square. The house stands empty, the old stone steps overgrown with thorny rose bushes. But Mary Kate feels a deep connection to the neglected, silent rooms. Could this be the place to help her heal?
Dublin 1952. When Mary Kate Ryan receives a surprise inheritance from the woman who abandoned her as a tiny baby, she’s stunned. All her life, she has longed to know why her mother disappeared, and now she’s devastated to realise that every lonely night she spent without a home or family of her own, her mother knew exactly where she was.
Mary Kate is about to refuse the money when she sees a beautiful, deserted house for sale and something sparks in her heart. She will reawaken it, as the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies, and provide a shelter for others as lost and alone as her. Can she help the two young girls left at the local orphanage, desperate for a home of their own? Or the pregnant teenager on the run, who only wants to keep her baby safe?
The boarding house brings Mary Kate love and friendships she never dreamed of, but just as her heart is about to burst with joy, a new guest arrives. The stern older woman won’t speak about her past, but when Mary Kate uncovers her story, it reveals a devastating secret about her mother. With her life in turmoil once more, can Mary Kate draw on the strength of the women in the house to help her face her past, or will the tragedy she uncovers spell disaster for them all…?
A heart-wrenching story full of family secrets. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

Fictionophile’s OCTOBER 2023 Reading Wrap-Up #bookblogger #MonthlyWrapUp#Fictionophile October 31, 2023 As mentioned there were lots of characters who featured in this story. Moira has left her teaching job after many years but is very cold and closed off. What has caused her to be this way? Mary Kate takes in Jessie and Abby from the local convent orphanage. Poor Abby doesn’t speak and Jessie is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm. Twins Polly and Orla make their way from Cork to the big smoke for the first job in the famous Cleary’s department store. But are they both happy and they tend to get involved in other people’s problems but they do have a good heart and nature about them. Colleen has a very interesting story to tell and I think Mary Kate identified the most with her. I loved how everyone gathered around Collen and was so supportive of her. As for Diane Mason is she the one with the darkest story of all? Sandy Taylor is a new-to-me author but now that I have read The Irish Boarding House I will certainly be looking for other books she has written. This story has wonderful characters I could believe in with a lot of twists and turns that were completely believable. Set mostly around 1951so this is a historical novel, taking place in Dublin. Mary Kate Ryan was raised by her loving grandparents in a small cottage. Her mother left her with them. As a woman Mary Kate was sad and hated living in the boarding house. One day she receives a letter announcing that her mother has died and left her an inheritance. First thing Mary Kate moves out of the sad boarding house and buys her own boarding house.