Book Review

Dublin’s Girl by Eimear Lawlor #BookReview #BlogTour #Aria #NetGalley #4*

Falling in love with the enemy is the ultimate act of betrayal…

1917. A farm girl from Cavan, Veronica McDermott is desperate to find more to life than peeling potatoes. Persuading her family to let her stay with her aunt and uncle in Dublin so she can attend secretarial college, she has no idea what she is getting into. Recruited by Fr Michael O’Flanagan to type for Eamon De Valera, Veronica is soon caught up in the danger and intrigue of those fighing for Ireland’s independence from Britain.

The attentions of a handsome British soldier, Major Harry Fairfax, do not go unnoticed by Veronica’s superiors. But when Veronica is tasked with earning his affections to gather intelligence for Sinn Féin, it isn’t long before her loyalty to her countrymen and her feelings for Harry are in conflict. To choose one is to betray the other…

Inspired by real life events and marking the centenary of the end of the War of Independence, Dublin’s Girl is a thrilling historical debut from an exciting new Irish voice.

A Sterling Debut!

A good debut with plenty of content!

Veronica McDermott lives on a farm where life is pretty good but, being a young girl, she yearns for a bit of excitement in her life and would really life to have a career instead of spending her days helping her mother in the home. Finally gaining her father’s permission to attend secretarial college, she set off to live with her aunt and uncle in Dublin. When she lands her first full time job, she realises that she is working for those pursuing independence for Ireland and upon meeting an English army Major, soon finds herself placed in some precarious situations. Which one will she be loyal to?

Firstly, I’d like to mention that as a ‘proddy’ from the West of Scotland this is an entirely different side of a story to that I normally hear so I’m not going to comment on the political situation or the rights and wrongs of either viewpoint. As a debut author, Eimear Lawlor has produced a beautifully written story which draws the reader in. There isn’t anyone who could fail to be touched bu the poverty, especially where it concerns children. We got to know Veronica well and there was always something of interest going on. I did feel, however, that the pace of the novel changed towards the end which was quite rushed. A sterling book for a first published book and I’m sure this is an author we shall hear more of. Four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot kicking off this tour; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: historical fiction, WWI

Dublin’s Girl is Eimear Lawlor‘s first novel and inspired by the true story of her great aunt who typed for Eamon De Valera. She lives with her family in Kilkenny.

  • Twitter: @eimearlawlor58

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