BRIGID..the GIRL from COUNTY CLARE.. by Vicky Adin.

BRIGID..the GIRL from COUNTY   CLARE..

by Vicky Adin

"Like making lace – she pieces together a new life from a single thread of hope.."

and that she does. 

The title attracted me as well as the description of a lacemaker, being a family historian and a craftswoman. It also helped that I am named after my Irish grandmother, Bridget, who was a native of Co Clare.

With all that in mind, I wondered if I was expecting too much, though reminding myself that this is a book of fiction. I was absorbed in the story from the beginning... the need to leave home, as there was simply not enough food, resonated with the story of my own family, who did this from two countries, one being Ireland.

The heartbreaking decision made, and the awful sad farewells made, Brigid finds herself in the turmoil of London, wondering just what had she done... At least she wasn't to be alone, as her cousin, Jamie, was to travel on the same ship. Not that they would be together too often, as the passengers were segregated. 

The voyage seems to take an interminable time, as you would expect in that era... Brigid's fellow passengers are portrayed in such a manner that you feel you are getting to know them as well as Brigid is. Her beautiful lace atracts attention and compliments set her dreaming of her future, in between reliving all that has passed before she came to the decision to leave her beloved Ireland.

There is so much that holds your attention.. including the meeting of a man who was to change her life, and not in a good way. Before you know it, you are settling with Brigid in her new home... To tell you much more would spoil the story.. Let's just say that there are a number of twists and turns, some good, some not and as things develop, Brigid begins yet another new life in New Zealand. It was going so well until a man from her past threatens to.. well, I'll let you find that out for yourself.

I couldn't stop turning just one more page, well, ok, just one more chapter... so much was familiar, yet so much was new and interesting. You really don't know what to expect, which to me is a sign of a well written story. At no time did I want to end this book... not just fiction, but factional.. and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Many thanks to Shannon O.  aka Shanannigans for providing me with this book.

Disclosure: I have no connection to the author or distributors of this book. If you would like a copy, please Google the title and author and select from whatever outlet suits you best. 

public domain

"The wolf is not the only hunter........." SHEPHERD by Catherine Jinks

Whenever there are awards for books that grab your attention from beginning to end, then SHEPHERD by Catherine Jinks, has got to always be a contender!

Tom Clay is just a boy, just 14 years old, but the life he's led and the trials he faces, are so far from that of the average 14 year old today, it's hard to comprehend.

 At the age of 12, he became a convict, transported to New South Wales when caught poaching in Suffolk. He'd been taught to keep quiet, a necessary skill when poaching, and it was to stand him in good stead for all that lay before him. This seemed to be the only positive thing he got from his father, himself a poacher.

At 14, he was sent to a shepherd's hut out west of Sydney, to protect the master's sheep from wild dogs. Surrounded by violent men, he kept to himself, having greater affinity with his dogs...Gyp and Pedlar. 

I loved the depiction of the first encounter Tom had with kangaroos ... 
" Though I'd heard tell of 'em, I hadn't believed such wild tales. I thought the old lags were toying with fresh meat.  But when our rattling cart scattered half a dozen big grey beasts on the road and I saw 'em bob away like the bastard spawn of a deer and a rabbit -- well, after that, I was ready to believe anything I heard about this place."

The master was Mr. Barrett, not a man to get on the wrong side of, though he could be fair at times, but as a magistrate, he wasn't averse to handing out 50 lashes. Tom did his best never to draw attention to himself. Barrett trusted him, but how he could trust Dan Carver, was beyond Tom. Carver was a murderer and a vengeful man.. and set about ridding himself of all around him.

From then on, it would take all Tom's wits to avoid and out think Carver whenever he can... his life and that of Rowdy would depend on it. Sheer madness was pitted against a young boy in a foreign land, living off his knowledge of nature and trying to relate it to this strange landscape. I felt Tom's frustration when trying to keep Rowdy quiet, but also sympathised with Rowdy for having to voice his fears...

I found my heart in my mouth so many times and just when I thought the worst was over, the pace became even faster and more horrifying. There are moments of great emotion and of anger and sheer disbelief. Catherine Jinks is an artist of words and emotions and depicts a side of convict life in colonial Australia that most will not have encountered.

The byline on the cover couldn't be more apt.

I can't wait to read more of this award winning author's works and I thank Text Publishing for sending me the book.