There is so much to inspire in The Liberation of Brigid Dunne by Patricia Scanlan. One not to miss!
* This story has been re-released with the new title ‘A Family Reunion’*
The Liberation of Brigid Dunne / A Family Reunion by Patricia Scanlan is published by Simon & Schuster UK
- Language : English
- Paperback : 528 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1398501069
- ISBN-13 : 978-1398501065
One explosive family reunion. A lifetime of secrets revealed.
When four feisty women from the same family get together at a family reunion, anything can happen…
Marie-Claire, betrayed by her partner Marc, plans to teach him a lesson he will never forget. She travels home from Toronto to Ireland, to the house of the Four Winds, for her great-aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s eightieth birthday celebrations. It will be a long-awaited reunion for three generations of family, bringing together her mother, Keelin, and grandmother, Imelda – who have never quite got along
And then all hell breaks loose.
Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a shocking revelation that forces them all to confront their pasts, admit mistakes, and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to forgive the past and share a future?
And what of Marc?
It’s never too late to make amends…or is it?
Spanning generations and covering seismic shifts in the lives of women, The Liberation of Brigid Dunne is a compelling, thought-provoking, important and highly emotional novel from a trailblazing author in women’s fiction.
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Book Review
This story is about three generations of women bound together not only because of those family bonds but also by the fundamentals of being a woman in a society that ensured secrets would fester. If you wanted to be seen as a respectable pillar of your community then those secrets needed to be buried and buried deep.
In the prologue we witness scenes from 1953, 30 years later in the mid 1980’s and finally Christmas Eve of 2017 – you think you have all the information you need …
I enjoyed the format of flashing back to key points in Brigid and Imelda’s lives (the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement being one of those key events). In the present time, building up to Brigid’s 80th surprise party and the catalyst for change, we spend time with Marie-Claire, Keelin, Brigid and Imelda.
My initial thought about one of the characters was what makes a person so unhappy and miserable with their life? Surely, being bitter and resentful colours a life to block out the beauty of living. I began to thaw towards her and have to say that I was so involved in the story that when events unfold, I was left open-mouthed! Then you realise just how much strength is held inside.
Brigid’s epiphany was liberating and I loved seeing how things change. The trip to Scotland was a brilliant idea to bring the story together.
I’ve loved the themes running throughout – spirituality, striving for feminine independence, breaking from dogma, family, community and emotional healing.
Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time and The Liberation of Brigid Dunne / A Family Reunion is one of those books for me.
I felt inspired to dust off from my bookshelf The Secret Teachings of Mary Magdalene. Coincidentally, The Magdalene Lineage appeared in my inbox too. This book is definitely a catalyst for me!
Highly recommended.
Patricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. All of her books have been #1 international bestsellers, most recently With All My Love, A Time for Friends, and Orange Blossom Days. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the Open Door series. Find out more by visiting Patricia’s Facebook page Facebook.com/PatriciaScanlanAuthor and Twitter @patriciascanl18
