The Forgotten
Secret by Kathleen McGurl
A
country at war
It’s
the summer of 1919 and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of
her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future
seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing and before long
Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn
apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of
love and loyalty.
And
a long-buried secret
A
hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old
farmhouse in County Meath. Seizing the chance to escape her unhappy
marriage she strikes out on her own for the first time, hoping the
old building might also provide clues to her family’s shadowy
history. As she sets out to put the place – and herself – back to
rights, she stumbles across a long-forgotten hiding place, with a
clue to a secret that has lain buried for decades.
For
fans of Kate Morton and Gill Paul comes an unforgettable novel about
two women fighting for independence.
With
duel timeline, The Forgotten Secret, set in Ireland follows Clare
Farrell who inherits a run-down farmhouse in Co. Meath and Ellen
O'Brien, living in the same area one hundred years earlier.
When
re-visiting the farm her Uncle Pádraig left her in his will, Clare's
filled with nostalgia, whilst looking at the potential the run-down
building has. A view not shared by her husband. Back home, with the
support of her grown-up sons, she decides to seize an opportunity to
build a new life for herself away from her verbally abusive
marriage.
I admit, I didn't know much about Irish
history before reading this novel and what little I knew was from a
British perspective. Like Clare, I remembered the media and the news
telling us about 'terrorist' incidents via the BBC. Therefore, I
appreciated the research the author did and how she incorporated it
into the narrative so I could understand the conflict between the UK
and Ireland from an Irish point of view too.
'I felt
a pang of excitement and nerves. Too right I wanted to see!! It could
be a cellar, or a buried box of treasure, or an entrance to a secret
tunnel...I realised I had probably read too many Enid Blyton books in
my childhood, but then again, who wouldn't be excited uncovering a
concealed trapdoor?'
Clare's enthusiasm for
rebuilding her life is enhanced by her surroundings. Despite visiting
her uncle's farm as a child, there's plenty to discover about the
place and the past and I admired how she embraced her findings enough
to research and seek out further information. Ellen's life, in
contrast, highlights the difficulties of living in a politically
volatile era where it is easy to end up in a situation which doesn't
reflect your true views and feelings. I liked how the narrative
highlights Ellen's plight and concerns and how a century later, the
secrets are uncovered.
Overall, a delightful novel
reflecting the lives of two women who have to overcome difficulties
within their lives. It's insightful and all ties up beautifully at
the end.
***arc
generously received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley***
Kathleen McGurl lives
near the sea in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband and elderly tabby
cat. She has two sons who are now grown-up and have left home. She
began her writing career creating short stories, and sold dozens to
women’s magazines in the UK and Australia. Then she got
side-tracked onto family history research – which led eventually to
writing novels with genealogy themes. She has always been fascinated
by the past, and the ways in which the past can influence the
present, and enjoys exploring these links in her novels.
