Can she finally put herself first, in
order to find love?
Peggy Cassidy is a milly, working in the Belfast linen mills to just about get
by. But Peggy also has another job - a secret one. She works as a handywoman -
an illegal midwife, tending to the women of her community in their time of
need.
When Peggy is offered the chance to leave Belfast to receive formal midwifery
training in Dublin, it sets off a chain of events that will change her life
forever.
But amongst her middle-class colleagues, Peggy must keep the truth about her
past secret at all times. If the realities of her life in Belfast are revealed,
she could lose everything she has worked for.
And when she meets a well-to-do doctor down in Dublin, she must make a
decision: should she protect her family and her history? Or can she let herself
fall in love?
The first book in a heartwarming new
historical romance series, for fans of Dilly Court, Anna Jacobs, Rosie Goodwin
and Call the Midwife.
To Peggy, family is everything alongside loyalty. She has secretly and illegally been working as a handywoman with her aunt Bridget, helping the poor working class women of Belfast in the 1930's. Her warm and caring nature makes her perfect for the job and she hopes to be a full time handywoman once she completes her training with her aunt who is a well loved and well respected member of the community in West Belfast. The handywomen are frustrated that all they offer is seen as nothing more than illegal practices by the medical profession and so they work in secret within their community.
Peggy's strength is tested when tragedy strikes and she is left with a difficult decision about her future. Being offered the opportunity to go and train as a recognised midwife is not something she ever saw herself doing. And, leaving her family behind to go train in Dublin is most definitely not something she wants to do. But she must respect the legacy she has been left. However, it does not come without personal cost to Peggy who must hide her own background and indeed the skills she learned during her time as a handywoman. To reveal that would put her future as a midwife in jeopardy. Her intention is to keep her head down and complete her training so she can return to Belfast and continue to support the women in her community at their most vulnerable time. But this time without having to dodge the authorities. However, a complication arises in the form of Dan Sheridan, a charming and handsome student doctor who is also from Belfast. Peggy must hide her feelings for him in order to remain loyal to her family. But, she is torn and her heart is broken at having to keep him at arms length. Meanwhile, war is looming in the background and dark days may be ahead for both Peggy and Dan.
I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to be part of this book tour for a number of reasons, mainly that I am also from Northern Ireland and Seana Tinley is a great friend and mentor. I am also researching my family tree and have discovered family members who worked in the mills in Belfast at that time. My husband also has family who were mill workers in Belfast so I totally fell into this book. Within the pages of this book Seana has managed to capture the strength, resilience and determination of women of the era. And in fact, women in general. I absolutely adored Peggy as a character. Her kindness, compassion and dedication to the women she worked with to ensure that the experience of giving birth was seen as supportive and putting the power back in the hands of the women themselves. Reading about some of the practices that took place during labour really was shocking and Seana Tinley's own background shone through in her research and rich details. For me though, sometimes the political situation in Ireland at that time overshadowed the main crux of the story, although I understand it was necessary to include some of it to set historical context. That being said, this was a really enjoyable read with Seana really capturing that sense of time and place. I did feel sorry for poor Dan Sheridan at times as Peggy often ran hot and cold with him. But, she had her reasons and I really enjoyed the whole 'will they, won't they' element to this story. I adore historical romance and was drawn into the settings and the people and became fully immersed in their lives. A fabulous book with more to come in book 2! I'm super excited for that. A recommended read. Click on the link below to grab yourself a copy. You won't be disappointed!
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