The Irish Boarding House: Completely heart-warming Irish historical fiction

Product Information

A heart-wrenching story full of family secrets. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe. First things first - a year and a half ago I read another by this author, The Irish Nanny. And I LOVED IT. It was in my Top Ten of the year, y'all. See below: It’s heart-wrenching storyline will totally absorbed. Will totally capture your heart. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.” Good Reads Reviewer Fictionophile’s OCTOBER 2023 Reading Wrap-Up #bookblogger #MonthlyWrapUp#Fictionophile October 31, 2023 Many thanks to Bookouture, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Irish Boarding House.

The Irish Boarding House | Sandy Taylor | 9781803140827 The Irish Boarding House | Sandy Taylor | 9781803140827

And here's some quotes for you (the first one being in response to the MC's question to her grandfather - "Why should I keep a diary?"): Once I started I was unable to put it down and devoured this truly enthralling tale in a single evening… heart-warming yet heartbreaking… I completely lost myself for a few hours within this emotional rollercoaster.’ Momo’s Book Diary she has always wanted to know why she was left and felt neglected and abandoned . Mary decides to use the money to buy an old house in Dublin and open boarding house for shelter to other ladies . The gut-wrenching feelings this narrative unearthed brought me to tears numerous times with its emotive words and insightful views on life and love. The writing was simply breathtaking, it was witty and beautiful in the same measure and it has quite frankly stolen my heart .” Stacy is Reading, 5 stars Wow… deserves more than 5 stars. It is a heart-warming as well as a heartbreaking story all at the same time. I absolutely loved this book. Warning: keep the tissues handy!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

Advance Praise

Mr. Doran is a lodger at Mrs. Mooney’s boarding house who has an affair with Mrs. Mooney’s daughter, Polly. In his mid-30s, Mr. Doran has held a steady job for 13 years working… Merrion Square. The house stands empty, the old stone steps overgrown with thorny rose bushes. But Mary Kate feels a deep connection to the neglected, silent rooms. Could this be the place to help her heal? I fell in love… Such an emotionally raw story can only be written by someone who has left a little piece of their heart behind in such a special place.’ Goodreads reviewer A lovely, feel-good, comforting read - I didn't feel up to any hard concentration today so it was just what I wanted. Mary Kate has had some very difficult times but her life changes for the better when she inherits a large sum of money. She spends a lot of it helping others anonymously. When her circumstances changed due to an unexpected inheritance, Mary Kate could have chosen to keep it all to herself. Instead, she reaches out to the less fortunate. Living in abhorrent conditions herself, Mary Kate knows all about the horrors of low-income living. Using the inheritance she buys a beautiful Georgian home and extends a hand up to those in similar situations she herself experienced. A large portion of the book is devoted to those who come to stay at 24 Merrion Square ~ The Irish Boarding House. Your heart will be warmed and you’ll be inspired to pay it forward ~ share a little kindness. If the past 2 years have taught us anything, it’s that we all need each other’s support to survive.

The Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor | Goodreads

The Boarding House’, like all of the stories in Dubliners, has its own style, which Joyce subtly but expertly tailors to the characters whose story he is telling. When the story is told by a first-person narrator, such as is the case in ‘The Sisters’ and ‘ An Encounter’, this is clearer because the person telling the story is the same as the character experiencing it, so we expect them to narrate it in their own peculiar way. I loved this novel so much, even though it’s probably the most heart-breaking story I’ve read all year…it will totally absorb you and capture your heart.” That Thing She Reads Plans for Novellas in November #NovNov23 #NovellasInNovember #Fictionophile#novellas October 28, 2023 Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist. Author Social Media Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyTaylorAuthor/ The Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor is a great post WWII historical fiction set in Ireland that I really enjoyed.There is so much to love about this novel and I highly recommend it to all who crave heartfelt, touching stories that sweep you away to a gentler, kinder place. A story where loving and helping your neighbour is number one. How many would do the wonderful things this woman has done with what she was given? Are her motives pure? Yes, the only satisfaction she seeks is to see another person happy. The Irish Boarding House is truly a refreshing reading experience. Without question, a 5 Star inspirational story. WOW!!!!! An unforgettable journey of hope, love, heartbreak… I fell in love with the characters right away.” A Book With Review, 5 stars I loved meeting all the ladies who came to live in the boarding house, with their stories. The characters are drawn so well that you really feel as though you are living amongst them.

The Irish Boarding House: Completely heart-warming Irish

This is a sweet story of Mary Kate Ryan who has grown up in Dublin without much except her grandparents love. Mary Kate gets an unexpected inheritance from the mother who abandoned her as a baby. She uses her inheritance to buy an abandoned house and create the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies. Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.Mary Kate Ryan had lived with her grandparents on Tanner's Row in Dublin since her mother had abandoned them all when she was a baby, and when first her grandmother, then grandfather died and she no longer had a home, she felt lost and alone. The boarding houses she went to were dingy and dirty, nothing felt right anymore. The day she received a letter from a solicitor, her life changed - the money that was now hers saw Mary Kate buy a beautiful old home that had been left to ruin. Mary Kate had it renovated and turned into the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies.

The Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor | Waterstones

The Irish Boarding House was a very sweet, somewhat religious, and slightly romantic book to read. After a while, it started feeling too sweet to me. It seemed as though every renter was troubled, had a secret to hide, or a past they were running from. Mary Kate, with her empathy, kindness, and her inheritance, did her level best to give each one a helping hand. The dramatic scenes are heart-wrenching…The author really managed to write a beautiful tale about family, true love and friendship.” La Biblio De Caro First Jessie and Abby arrived from the convent to help Mary Kate. Gradually the boarding house filled up with the young and not so young and it wasn't long before the peace and tranquility of the beautiful home seemed to them all like family. Polly and Orla now worked at the exclusive department store in the city, while Mrs Lamb and Eliza did the cooking. Colleen and Rosa couldn't have been happier - but there were secrets behind each person's closed doors. And would the new guest - one that puzzled Mary Kate - uncover more secrets or just be passing through?Our main female character, Mary Kate Ryan, has to wrestle with all of this and more when she is confronted by the secrets, mysteries, and questions involving her own past, the mother which she did not get to grow up with, and her own hopes and goals with purchasing the home and trying to help others that also need a helping hand. The Irish Boarding House was my first time delving in to a story by author Sandy Taylor and I adored it. She writes with compassion, with composure and with conviction.