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"Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-absorbed mother, Sheila McGee longs to escape from her small Irish village, where her destiny seems already to be written: forever consigned to working at the mill, forced to hand over her paycheck to her mother. When she gets the opportunity to compete for the title of 1941 Linen Queen, she finally sees a way out, for the prize money will fund her dream of escaping to England. But WWII intervenes, bringing with it travel restrictions and a base set up for American soldiers. She intends to snag American officer Joel Solomon, much to the distress of her childhood friend, Gavin O’Rourke. Joel turns out to be a Jewish soldier of conscience and schools her in the deeper meaning of the fight against Hitler. Falvey well captures the frustrations of a small-town girl with big ambitions, making rueful comedy out of Sheila’s rivalries with her fellow millworkers. She also smoothly traces Sheila’s transformation from self-interested party girl to concerned citizen. A lively read for fans of historical fiction."
"Sheila McGee, the feisty young 'Linen Queen,' will touch your heart as she grows from a girl who values herself only for her good looks into a compassionate woman who discovers inner reserves of strength. A dramatic story told against the backdrop of World War II in Northern Ireland." "The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey reverberates with the same Irish poignancy and longing as her debut novel, “The Yellow House.” And her second novel presents Ireland in the 1940’s with the same delightful voice and poignant characters that create a new meaning for the word survival. Painstakingly stark and remarkably resilient, Northern Ireland’s Sheila McGee mirrors Ireland’s inner and outer turmoil.
"In The Linen Queen, Patricia Falvey writes about tensions in Ireland between those who support the British and those who do not, the struggles of the poor mill workers, the Catholic Church and its harsh stance when it comes to women with less-than-favorable reputations, and life during World War II amid bombing raids and rationing. But more than anything, Falvey writes about the transformative power of relationships, with Sheila’s troubled relationship with her mother, her compassion for Grainne, and her love for both Joel and Gavin helping her shed the selfishness that has defined her and allowing her to see her true value." — Diary Of An Eccentric (blog) "Maintaining the Northern Ireland setting and nationalistic themes of her debut novel, The Yellow House, Falvey jumps from WWI to WWII. The full scope of the war unfolds through the eyes of Sheila McGee, a mill girl who's grown up with a mercurial mother and an absent father. Now 18, Sheila is the loveliest girl at the mill, a shoo-in to win the annual Linen Queen beauty pageant. She plans to use her winnings to leave her small town, and her mother, forever, but the outbreak of war complicates her plans, as do the two men she finds herself torn between: Joel Solomon, a melancholy Jewish-American army officer, and the moody and possessive Gavin O'Rourke, her best friend. Sheila's pendulum swing from a mildly unlikable self-centered girl with a "beauty is power" guiding philosophy into an idealistic young woman driven into action by the plight of child war evacuees. . deftly rides the line between a fervently romantic love story and a heartfelt love letter to Northern Ireland" — Publisher's Weekly "In The Linen Queenis an emotionally powerful book ,and a joy to read. Falvey has a gift for creating realistic and very believable characters. By saying it`s a gift, I don`t mean it`s easy to do this. It is the result of much hard work." — Frank West, American News "Patricia Falvey demonstrates her clout as a literary wonder with The Linen Queen. I was completely abask in wonderment at her powerful creativity to ensnare me from the onset. Driven to complete this incredible tale with its heroine Sheila McGee, I could not put this book down, and I did not want it to end. Falvey does not disappoint with her second novel, she just reaffirms my conviction that she is by far one of the most gifted writers of our times. My adulation for her knows no bounds. I had been afraid that my high expectations might cause my own downfall in reading her work, Falvey proved me wrong, she actually exceeded that bar. Her characters are strong, willful, and genuine people who come alive at the stroke of her talent. There are countless names that come to mind for their credibility and power to move the reader caught up in the whirlwind of Ireland’s stance during the World War II . Main characters Sheila McGee, Gavin O’Rourke, Joel Solomon, Mary McAteer, Grainne Malloy, and Sheila’s Ma explode from the pages with each personal history spilling out of the pages of this book. There are going to be moments of utter despair at the injustice suffered by the characters, while at the same time you will be taken to heights of utter joy at the lives displayed so artfully by Falvey. The tones and flavours of Ireland will bewitch you and mark my word, you’ll be tempted to say “craic” a few times as well. Och really it just comes out without a thought." — Aisle B, Tumblr Read customer reviews from these book sites: |
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