Review by ohlendorfbe -- House of Eire by June Gillam
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ohlendorfbe
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Review by ohlendorfbe -- House of Eire by June Gillam
[Following is a volunteer review of "House of Eire" by June Gillam.]
House of Eire by June Gillam is a many-layered psychological thriller that just wouldn't let me go. It begins with one of the main characters, Hillary Broome, awakening from one of her many nightmares. We soon learn that Hillary and her husband Ed are planning a trip to Ireland, he for work and she to dig up her Irish roots. Accompanying them on this trip, also serving as a long-overdue honeymoon, will be their soon-to-be 7-year-old daughter, Claire, and an elderly friend, Sarah. We also find out that Hillary is a ghostwriter and that Ed is a police detective, who will be attending a “Gang Summit” in Ireland.
As the story progresses we learn that Hillary is also planning to meet up with an old friend, Bridget, who is an activist in Ireland for keeping its sad history at the forefront of the tourist industry. She is currently locking horns with a greedy American developer who wants to build a theme park there with lots of glitz to overpower the historical aspects. Hillary's boyfriend, Seamus, is in cahoots with this developer, and he struggles with the dichotomy of Hillary's beliefs and the developer's promise of a high reward. So onward the story moves, highlighting the themes of friendship, love, greed, mysterious deaths, haunted buildings and ghosts, and the need to overcome childhood tragedies. As Hillary and Ed, Claire, and Sarah continue on their journey, they discover old and new mysteries and struggle with “ghosts” from the past as well as the present. Will Hillary uncover her ancestors' story and their impact on her and her family? Will Bridget become the victor or the victim in her struggles against the new theme park? What tragedy awaits this ill-fated journey?
I found House of Eire to be a fascinating travelogue of the beautiful sights of Dublin and the rest of Ireland. I also loved the Irish brogue apparent in the locals' speech. Much can be learned about the history of Ireland, including the horrible potato famine and the country's folklore of ghosts and haunted buildings. Of special interest to me was the history of the Claddagh ring, which entails a heart, a crown, and clasped hands, symbolizing for Hillary “Ed's hands of friendship, heart of love, and his crowning loyalty. “ (location 1493 in Kindle)
The character development was superb in this book. Hillary's haunted memories of her mother abandoning her at an early age serve to make her an excellent mother for her own little girl and a devoted wife for Ed, always the stalwart husband. The elderly friend, Sarah, seems like a sweet little old lady until her strength shines through when the going gets tough. Claire is a sparkling example of a gritty but impish young girl whose penchant for Rapunzel, including her doll and her own long hair, becomes an integral part of the story. Claire is my favorite character, embodying my own two 8-year-old granddaughters, one whose name is actually Claire! The struggles of Seamus and Bridget exemplify the problems often occurring between new city development and the historical features they seek to replace.
There were only a couple of minor typographical errors in this book, as well as just a smattering of adult language throughout. Thus I would award House of Eire 4 out of 4 stars. However, the reader should be warned that there are some situations that are grievous and depict danger and peril, but none of them are at all graphically written. This book is for lovers of psychological and crime thrillers.
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House of Eire
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
House of Eire by June Gillam is a many-layered psychological thriller that just wouldn't let me go. It begins with one of the main characters, Hillary Broome, awakening from one of her many nightmares. We soon learn that Hillary and her husband Ed are planning a trip to Ireland, he for work and she to dig up her Irish roots. Accompanying them on this trip, also serving as a long-overdue honeymoon, will be their soon-to-be 7-year-old daughter, Claire, and an elderly friend, Sarah. We also find out that Hillary is a ghostwriter and that Ed is a police detective, who will be attending a “Gang Summit” in Ireland.
As the story progresses we learn that Hillary is also planning to meet up with an old friend, Bridget, who is an activist in Ireland for keeping its sad history at the forefront of the tourist industry. She is currently locking horns with a greedy American developer who wants to build a theme park there with lots of glitz to overpower the historical aspects. Hillary's boyfriend, Seamus, is in cahoots with this developer, and he struggles with the dichotomy of Hillary's beliefs and the developer's promise of a high reward. So onward the story moves, highlighting the themes of friendship, love, greed, mysterious deaths, haunted buildings and ghosts, and the need to overcome childhood tragedies. As Hillary and Ed, Claire, and Sarah continue on their journey, they discover old and new mysteries and struggle with “ghosts” from the past as well as the present. Will Hillary uncover her ancestors' story and their impact on her and her family? Will Bridget become the victor or the victim in her struggles against the new theme park? What tragedy awaits this ill-fated journey?
I found House of Eire to be a fascinating travelogue of the beautiful sights of Dublin and the rest of Ireland. I also loved the Irish brogue apparent in the locals' speech. Much can be learned about the history of Ireland, including the horrible potato famine and the country's folklore of ghosts and haunted buildings. Of special interest to me was the history of the Claddagh ring, which entails a heart, a crown, and clasped hands, symbolizing for Hillary “Ed's hands of friendship, heart of love, and his crowning loyalty. “ (location 1493 in Kindle)
The character development was superb in this book. Hillary's haunted memories of her mother abandoning her at an early age serve to make her an excellent mother for her own little girl and a devoted wife for Ed, always the stalwart husband. The elderly friend, Sarah, seems like a sweet little old lady until her strength shines through when the going gets tough. Claire is a sparkling example of a gritty but impish young girl whose penchant for Rapunzel, including her doll and her own long hair, becomes an integral part of the story. Claire is my favorite character, embodying my own two 8-year-old granddaughters, one whose name is actually Claire! The struggles of Seamus and Bridget exemplify the problems often occurring between new city development and the historical features they seek to replace.
There were only a couple of minor typographical errors in this book, as well as just a smattering of adult language throughout. Thus I would award House of Eire 4 out of 4 stars. However, the reader should be warned that there are some situations that are grievous and depict danger and peril, but none of them are at all graphically written. This book is for lovers of psychological and crime thrillers.
******
House of Eire
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Tears and Trombones by Nanci Lee Woody
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Jacqueline Elshabazz
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This book was a very nice change for me ,
Question was why did she held on to such a simple thing as a white lace handkerchief that belonged to her late mother seaming she had such a dark past.
As always the reviewer tells it like it is .
Very nice job thank you for the review.
Question was why did she held on to such a simple thing as a white lace handkerchief that belonged to her late mother seaming she had such a dark past.
As always the reviewer tells it like it is .
Very nice job thank you for the review.
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Jacqueline Elshabazz
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Seamus always wanted to build a theme park. It was one of his life long dreams and bridget wanted to erect a memorial built inside the theme park,dedicated to telling the full Irish story . This book House of eire by June gillam was one of my best reads in a long time
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