Sarah O'Connor

I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review. 

“Despair was like that, eating away at you from the inside, so that you hardly recognized it when you went dark. There was no point arguing with it at times like that. It would always win,” (Fahner 176).

Lizzie Donoghue wants more out of life. She wants out of the mining town of Creighton and her large Irish family’s convenience store and finds that Michael Power may be able to offer her just that. But Michael is not all that he appears to be, and Lizzie’s life will turn out anything than what she hoped it would be.

The Donoghue Girl was not the book I expected it to be. The summary on the back of the book is scant: “Longing for a life bigger than the one she inhabits, Lizzie Donoghue thinks she’s found a simple escape route in Michael Power, but soon discovers that she might have been mistaken…The Donoghue Girl is the story of Lizzie Donoghue, the spirited daughter of Irish immigrants who desperately wants to not only escape Creighton–the Northern Ontario mining town where her family runs a general store–but also the oppressive confines of twentieth century patriarchy.” The full summary gives a much better idea of what the book is about, but I was under the impression that the book would only follow Lizzie. Imagine my surprise to find that we follow Lizzie’s sister Ann through the beginning of the novel and her beau Michael Powers, who then in turn becomes Lizzie’s husband. I didn’t expect the book would focus so much on Lizzie and Michael, but even if it was just Lizzie I think I would have been disappointed anyways.

I think Fahner is a good writer. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Creighton and I liked the mention of the Ottawa Valley and Pembroke since I have family in that area, but the book really could have used a good editor. Some chapters seem to ramble on, and for a story that takes place around two years some things move at lightning speed. One Donoghue dies so early on that even though the family is mourning readers can hardly be expected to care. Fahner mentions often about what a spitfire Lizzie is and how different she is much to the chagrin of her mother, but not much of this is shown either. She’s whisked off her feet by Michael Powers after he courts Lizzie’s sister Ann and ditches her and sort of settles into her life as Michael Powers wife before that gets chaotic. Certain chapters could have been cut in favour of giving Lizzie a bit more personality, and honestly chopping Michael’s chapters altogether. I don’t care about him and any attempt to provoke sympathy failed. I actually enjoyed Ann’s chapters more, but if this is Lizzie’s story then make it Lizzie’s story.

I have one other gripe. There’s also mention of another sister who became a nun who never appears and Lizzie and siblings only seem to mention as wasting away in a nunnery. Maybe it’s because my great-aunt was a nun with the Sisters of St. Joseph just as Lizzie’s sister was, but if someone is called to the religious life why endlessly mock them for it? Why have them be a character at all if they’re only ever lamented as wasting their life and never having them appear? I can understand a person for not understanding why someone would want to dedicate themselves to the religious life, but if they do how does it actually affect you as a person?

One reviewer described this book as a romance and I do see how some readers might even if I don’t see it that way. I think historical fiction lovers looking for a more slice of life book will enjoy this, but looking for a story with meat on it will leave reader’s disappointed.

Publication: September 19 2024
Publisher: Latitude 46
Pages: 324 pages (Paperback)
Source: River Street Writes
Genre: Fiction, Canadian, Historical Fiction
My Rating: ⛤⛤.5
Summary:

Longing for a life bigger than the one she inhabits, Lizzie Donoghue thinks she’s found a simple escape route in Michael Power, but soon discovers that she might have been mistaken…
The Donoghue Girl is the story of Lizzie Donoghue, the spirited daughter of Irish immigrants who desperately wants to not only escape Creighton–the Northern Ontario mining town where her family runs a general store–but also the oppressive confines of twentieth century patriarchy. She believes her escape can be found in Michael Power, the handsome young mine manager recently arrived in Creighton from the Ottawa Valley. Caught up in a complex familial love triangle, Michael first courts Lizzie’s older sister, Ann, but then finds himself more and more drawn to Lizzie. Their lives twist and turn as they are all forced to face the harsh reality of the broken expectations of marriage and family just before the onset of WWII in Europe.