Book Review and Giveaway: The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

** this giveaway is closed ***

Happy St Patrick's Day! 

I have the PERFECT giveaway for today- not one but TWO books of Irish Fiction for the winner! WOO HOO!

Synopsis: Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone.


When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast. Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.

About the Author: Born and raised by her grandmother in Newry, Northern Ireland, at the age of eight she was brought to England to live with her parents.  At age twenty years old she set off for America with $200 in her pocket, landing in New York, then Omaha, Nebraska. After two years working for the Job Corps, She moved to Boston and received a foreign student scholarship from Suffolk University. She succumbed to pressure to switch her major from English to Business, and thus abandoned her dream ofbecoming a writer - an abandonment that was to last over30 years.


She made a full-time commitment to her dream after the voice in her head became so insistent she could no longer ignore the urge to write a book! Thus after years of struggle and doubt and fear, she took the leap of faith, quit her job, and devoted herself full time to writing her first novel, "The Yellow House, this is her Second Book!


Review: As you know, I LOVED The Yellow House! I think I love this book even more! There was SO much in this book about Ireland during the War (WWII), that it gave you a different perspective on 'the American invasion'. Every woman will be able to relate to Sheila's desire to make something better for her life than factory work. The author wasted years by not writing- her characters are true to life and make you want to read the whole book in one sitting (ok, I did it in two!). the twists and turns in the plot are unexpected and make the journey of the characters even more realistic!  If you can finish one of her books without a profound desire to travel to Ireland, I would be shocked! But thi sbook on your MUST read list!

Giveaway:

Winner will receive their own copies of 
the Linen Queen AND the Yellow House!

 Entries:

Make sure I have an email address, with your comment, 

so I can contact you,if you win! 
If I don't have a way to contact you, you will forfeit your win!

USA /Canada
(NO PO Boxes, company rules)

           3 day winner's rule : Winner has 3 days to acknowledge they won prize,

and confirm address, if no contact, then new winner will be picked in their place. 

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Contest will end on March 31st, at midnight. Winner will be picked by Random Number (random.org) on April 1st, and emailed. As soon as winners' info is received, I will email their info to Hachette Book Group who will mail the books to the winner directly!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book for review purposes, free of charge, from 

Hachette Book Group ! No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.