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Mary Kate Ryan was brought up by her grandparents after her mother left her there as a baby. On their death she was thrown out of the house & went to Dublin. In 1952, after going from one gloomy boarding house to another, struggling to make ends meet she decides that her life is not worth living. But someone is looking out for her & a solicitor finds her & tells her that her mother has died a rich woman & left everything to her. It takes a while for this to sink in but when she sees a run down but beautiful house she decides to open a boarding house, but one where the residents are cared for. 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 Now here's the thing about The Irish Boarding House - it had that same feeling of the world around me being erased, and I genuinely loved the characters and I didn't want to stop reading ... but it was also occasionally repetitive and simple? Plus even the *high stakes* moments never actually *felt* high stakes. I don't know that I've ever read a book that had this many plotlines wrapped up in such beautiful, tiny, lovely bows before.
The Irish Boarding House” by Sandy Taylor – Book Review “The Irish Boarding House” by Sandy Taylor – Book Review
Maybe that was what love was all about – maybe loving one person didn’t diminish your love for another, with or without the sun in your eyes.” Fictionophile’s OCTOBER 2023 #BookHaul #Bookbloggers #ForthcomingTitles #TBR #AnticipatedReads October 31, 2023 A beautifully written story of love and second chances. Its my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it, so definitely looking forward to reading more from her. 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.
Advance Praise
Mary Kate Ryan had it tough, as someone who was abandoned by her mother when she was a baby. She was happily brought up by her grandparents, but when they died, her life took a perilous turn. Suddenly, she inherits a large sum of money, which changes her life and a lot of other people besides.
The Boarding House Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts The Boarding House Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts
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. None of us knew that we were poor, so we didn’t feel hard done by, we had nothing and yet we took pleasure in the smallest of things.” A heart-wrenching story full of family secrets. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe. A beautifully written tale of friendship, family, loyalty and betrayal. It is in turn both heart-warming and tragic.” The Welsh Librarian 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.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… 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 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 This is one of the best books I have read in several years. Loved all the characters. You could relate to the story and the situations. A definite feel good book.
Summary and Analysis of James Joyce’s ‘The Boarding House’ A Summary and Analysis of James Joyce’s ‘The Boarding House’
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 Dublin, 1952: Mary Kate Ryan receives an unexpected inheritance from her mother who abandoned her when she was an infant. She never knew why her mother left her but has always wanted to know. Mary Kate is ready to refuse the money until she sees an old deserted, rundown house for sale. She dreams of turning the old house into the Dublin Boarding House to provide shelter for single women that need a roof over their head. The Dublin Boarding House is exactly the place that two young orphans need. A young pregnant teenager needs a safe place to stay for herself and her baby. The boarding house is exactly what Mary Kate needs to build lifelong friendships with those that are in the same situation she was in at one time. This was such a unique book in that it takes place within the 1950s Ireland and I honestly feel that there are not enough books that better explore this decade within the UK. 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 Mary Kate is about to refuse the money when she sees a beautiful, deserted house for sale and something sparks in her heart. She will reawaken it, as the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies, and provide a shelter for others as lost and alone as her. Can she help the two young girls left at the local orphanage, desperate for a home of their own? Or the pregnant teenager on the run, who only wants to keep her baby safe?Mrs. Mooney’s 19-year-old daughter, who does housework around the boarding house. A “very lively” young woman, she flirts with all the resident young men. She seems to be the driving force behind her relationship…
The Irish Boarding House, by Sandy Taylor - loopyloulaura
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. Sandy Taylor now lives in Somerset, England. “ The Irish Boarding House” is her eighth novel. Oh my word what a story, I loved this book; witty, enchanting, that will definitely pull at your heartstrings as you read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars Beautiful… heart-warming, and heartbreaking all at the same time… 5/5 stars.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars The protagonist of the story, Mrs. Mooney is Polly’s mother and the owner of the boarding house. She is a formidable woman with a scheme to marry her daughter off. As a butcher’s daughter…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? The focalisation of the story then shifts from Mrs Mooney to the other people involved: first, to Mr Doran, the lodger who has had sex with Polly, and then to Polly herself as she waits to go and have a frank conversation with her mother and Mr Doran about the situation, a conversation in which, it is implied at the end of the story, Mr Doran will propose to Polly.
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