4.25 ⭐

Blurb: “Fiercely independent and passionate, Brigid feels hindered by her family and the strict society of her small Irish town in the early 1900s.

Brigid and her cousin Molly, who is more like a sister, dream of a new life in the seemingly unlimited land of opportunity they call Yankeeland-America. Brigid gets her chance when she emigrates with her husband Ben and her brother James, while Molly stays in Ireland.

But when Brigid's quest to have a child leads her to seek unconventional help, her mental stability is questioned. She is soon caught up in a patriarchal medical establishment she has little power to fight.

The new life in America Brigid dreamed about takes a drastic turn. Decades later Brigid's grandniece discovers a sack full of letters between the two cousins. She unravels the story and vows to tell the tale of what really happened to Brigid in Yankeeland.”

The Plot: Oh my lord. I am still shaken about what happened to Brigid and her family. I did not know where this book was going at all and I am still in shock. From a small town in Ireland to the busy and growing cities in America, Lacy Fewer will take you on an incredible journey of one young woman’s dream of something more for her life that, ultimately, led to tragedy. I am so glad Fewer wrote this book because she can educate others about the tragic discovery she made when she found her grandaunt’s letters. It makes me so sad to think that many women (men and children, too) suffered from physical and mental illnesses due to ignorance and prejudice that ran rampant in America during that period of history. 😢 The societal pressures on women to remain at home and take care of their husbands like servants and produce babies like rabbits made me angry. I believe women have a choice to be who they want to be, whether it be CEOs of a company or mothers and wives. No choice has greater value than the other. ♥️

The Writing: Fewer is a talented writer! The book was easy to read, was incredibly interesting, and kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen to the Kelly family. The story flowed well and was clear and concise. 👍

The Characters: Brigid was just as the blurb described her: fiercely independent and passionate. She was such a sweet soul who wasn’t afraid to stand for what she believed in and she loved her family and her husband, Ben, very much. ♥️ Ben was supportive, kind, and very loving to Brigid, which makes this whole thing even more heartbreaking! 😭 Ugh! I just wanted to hug Brigid and let her know everything would be alright! James, Brigid’s brother, was another great character I rooted for. He was a kind, peaceful lad who only wanted to make the world a better place, although he was haunted by what happened to his family. There were others in this book that I did not like (I’m looking at you Dr. Payne. Your name suits you well 🤨), but you’re going to have to read it to find out for yourself. 😉

Overall Thoughts: I enjoyed this book, albeit it was heartbreaking. I’ve been wanting to read more books by Irish authors, so when I saw that this book was accessible on NetGalley, I seized the opportunity to read it. And I am so glad that I did.

Content Warnings: mental illness, misogyny, miscarriage, s*xual assault

I received a free digital arc from the publishers via NetGalley. All opinions and statements are my own.

#Yankeeland #NetGalley