Books On Tour (Review): The Orphan’s Daughter by Sandy Taylor

A beautifully written story that packs an emotional punch, The Orphan’s Daughter just rocketed to the top of my favorites list. Set in 1920s rural Ireland, it is filled with rich detail and memorable characters. The author made everything (down to inanimate objects) come alive (more on that in a bit).

One of the strengths of this book was the way the author circled back around to moments or thoughts. For example, the book starts with Nora and her friend Kitty grading a funeral. Their doing so illustrates the innocence of youth. Later in the book, when there is a personal loss, Nora realizes how much they did not consider the feelings of the mourners. The book is filled with moments like this, which showed real character growth.

Nora is a character one can naturally root for because she is just a good person. I enjoyed Nora’s interactions with people. I especially liked the exchanges with Kitty when Nora used a big word (“Grandad Doyle?” “The very man.”) That was a little detail, but it illustrated the closeness of the girls and the respect that Nora had for her grandfather (which arguably set her at least partially on her path mid-way through the book).

As to those inanimate objects coming to life? Seemingly innocuous items (a wall, a chair, a dress) have an impact on Nora’s life as much as a person might. While the objects can’t show emotion, they can undoubtedly evoke it. This is another aspect that I thought the author did very well. In a like manner, the town of Ballybun was a character in its own right. The author did a phenomenal job of describing rural Ireland so that the reader got a full picture of the town and its people.

There is real emotion throughout the book as well, and the author does a spectacular job of conveying the highs and lows as Nora experiences them. Her joy and sadness, her sense of wonder at finding something amazing, and her confusion when she can’t sort out her emotions are all detailed and completely natural within Nora’s personality.

Ultimately, the story is about love, loss, and the sacrifices that one makes. The tag line calls it “heartbreaking and unforgettable,” and both are true. I cried more than a few times (which rarely happens to me), and there were moments of beauty that will stay with me for quite a while. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up today.

Author Bio

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.