On Tour: The Godforsaken Daughter by Christina McKenna and a Giveaway!

The Godforsaken Daughter

The Godforsaken Daughter by Christina McKenna
Print and e-book, 396 pages
Published March 17th 2015 by Lake Union Publishing

When Ruby Clare’s father was alive, they happily toiled together on their small dairy farm in Northern Ireland. Since his death seven months ago, Ruby—thirty-three years old, plain, and plump—has become a veritable drudge for Martha, her endlessly critical mother. Then comes the day when Ruby finds her late grandmother’s old suitcase in the attic. Among its strange contents: a slim, handmade volume called The Book of Light.

The deeper Ruby delves into its mysterious pages, the more confident she feels. But Martha, convinced that her newly empowered daughter must be possessed, enlists the help of psychiatrist Henry Shevlin. Henry is unflappable on the surface, yet inwardly he’s reeling from his wife’s unexplained disappearance the year before. As Ruby undergoes therapy alongside other local patients, including lonely bachelor farmer Jamie McCloone, all their lives intersect in unexpected ways. And Ruby, alone for so long, finds the courage to connect—with Jamie, with Henry, and with her own loving, indomitable spirit.

Purchase Links 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

My thoughts about The Godforsaken Daughter ~~

Okay, I have to admit that this book started off a little slow for me and it seemed like it was going to be rather daunting to finish. Maybe it was because when I started it, I didn't have big chunks of time to devote to reading and I just didn't connect with the characters. But that all changed very quickly when I got a handle on the characters and the story captured my attention from then on. Then I didn't want to stop reading! 

I really liked the character of Ruby and I detested the way her own mother and sisters treated her. I loved it when she was able to stand up to them and started to live her life the way she wanted to. But what a price she had to pay. 

This following passage is one of my favorites and I had to stop and think about it for a bit. It does make some sense, I guess, in certain circumstances. 

'Ranfurly looked at the doubtless long-suffering Paddy with a newfound respect, and concluded that the ideal marriage would surely be between a blind woman and a deaf man.'

And I love it when I find the connection between the story and the title. Sometimes it's very easy to determine what the title has to do with the story and sometimes, not so much. This was a great connection.

'Just so you know, Dr. Shelvin, this ... this ... godforsaken daughter of mine's been dabbling in black magic, like her grandmother before her. It comes full circle, you know. God knows, she most likely needs an exorcism as well as the asylum.'  

I discovered after I was done with The Godforsaken Daughter that it's book #3 in the Tailorstown Series. I didn't know that when I started the book but I totally didn't feel like I was missing anything. Book #1 is The Misremembered Man. Book #2 is The Disenchanted Widow. I guess I'll be adding these to my TBR list. 

About the author 

Christina McKenna grew up on a farm near the village of Draperstown in Northern Ireland. She attended the Belfast College of Art, where she obtained an honors degree in fine art and studied English in postgraduate studies at the University of Ulster. In 1986, she left Northern Ireland to work abroad. She has lived, worked, and painted pictures in Spain, Turkey, Italy, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Connect with Christina 

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads

Visit other stops on the tour here.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing a copy for the giveaway! 

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