Bookouture Blog Tour for The Irish Girl by Sandy Taylor

If you know me, you know I love a good, captivating historical fiction story; and, being half Irish (and half Italian) I do love stories about Irish immigrants. Thus, I was drawn to read The Irish Girl by Sandy Taylor, a story that focused on a young girl who escapes a ruthless criminal in London to try to make a new life for herself. While this story focused on the main character Ivy, it was a bit of a family epic, if you like those, with lots of side characters who each had their own story as well.

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

In the darkest days of war, can she find a place to call home?

1939: When tragedy strikes in the East End of London, thirteen-year-old Ivy Connell and her little brother Fred find themselves orphaned. Holding Fred’s small hand, she knows she must keep him safe. So Ivy decides to leave the bombed-out streets of the city in search of the Irish village her Daddy used to tell her so many stories about.

Somehow, she’s going to get them both to Ireland…

Ivy’s heard so much about the pretty village where her Mammy and Daddy fell in love. She hopes she might find her parents’ family still living there and a home away from the bombs. On the dangerous journey, they meet other orphans – bold and adventurous Lenny Brown and clever, talkative Arthur – and they travel together across the war-ravaged country.

The friendship between the children deepens with each obstacle they overcome, and they hold onto the hope that one day they will find a place to call home.

But will Ivy be able to reach the safety of Ireland? And if she makes it there, will she be reunited with her long-lost family – or is there more heartbreak to come?

From bestselling author Sandy Taylor, comes a heart-wrenching, emotional story of the power of friendship and the importance of hope in the most difficult times. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

About the Author:

Sandy Taylor is the bestselling author of The Irish Boarding House, The Runaway Children, The Little Orphan Girl and many other heart-warming, emotional historical fiction novels. Her books have hit the top 5 in the UK and the US charts and she has almost 100 million KU pages read across her titles.

Sandy 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.