Of Irish Blood--A Novel

December 1, 2014

In 1903, Nora Kelly, escaping an abusive lover, leaves her home in Chicago's Irish enclave for Paris. Her talents as a designer get her a job in a fashion house, sketching dresses and giving tours of the city to the house's wealthy clients. Soon she's hobnobbing with a Left Bank salon society of poets, intellectuals, and political activists. As the Great War looms and the battle for Irish independence intensifies, Nora's friends urge her to fight for her heritage. She becomes a spy for a time, launders French francs through her American bank account, and falls in love with a student researcher who's trying to preserve historic Irish manuscripts. He's also likely a spy. Nora is rapidly sucked into the maelstrom of the Irish rebellion and bears witness to its bloodshed and political turmoil. VERDICT Inspired by the life of the author's (Galway Bay) great-aunt, Nora's story is a broad sweeping historical saga; what sets it apart from other novels about the Irish War of Independence is its feisty character development, feminist viewpoint, and excellent writing. It will have wide appeal to readers of both Irish history and historical novels, as well as those wishing to sink their teeth into a really good story.--Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA

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