First Jessie and Abby arrived from the convent to help Mary Kate. Gradually the boarding house filled up with the young and not so young and it wasn't long before the peace and tranquility of the beautiful home seemed to them all like family. Polly and Orla now worked at the exclusive department store in the city, while Mrs Lamb and Eliza did the cooking. Colleen and Rosa couldn't have been happier - but there were secrets behind each person's closed doors. And would the new guest - one that puzzled Mary Kate - uncover more secrets or just be passing through? Writing this through tears, the funniest, most tearful book I’ve ever read. Fantastic.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars There is so much to love about this novel and I highly recommend it to all who crave heartfelt, touching stories that sweep you away to a gentler, kinder place. A story where loving and helping your neighbour is number one. How many would do the wonderful things this woman has done with what she was given? Are her motives pure? Yes, the only satisfaction she seeks is to see another person happy. The Irish Boarding House is truly a refreshing reading experience. Without question, a 5 Star inspirational story. Sandy’s eighth novel, THE IRISH BOARDING HOUSE, was published by Bookouture on 1 September 2022 reaching #1 in the British and Irish Historical Literature category within six days of publication.

The Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor | Waterstones

I loved meeting all the ladies who came to live in the boarding house, with their stories. The characters are drawn so well that you really feel as though you are living amongst them. Oh my word what a story, I loved this book; witty, enchanting, that will definitely pull at your heartstrings as you read.” Goodreads Reviewer, 5 star Mary Kate Ryan was brought up by her grandparents after her mother left her there as a baby. On their death she was thrown out of the house & went to Dublin. In 1952, after going from one gloomy boarding house to another, struggling to make ends meet she decides that her life is not worth living. But someone is looking out for her & a solicitor finds her & tells her that her mother has died a rich woman & left everything to her. It takes a while for this to sink in but when she sees a run down but beautiful house she decides to open a boarding house, but one where the residents are cared for. Both had been somewhat awkward, of course. She had been made awkward by her not wishing to receive the news in too cavalier a fashion or to seem to have connived and Polly had been made awkward not merely because allusions of that kind always made her awkward but also because she did not wish it to be thought that in her wise innocence she had divined the intention behind her mother’s tolerance. Mary Kate Ryan had lived with her grandparents on Tanner's Row in Dublin since her mother had abandoned them all when she was a baby, and when first her grandmother, then grandfather died and she no longer had a home, she felt lost and alone. The boarding houses she went to were dingy and dirty, nothing felt right anymore. The day she received a letter from a solicitor, her life changed - the money that was now hers saw Mary Kate buy a beautiful old home that had been left to ruin. Mary Kate had it renovated and turned into the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies.The boarding house was a warm refuge, filled with caring people. People who, though not related by blood were indeed a sort of 'family'. It was the sort of place you would want to live yourself. Thank you Bookoutre for a copy of The Irish Boarding house by Sandy Taylor. This is another beautifully written and heart-warming tale set in Dublin in 1952. I have all the authors books and she never disappoint. That being said - I still liked it? It's weird, I don't know what to tell you. If you're looking for something that is super low stakes and just fills your heart with gooey hope and joy, this is that book. Truly. And there were times that I LOVED that. But also there were times that I was like "Yes, yes, I know, you've mentioned this before!" and wanted a bit more *oomph*.

The Boarding House Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts The Boarding House Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts

This is a sweet story of Mary Kate Ryan who has grown up in Dublin without much except her grandparents love. Mary Kate gets an unexpected inheritance from the mother who abandoned her as a baby. She uses her inheritance to buy an abandoned house and create the Dublin Boarding House for Single Ladies. And here's some quotes for you (the first one being in response to the MC's question to her grandfather - "Why should I keep a diary?"): I really enjoyed the surprising complexity of this book. There is mystery, history, extensive character development, surprises…and much more. The basic questions that arrise in regards to how much our past and our family define who we are, our place in life, and who we are to become are fundamental in this narrative. How much the misgivings of those within our lives we should allow to affect our present and future is something that we all can identify with. I read a lot of heavy historical fiction, so sweet and saccharine every now and then is a nice change. This sounds like another story full of help and good hearted people. Great review, Lynne.

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Now here's the thing about The Irish Boarding House - it had that same feeling of the world around me being erased, and I genuinely loved the characters and I didn't want to stop reading ... but it was also occasionally repetitive and simple? Plus even the *high stakes* moments never actually *felt* high stakes. I don't know that I've ever read a book that had this many plotlines wrapped up in such beautiful, tiny, lovely bows before. I attempted to leave a review on this books many months ago when I finished reading it but had technical issues. My review will be less complete since so much time has passed since finishing it. It’s heart-wrenching storyline will totally absorbed. Will totally capture your heart. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.” Good Reads Reviewer A beautifully written tale of friendship, family, loyalty and betrayal. It is in turn both heart-warming and tragic.” The Welsh Librarian

The Irish Boarding House: Completely heart-warming Irish

Oh my word what a story, I loved this book; witty, enchanting, that will definitely pull at your heartstrings as you read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars Mary Kate had a tough life and when she gets an unexpected windfall/inheritance. she wants to make life more comfortable for other single women. The Boarding House’ is one of the 15 stories that make up James Joyce’s 1914 collection of short stories, Dubliners. As we’ve remarked before, Dubliners is now regarded as one of the landmark texts of modernist literature, but initially sales were poor, with just 379 copies being sold in the first year (famously, 120 of these were bought by Joyce himself). You can read ‘The Boarding House’ here before proceeding to our summary and analysis of the story. WOW!!!!! An unforgettable journey of hope, love, heartbreak… I fell in love with the characters right away.” A Book With Review, 5 stars Poor Mary Kate was so down on herself and to be honest within these first few introductory chapters there really wasn’t much that would endear you to her as a character. But when she receives a letter in the box her fortunes are changed and this came at just the right point as things really were at a bad crossroads for Mary Kate. A solicitor writes to tell her that she is now a wealthy woman having inherited her mother’s fortune and several properties in London. From here on in there is a remarkable transformation in Mary Kate. It was like the burdens were shed from her shoulders and she was determined to do good in her life both for herself and so many others. I loved that yes there was still a slight bitterness towards her mother abandoning her but that she took the money and was determined to do good with it. New clothes, a new hairstyle and wearing makeup for the first time see a new Mary Kate for the first time and I loved seeing her confidence and ambition just grow and grow throughout the book. She was determined that every day was going to be a red letter day and that she would spread her good fortune to others in the hopes of improving other people’s lives too.The protagonist of the story, Mrs. Mooney is Polly’s mother and the owner of the boarding house. She is a formidable woman with a scheme to marry her daughter off. As a butcher’s daughter… This was such a unique book in that it takes place within the 1950s Ireland and I honestly feel that there are not enough books that better explore this decade within the UK. This novel was heart-warming and filled with delightful, likeable characters. Set in Dublin in the 1950s, it was peopled with mostly Catholic women - women who had faced adversity of one kind or another.