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There are currently 21 member reviews
for The Disenchanted Widow
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Laurie H. (Stuart, FL)
Something Different!
This book is outside the norm of what I read. I had a bit of a struggle at the beginning of the book with the dialog, but I did get it and enjoyed the book. I have been surprised that the books I wouldn't normally read are becoming my favorites! Give it a chance if you are on the fence!!
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Carol G. (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)
The Disenchanted Widow
I wanted to read this book because of interest in the time frame - Belfast in the 1980's. However, I felt the dialogue was a struggle sometimes with the heavy use of the Irish dialect.
The cast of characters is certainly entertaining, but sometimes brings a little confusion to the story. The book was a little lengthy for this plot although I don't have a problem reading longer novels. All in all, I liked the book, especially the unexpected ending.
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Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
The Disenchanted Widow
Touching on the terrorism of the 1980s in Ireland, the heroine of this novel, Bessie, is sought by the an IRA enforcer - The Dentist. Along with her son, Herkie, she flees Belfast to settle in a busy little village where everyone knows each other and each others business. The author's main message...The future can be better than the past, especially if you have the courage to overcome the obstacles in your way. I found that the dialogue/Irish vernacular made it somewhat difficult to read at first - slowed down my reading pace. However, after I finally got the rhythm, I found the book an enjoyable read filled with quirky characters and some amusing moments.
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Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY)
The Disenchanted Widow
I read "The Misremembered Man", the author's previous Tailortown novel, and enjoyed it. In this new novel Bessie Lawless arrives in the sleepy Ulster village during "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland in 1981. In both novels we meet unique characters. They display the many faces of human nature. This is a multi-layered story written in the Irish "voice". A mystery is unraveled and the ending is both satisfying and rewarding.
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Jill S. (Eagle, ID)
The disenchanted widow
Fleeing from an IRA enforcer, Bessie and her young son find themselves in a small town in Ireland-Tailorstown. The inhabitants of Tailorstown are revealed as the story progresses. But this is no sleepy village! McKenna takes readers on so many twists and turns, that you can't put the book down. The ending is suspenseful and thrilling. This is one book that I'll recommend to my book club.
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Penny P. (Santa Barbara, CA)
Disenchanted Widow
I had some difficulty getting into this book. I was reading another book that I really liked so put this one down for a while. I had a rainy day with nothing to do so finally started reading this. Once I got past the accents, I did enjoy the book. I found the historical perspective of Ireland in the 80's interesting as well as many of the characters in the village. This book served to remind me that so often in life,we end up where never thought about being dealing with people we had no idea we would ever know. I may recommend this to my book club.
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Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
Great Read
This book has more twists and turns than a crooked country road. It is filled with wonderful characters; the town busy body, small boy who could have come out of a Charles Dickens novel, his beautiful mother, a priest with a secret and many more. They all are in a tiny Irish village where "everyone knows your name." There is a mystery thrown it too.
It is a page turner and I will recommend it to my book club.
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