Discover Well-Read Black Girl Books and the projects reshaping publishing →

Book Summary and Reviews of The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

The Connellys of County Down

A Novel

by Tracey Lange

  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Readers' Rating (11):
  • Published:
  • Aug 2023, 288 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

From Tracey Lange, the New York Times bestselling author of We Are the Brennans, comes The Connellys of County Down: a story about fierce family loyalty, good intentions gone awry, and the consequences of improbable love.

When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won't be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister's fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys' secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Discuss the childhood tragedy of the Connellys and how that affected their relationship as siblings. What was surprising or different than you expected?
  2. Tara keeps secrets to protect her siblings. Do you believe there are situations where keeping secrets from loved ones is a good thing, or will keeping secrets always cause trouble eventually?
  3. What were your opinions of Geraldine in the beginning of the novel, and how did your perception of her change throughout the story? Did you grow more sympathetic toward her as her character progressed through the story?
  4. What factors do you think are holding Eddie back from living the life he wants?
  5. Discuss the unlikely relationship between Tara and Brian. What endeared her ...
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

"[T]he author conjures human moments with a convincing naturalistic style. This emotionally charged story delivers the goods." ―Publishers Weekly

"A compassionate look at family dynamics and a reminder that it's never too late to heal." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Lange's strong follow-up to her debut, We Are the Brennans (2021), explores how family dynamics are both created and sustained. " —Booklist

This information about The Connellys of County Down was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Betty_Taylor

A Beautiful and Moving Story About Life in Revolutionary Iran
Tracey Lange has crafted an absolute gem with “The Connellys of County Down.” This novel dives deep into the complexities of family, loyalty, and second chances in a way that feels both poignant and incredibly relatable. The Connellys are messy, flawed, and imperfect—just like most families—but their fierce love and loyalty for one another shine through on every page.

Tara’s journey of rebuilding her life after prison and reconnecting with her siblings, Eddie and Geraldine, is beautifully written and full of heart. Each sibling struggles with their own burdens—be it Eddie’s brain injury or Geraldine’s secret-laden attempt at perfection—but Lange weaves their stories together seamlessly, showing how love and resilience can help heal even the deepest wounds.

The dynamics between the Connellys are rich and layered, pulling you into their lives so completely that you feel like you’re right there with them, rooting for their redemption and growth. Lange’s prose is compassionate and honest, exploring themes of forgiveness, love, and what it truly means to be family, even when life throws you curveballs.

With relatable characters, touching moments of vulnerability, and an engaging plot that keeps you hooked, this story is as much about the power of love and connection as it is about finding strength within ourselves. If you enjoy family dramas with heartfelt, character-driven storytelling, you won’t want to miss this one.

kdowli01

4.5 stars - great story, great characters
This was so good! I absolutely loved all the characters, and it was surprisingly emotional. This is the next book by the author of We Are the Brennans, which I didn't dislike, but didn't love it like others seemed to. For whatever reason, this book spoke to me so much more!

This starts with Tara Connelly getting released from prison after serving 18 months for drug trafficking. She goes back home to live with her brother and sister, who each have their own secrets, which all come together in a way that risks their family and Tara's newfound freedom.

I loved how every character had their (in some cases very significant) issues, and how real the interactions between them felt. It was easy to root for each of them but also dislike each of them in turn. I ended up just a hair shy of 5 stars because some parts came together slightly too perfectly and I was just so frustrated by some stupid decisions, but this was still such a good read!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Author Information

Tracey Lange

Tracey Lange was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.

More Author Information

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Connellys of County Down, try these:

  • The Favor jacket

    The Favor

    by Nora Murphy

    Published 2023

    About this book

    A gripping debut domestic suspense novel, Nora Murphy's thrilling The Favor explores with compassion and depth what can happen when women pushed to the limit take matters into their own hands.

  • Normal People jacket

    Normal People

    by Sally Rooney

    Published 2020

    About this book

    A wondrous and wise coming-of-age love story from the celebrated author of Conversations with Friends

  • Barbed Wire Heart jacket

    Barbed Wire Heart

    by Tess Sharpe

    Published 2019

    About this book

    From a powerful new voice in suspense fiction comes the unforgettable story of a young woman facing the most difficult choice of her life: family loyalty, or freedom.

We have 10 read-alikes for The Connellys of County Down, but non-members are limited to three results. Join free to see the complete list of recommendations.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

More Literary Fiction

Browse all Literary Fiction books

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!
Win This Book
Win Theo of Golden

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…

Enter

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
A Pair of Aces
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Two women on opposite sides of the law team up to bring down gangster Lucky Luciano in this gripping novel.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket
    Feast
    by Catherine Kurtz
    In 19th-century France, a girl with a magical taste becomes a duc’s poison taster amid nobility and danger.
  • Book Jacket
    Somebody Worth Killing
    by Jessica Payne
    Meet Nadia Davis, loving mom, devoted wife, secret assassin… and she needs a babysitter.
  • Book Jacket
    Summer's Never Over
    by Darby Bozeman
    A woman revisits a Southern summer camp where a counselor's death may not have been an accident.
  • Book Jacket
    The Reimagining of Thornwood House
    by Jaleigh Johnson
    A witch and her ward discover a magical walking house and find the true meaning of home.
Book
Trivia
  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

S the B

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.