Product Description

Molly O'Connor's life was not an easy one. With six children and a husband who earned what he could as casual farmhand, fisherman, or drover, it was a constant struggle to keep her family fed and raised to be respectable. Of all her children, Breda - the Bright One - was closest to her heart. As, one by one, her other children left Kilbally, Kathleen and Kieran to the Church, Moira to marriage, the twins to war, so Breda, the youngest, was the one who stayed close to her parents. Breda never wanted to leave the West of Ireland. She though Kilbally was the most beautiful place in the world. Then tragedy struck the O'Connors and the structure of their family life was irrevocably changed. Reeling from unhappiness and humiliation, Breda decided to make a new life for herself - in Yorkshire with her Aunt Josie's family. There she was to discover a totally different world from the one she had left behind, with new people and new challenges for the future.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125028 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 476 pages

From the Back Cover
Molly O'Connor's life was not an easy one. With six children and a husband who earned what he could as casual farmhand, fisherman, or drover, it was a constant struggle to keep her family fed and raised to be respectable. Of all her children, Breda - the Bright One - was closest to her heart. As, one by one, her other children left Kilbally, Kathleen and Kieran to the Church, Moira to marriage, the twins to war, so Breda, the youngest, was the one who stayed close to her parents. Breda never wanted to leave the West of Ireland. She though Kilbally was the most beautiful place in the world.

Then tragedy struck the O'Connors and the structure of their family life was irrevocably changed. Reeling from unhappiness and humiliation, Breda decided to make a new life for herself - in Yorkshire with her Aunt Josie's family. There she was to discover a totally different world from the one she had left behind, with new people and new challenges for the future.

About the Author
Elvi Rhodes
Elvi Rhodes was born and educated in Yorkshire, and now lives on the Sussex coast. She is the author of many bestselling novels including Cara's Land, Ruth Appleby, The Mountain, Portrait of Chloe, Spring Music, Midsummer Meeting, The Birthday Party and Mulberry Lane, all published in paperback by Corgi Books.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book; a time capsule of life in Ireland
Set around WW II, this book interested me because I am engaged in genealogy. I found the book to be a quick read, very fast paced and interesting. There was great attention to small details which I very much liked. I highly recommend the book to any female from young teen upwards. It will help those genealogists out there who are descended from Galway ancestors as it is an invaluable tool in helping them to understand how well or ill life treated those who remained behind. The Bright One delves deeply into the Irish mindset. Also recommended as the heroine has the high morals of a time long past while being somewhat head-strong and determined.

Cynthia