Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Apr 23

6

Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan- Review

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 6, 2023
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2023 • Historical Fiction  | Tagged With: , , , , | 1 Comment

Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce DonovanThe Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan

Publisher:  DX Varos Publishing (March 7, 2023)
Category: Literary Fiction, British and Irish Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Tour Dates March 13-April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065702
Available in Print and ebook, 396 pages

Campbell Sisters

Description Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


Helen Campbell is the eldest and most practical of three sisters, daughters of hard-working Irish emigrants living in New York City in the 1950s. She does what she can to keep the wild-child middle sister, Carolyn, in line and support the youngest, Peggy, as she pursues her dreams of becoming a doctor. Then Helen meets Charlie.

While it’s love at first sight for those two, Carolyn’s antics threatens to derail all the sisters’ future happiness. However, through thick and thin, the three sisters strive to prevail, though not necessarily in the ways they thought they wanted.

My Thoughts Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


The Campbell Sisters takes place in 1950’s New York City.  All three sisters are in their 20s and still living with their parents in an apartment.  They are Irish Americans.

The three sisters share a room so are always pretty aware of what each are up to. Helen, the oldest sister, is pretty much in charge, as her mother has always reminded her that she is the oldest. She is also considered a spinster and the age of 25 because she is not married.

Helen works at an orphanage and takes her class to the park.  They are not allowed to bring any toys however, one of the boys sneaks a ball out and it goes sailing into the bicycle lane.  He runs after it and is hit by a bike.  The man riding the bike, Charlie, feels awful and wants to help. He insists on carrying the boy back to the orphanage with Helen and her charges.  Then he asks Helen out and waits for her until she is done working for the day.

After that day, they went out frequently. Charlie is a boxer and one night, he takes her to see a fight. The fight did not bother her however, the other thing she saw across from their seats did.  She saw her middle sister, Carolyn with her boss.  Long after Helen comes home, her sister Carolyn appears climbing into their second floor, bedroom window.  Helen confronts her.

Their parents heard and in the morning at breakfast, they confront Carolyn.  Even though the girls are grown, they have a curfew and their dad is very strict about it.  He told Carolyn that since is will not follow his rules, she will have to move out by the end of the month.  For Carolyn, she digs herself a hole, deeper and deeper.

Their youngest sister Peggy, is studying to become a doctor.  While out celebrating with Helen and Charlie one nights, She meets Charlie’s best friend and manager, Joe.  Sparks fly.

Some of what happens is predictable however, that does not detract from the novel.  It is well written and 1950’s New York is brought back to life in all it’s grandeur and some of it’s underbelly as well.  The characters are well written as well.  I felt like I was there as part of the family.  In fact, I think it would make an excellent movie!

‘The Campbell Sisters’ is a gem of a book and I highly recommend it! I give it all 5 stars.  I will be thinking of the characters for a long time to come!

About Eileen Joyce DonovanCampbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


Eileen Joyce Donovan has been writing her entire life, in one way or another, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for clients. At the persistent urging of her husband, she finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of her stories and take the plunge. Years later, her persistence paid off and both her debut historical fiction, Promises, and her second novel, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, won prestigious awards. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, and her essays have been included in various Chicken Soup for the Soul editions.

She lives in Manhattan, New York and is a member of Authors Guild, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and The Historical Novel Society.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/etdonovan1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileen.donovan.923

Buy Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


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DX Varos Publishing
Bookshop.org
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Follow Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


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Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan

Aug 22

9

Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa: Giveaway

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on August 9, 2022
Posted in My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , , , , | 5 Comments

Making of Her by Bernadette JiwaThe Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa

Thanks to Emily Canders of Dutton, I am giving away two print copies of ‘The Making of Her’.

Description Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa


An unforgettable debut novel about family secrets, falling apart, and coming together.

Dublin 1996. Joan Egan lives an enviable life. She and her husband, Martin, and daughter, Carmel, are thriving in Dublin at the dawn of an economic boom. But everything changes when Joan receives a letter from Emma, the daughter who she and Martin gave up for adoption thirty years before, asking for a life-or-death favor.

While Joan grapples with the guilt over giving up her baby long ago, she must confront her present as the cracks in her marriage become impossible to ignore and simmering tension with Carmel boils over. Meanwhile, Carmel and Emma must come to terms with the perceived sins of their mother, to imagine a future for their family before it is too late.

Spanning the nineties and the sixties, with Dublin as its backdrop, The Making of Her is the tender and page-turning story of marriage, motherhood, a culture that would not allow a woman to find true happiness–and her journey to finally claim it.

Advance Praise Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa


“Bernadette Jiwa’s powerful debut serves as a tribute to motherhood and the strength of women.”—Veranda

“Memorable insights are quotable and the ending is satisfyingly true to the ups and downs experienced by Joan’s extended family. Fans of Maeve Binchey, Cathy Kelly, or Adriana Trigiani may find a new favorite author here.”—Booklist (starred)

“The Making of Her sucked me in from the very first page, and didn’t let up until I’d turned the last. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, it is an exquisite examination of the secrets that haunt us. I cried several times. A stunning debut.”—Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister

“The Making of Her is a compelling and tender exploration of the unattainable expectations of women, the shame and guilt inherent in motherhood, and the reverberations of the hardest choices we make. Jiwa gives us a beautifully crafted, thought-provoking novel that ultimately celebrates the strength of women. A true pleasure to read.”
—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push

“An absorbing, brilliantly paced book; I didn’t want it to end.”—Roddy Doyle

About Bernadette Jiwa


Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa

(c)Andrew Campbell

Bernadette Jiwa was born into a house with no books and a home full of stories, in Dublin, Ireland. She migrated to the UK in the 1980s, raised three sons with her husband, and now lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is the creator and leader of The Story Skills Workshop—a program that has taught thousands of people to harness the power of their everyday stories.

Website:  https://bernadettejiwa.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bernadettejiwa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernadettejiwa/

Buy Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa


Amazon
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IndieBound

Giveaway Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa


This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on August 26, 2022 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Jun 16

14

Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford: Giveaway

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on June 14, 2016
Posted in Book Tours • My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , , | 9 Comments

Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane StratfordRadio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford


Thanks to Lauren Burnstein of  Berkley/NAL, I am giving away one print copy of Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford.

Description of Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford


The Great War is over, and change is in the air, in this novel that brings to life the exciting days of early British radio…and one woman who finds her voice while working alongside the brilliant women and men of the BBC. 

London, 1926. American-raised Maisie Musgrave is thrilled to land a job as a secretary at the upstart British Broadcasting Corporation, whose use of radio—still new, strange, and electrifying—is captivating the nation. But the hectic pace, smart young staff, and intimidating bosses only add to Maisie’s insecurity. 

Soon, she is seduced by the work—gaining confidence as she arranges broadcasts by the most famous writers, scientists, and politicians in Britain. She is also caught up in a growing conflict between her two bosses, John Reith, the formidable Director-General of the BBC, and Hilda Matheson, the extraordinary director of the hugely popular Talks programming, who each have very different visions of what radio should be. Under Hilda’s tutelage, Maisie discovers her talent, passion, and ambition. But when she unearths a shocking conspiracy, she and Hilda join forces to make their voices heard both on and off the air…and then face the dangerous consequences of telling the truth for a living.

Praise for Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford


“Radio Girls carries readers on a memorable, eye-opening journey to London in the 1920s and ’30s, a pivotal time in the history of women’s rights, politics, and the arts. Sarah-Jane Stratford’s storytelling skills are on vivid display throughout, and the strong, believable, and immensely human Maisie Musgrave is the best imaginable guide to that vanished time and place.”—Joseph Wallace, Author of Slavemakers

“A bright, appealing novel about the early days of the BBC and the women behind its brilliant programming…. [The] depiction of female friendship and support is one of the great strengths of Stratford’s novel, which so capably describes its characters’ thirst for knowledge, for information of all kinds. An intoxicating look inside a world of innovative new media.”—Kirkus Reviews

About Sarah-Jane StratfordRadio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford


Sarah-Jane Stratford is an author and essayist who has written for the Guardian, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Review of Books, Slate, Salon, and Guernica, among others. She is also a member of WAM! (Women, Action, and the Media).

Giveaway of Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford


This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on July 8, 2016 at midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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