The heart and sense of fairness won’t be stopped by anything…

Synopsis

It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from.

Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband.

Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a forbidden love affair…

My review

Emma is a young New Yorker sent away by her parents to Queenstown, southern Ireland. Despite her own convictions, in 1911 women don’t have the same rights as men. And it’s her parents hope that putting some distance, Emma will be putting her thoughts and desire to be involved with the suffragette movements away.
But Emma has been through too much already and won’t be stopped fighting for women, no matter where she is living.
Her stay in Queenstown also is the start of uncovering secrets of her grandparents, which Emma is determined to uncover, with the help of hotelier Thomas. Thomas, who has given up hope to be loved and noticed by his actress wife Alice and is feeling closer to that American woman in a short period than to his own wife.
While Alice has big plans of her own, which don’t include Thomas…

Before I started to read this book, I thought I knew what this story would be about. Young woman moves to the other side of the world, meets a married man, things happen blablabla and a happily ever after happens, and the agonist gets what’s deserved.
But I was happy to realize that this story may seem thirteen in a dozen, but absolutely isn’t! 

First of all there is Emma.
Even before she sets one foot in Ireland she has been through horrendous events, which literally and figuratively scarred her.
Yet she also has this strength in her, the determination to move forward and fight for the right cause.
In the 21st century it’s hard to imagine a time where women didn’t have the rights as we do know. But reading how strong and fierce women like Emma made it possible for us to have the lives we have now, made me feel thankful, as it’s clear that the fighting sometimes has been literally. 

Emma is also determined to discover the truth about her grandparents’ past. And while initially it seemed like a real mission impossible, I admired how Emma wouldn’t just give up. And seeing that determination rewarded in several aspects, gave the past the perfect closure. 

This book also gives Alice her own space. But while I was reading her bits, my feelings towards her where the complete opposite of how I felt of Emma.
However, towards the end so many things fell into place, and the way she acted in the most precarious situations, made me change my opinion over her. I even felt sorry for her as it was clear that her situation was one that wouldn’t be easily accepted… 

The fact that there is a forbidden love affair didn’t come as a surprise. And while I have very strong and negative feelings towards affairs, it was obvious that no matter how wrong it was, it was something inevitable and right… 

Before I even realized it, I was totally immerged in this story. It is filled with strong women with strong beliefs. But it’s also about having impossible dreams and also crushed dreams.
However, it’s also about not giving up, fighting for the right cause and love. Love that let us do heart-breaking things, but also love that lets us do wonderful things. 

This author wrote a compelling story, one that was impossible to put away, even when the presence of a well – known ship made me fear for the worst possible outcome.
It made me realize that we should be grateful for the sacrifices our ancestors made, how small or big they were. But the most it made me realize that being strong women, following our hearts and fighting for the just cause is never a wrong thing to do.