The Lady of Galway Manor

The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel is a tale about a father and son silversmith's who create claddagh rings and an English lady who wishes to learn the craft. The author transports readers back to 1920 in Ireland when the Irish rebellion is taking place. When Galway City gets a new English landlord, tensions rise. I thought The Lady of Galway Manor was well-written with developed characters. The author captured the time and place beautifully. The feelings between the English and Irish were realistic along with the attitudes of the people on both sides. The story captured the unrest and instability in Ireland. It was a tense time in the Emerald Isle. I liked Anna or Lady Annabeth De Lacy. She is an intelligent, creative, and compassionate woman. Stephen shows her around the city, and she gets a chance to truly experience it. She is amazed at the creativity (the arts) of the people. I just loved Stephen's father, Seamus. He is a lively character who added humor to the story. Stephen is a dower fellow who wishes to get away from the legend of the Claddagh. Life has dealt Stephen some cruel blows which have changed him. He is bitter and is not willing to let go of it. The vivid descriptions of Galway City brought the scenery alive for me. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Claddagh (I have a sterling Irish Claddagh ring of my own). The romance between Stephen and Anna developed over the course of the book. I enjoyed watching Anna and Stephen fall for each other and deal with issues keeping them apart. The ending was lovely and emotional. I like how everything played out for the characters. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will be delighted with The Lady of Galway Manor. The Lady of Galway Manor will send you back in time where there is astonishing tension, a displeased silversmith, a devious dad, an artistic Annabeth, an unsolicited suitor, and a surprising secret.