Review:
I didn’t know what to expect from Dear Missing Friend – an epistolary – an historical novel written entirely in the form of letters. Would the concept of reading through the letter writers’ eyes provide us with a solid narrative? I needn't have wondered.
The main protagonist is Catherine McGuirk, a young Irishwoman who leaves her impoverished homeland with two older brothers for a new life in New York. But the city doesn't fulfil any of the promises, and they soon find themselves looking at alternatives.
Moving around the east coast, they finally settle. Tor, the eldest, now owns a farm, while Frank is looking for work linked to the successful whaling industry.
On her journey across the Atlantic, Cath received an offer of marriage by Patrick, another young man drawn to the New World. But she declined, seeking a new beginning as a governess. However, old societal structures are still well in place in mid-19th century America, and she is forced to change her plans repeatedly, adjusting to challenging situations.
When she falls for adventurous whaler Michael Heffernan, her brothers warn her, but she marries him, regardless of any nagging concerns. He will give up his dangerous life for her. Won't he?
Dear Missing Friend gives us a fascinating, first-hand glimpse at the daily struggles Irish immigrants faced in forging a new – supposedly better – life for themselves. The letters, written by Cath for the most part, but also Patrick, her brothers and friends, and Michael, take us on a compelling journey with them. We experience their joys and frustrations, their fears, hopes, and failures first hand, which makes some scenes described harrowing, but incredibly powerful at the same time.
This isn't an impersonal narrator telling a story; it's the very people who have braved a dangerous crossing, disease, exploitative gangs, threats, great personal losses, economic changes, the gold rush and its pitiable working conditions, and loneliness.
For me, the letters served as a close, detailed account of everything these people went through, especially Cath, who never gives up on her dream of becoming a governess, despite all her discouraging experiences. We continue reading with anticipation and hope, dread and relief. Cath's own, often conflicting emotions leap from the pages, and as readers, we feel her frustration and pain, and applaud her sheer determination and bravery. Left alone by a husband chasing one dream after another, she has no choice but to try to make things work out for her. Her courage is extraordinary.
Ms McGuirk's research into the lives of Irish immigrants in the mid-1800s is incredible, and she doesn't gloss over the real challenges these people faced. Theirs was not a happy-ever-after life, but it provided them with more opportunities than their homeland.
Dear Missing Friend isn't only a novel about new beginnings, and everything that entails; it's a story about people's fraught emotions, fears, and crushed dreams – but also of hope, determination, and courage.
A compelling, highly recommended read.
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Buy Link:
This title is available to read on #Kindle+.
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Susan McGuirk
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