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I Couldn't Love You More is a sweeping story of three generations of women, crossing from London to Ireland and back again, and the enduring effort to retrieve the secrets of the past. It’s London, 1960, and Aoife Kelly—once the sparkling object of young men’s affections—runs pubs with her brusque, barking husband, Cash. Their courtship began in wartime London, before they returned to Ireland with their daughters in tow. One of these
daughters—fiery, independent-minded Rosaleen—moves back to Lon I Couldn't Love You More is a sweeping story of three generations of women, crossing from London to Ireland and back again, and the enduring effort to retrieve the secrets of the past. It’s London, 1960, and Aoife Kelly—once the sparkling object of young men’s affections—runs pubs with her brusque, barking husband, Cash. Their courtship began in wartime London, before they returned to
Ireland with their daughters in tow. One of these daughters—fiery, independent-minded Rosaleen—moves back to London, where she meets and begins an affair with the famous sculptor Felix Lehmann, a German-Jewish refugee artist over twice her tender eighteen years. When Rosaleen finds herself pregnant with Felix’s child, she is evicted from her flat, dismissed from her job, and desperate to hide the secret from her family. Where, and to whom, can she turn? Meanwhile, Kate, another generation
down, lives in present-day London with her young daughter and husband, an unsuccessful musician and destructive alcoholic. Adopted and floundering to find a sense of herself in the midst of her unhappy marriage, Kate sets out to track down her birth mother, a search that leads her to a Magdalene Laundry in Ireland and the harrowing history that it holds. Stirring and nostalgic at moments, visceral and propulsive at others, I Couldn’t Love You More is a tender, candid portrait of love, sex,
motherhood, and the enduring ties of family. It is impossible not to fall under the spell of this tale of mothers and daughters, wives and muses, secrets and outright lies. Compassionate, moving and utterly captivating to read. Highly recommended.
DNF The timing just wasn't right for me when I picked up this book. I wasn't able to get into a good reading groove as the story bounced around too
much. I just didn't have the patience so I decided to throw in the towel around the 15% mark. Perhaps some other time I will try again as I know some of my Goodreads and bookstagram friends really enjoyed this one. The timing just wasn't right for me when I picked up this book. I wasn't able to get into a good reading groove as the story bounced around too much. I just didn't have the patience so I decided to throw in the towel around the
15% mark. Perhaps some other time I will try again as I know some of my Goodreads and bookstagram friends really enjoyed this one.
A story of family; three generations of women, from WW2 in London, to Ireland in the 60's, to the present day.
Genre: Family Saga Mini-Review As a book reviewer, I do not usually buy books. I am lucky enough to get them at no cost. But, I
accidentally bought this book. I thought I clicked, try a sample, I am glad that I made that mistake because this is a very good story. I was afraid that I bought myself a romance novel, which is a genre I do not care for. Instead, I bought a novel that examines illegitimacy in Ireland in the 1960s. The reader follows the Kelly Mini-Review As a book reviewer, I do not
usually buy books. I am lucky enough to get them at no cost. But, I accidentally bought this book. I thought I clicked, try a sample, I am glad that I made that mistake because this is a very good story. I was afraid that I bought myself a romance novel, which is a genre I do not care for. Instead, I bought a novel that examines illegitimacy in Ireland in the 1960s. The reader follows the Kelly family from pre–World War II years to more recent times. The story is about mothers, daughters, and
secrets, and it tells the narrative of three generations of women, their loves, and their decisions. The novel is narrated by: Rosaleen's mother, Aoife; Rosaleen herself; and Kate, Rosaleen's daughter who was put up for adoption 10 days after she was born. Freud’s gifts for female empathy and fluid storytelling are fully evident in “I Couldn't Love You More.” I will be reading more by this author. Find all my book reviews at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list…
Writing a review of this book I find it its necessary to distinguish the writing style from the content. The content and subject matter I can’t imagine there is a reader out there who is not
going to respond strongly to the clear injustice meted out to so many vulnerable girls over so many years in Irish convents. This is one such story. Irish convents (predominantly, but not exclusively) have received recent, and necessary, publicity leading to the publication of the McAleese Report in 2013. I can’t imagine there is a reader out there who is not going to respond strongly to the clear injustice meted out to so many vulnerable girls over so many years in Irish convents. This is one such story. Irish convents (predominantly, but not exclusively) have received recent, and necessary, publicity leading to the publication of the McAleese Report in 2013. A formal state apology followed. Even now though, many questions remain about culpability in the Magdalene laundries, and
accusations of cover up continue. There have been a number of other writers on the subject (fiction and non-fiction) who have personal connections to the demonstrably abusive regimes run by the convent, and there is so much real life material available (through records and oral history) since the convents taking
in pregnant girls were functioning from 1922 (the first convent in Dublin) through to 1996. In this context I thought that Freud’s imagining of the experiences of her lead female, Rosaleen was very well done. There are not a few reviews (in the newspapers and on Goodreads), that point out that the
structure of the book is challenging. Freud has thrown three elements into the mix in the structure of the book. It is non-linear; it alternates between three different female points of view (across three generations), and each character takes off in a stream of consciousness, often mid paragraph. The nuns in the story are the foremost villains. “Sisterhood” is understood today as a term of mutual support between women; but not so in this context in which love for fellow females is in short supply, to be replaced by condemnation, and where misfortune is described as wickedness. One small non-consequential detail intrigued me (not central to the story whatsoever) when Freud made a point of something that I assumed was in no need of explanation. Don’t you always button a shirt from the top downwards? To my surprise there is a gender divide here. The women I have checked with tell me that many buttoned shirts need to start from the bottom up (double linings; dual buttons…). I have yet to speak to a man who has ever buttoned a shirt from the bottom upwards!! Esther Freud and Claire Keegan’s novels will stay with me. I plan to read The Country Girls (1960) by Edna O’Brien, a novel about the love lives of two young women, banned by the Irish censor, publicly burned and dismissed as “filth”. This book is referred to by Aoife when she tidies Rosaleen’s bedroom. I heard Esther Freud speak at The Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells on 18.05.2022 • (initially hidden) significance of book title (double entendre)
Aug 19, 2021 Vicki rated it liked it This is the three-generational story of three women: Aoife who's married to a controlling man named Cashel, their daughter Rosaleen who has an affair with Felix, a man twice her age, and Kate who is married to an alcoholic, Matt. Set in both London and Ireland from WWII to our present day gave it an interesting look at how life changes. For example, I don't remember the last time I heard anyone
use the expression "illegitimate baby" and I certainly hope and pray that Catholic convents are not ho This is the three-generational story of three women: Aoife who's married to a controlling man named Cashel, their daughter Rosaleen who has an affair with Felix, a man twice her age, and Kate who is married to an alcoholic, Matt. Set in both London and Ireland from WWII to our present day gave it an interesting look at how life changes. For example, I
don't remember the last time I heard anyone use the expression "illegitimate baby" and I certainly hope and pray that Catholic convents are not how it and the nuns were portrayed in the book. The first 1/3 - 1/2 of the book was very difficult for me to get into, in part because I didn't know the connections of the three different POV's. For that reason I was dragging a little. I actually was confused during much of the first third or so. Motherhood is at its core and integral to the
story's plot. I wasn't very interested in Aoife's story but I was really curious about Katy and secondarily about Rosaleen's POV. Being a mother of five, certain aspects of the book really resonated with me; however, there were other parts of the women's stories that I couldn't connect with at all. Overall I thought it was definitely worth reading and would encourage others who might pick it up to read and think it's confusing or too slow or whatever to hang in there because the second
half of the book gets really interesting. I would like to thank NetGalley and Ecco for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion. #ICouldntLoveYouMore #NetGalley
The premise of I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE was interesting, but jarring POV shifts and individual stories that jumped back and forth in time with no clear structure made it a properly difficult read. I'm not sure that it captured, to the fullest extent, the horrors of the Magdalen Laundries and the injustices wrought upon the women who sought shelter there. And frankly, all of the men in this suck, constantly and obviously, to the extent that I found it really difficult to sympathise with the three The premise of I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE was interesting, but jarring POV shifts and individual stories that jumped back and forth in time with no clear structure made it a properly difficult read. I'm not sure that it captured, to the fullest extent, the horrors of the Magdalen Laundries and the injustices wrought upon the women who sought shelter there. And frankly, all of the men in this suck, constantly and obviously, to the extent that I found it really difficult to sympathise with the three main women who just allowed themselves to be emotionally shat on at every turn (especially Kate, whose story is set in 1999, when women tolerating that sort of treatment from their husbands was absolutely not historically necessary). ...more
Dec 25, 2020 Natalie rated it really liked it This is the story of 3 generations of women whose lives were
changed by the strictures of the Catholic Church in Ireland and the effects of an unplanned, untenable pregnancy. We heard about the incredible abuse of the nuns in the book, PHILOMENA. This book uses the same institution as its center. The reader follows Aiofe, Rosaleen and Kate as they struggle to understand what happened inside those walls. Told from the different vantage points, we follow their stories. At times, I did find some of This book uses the same institution as its center. The reader follows Aiofe, Rosaleen and Kate as they struggle to understand what happened inside those walls. Told from the different vantage points, we follow their stories. At times, I did find some of the
narratives confusing. This is a great novel for women’s groups. There are many issues to discuss. Thank you Netgalley for this interesting read.
I found it hard to get into this book, but once I did, I absolutely ate it up. At first, I had a bit of trouble knowing where or when I was. It concerns a family that live in both London
and Cork, Ireland at different times in their lives. I was a bit confused at times at first, but the author firmly plants the reader into the goings on and tells a wonderful, emotionally rich tale. It concerns the Kelly family, Aoefe and Cash as the parents of Rosaleen, and Rosaleen as the mother of Kate. The sto It concerns the Kelly family, Aoefe and Cash as the parents of Rosaleen, and Rosaleen as the mother of Kate. The story is mostly concerning Rosaleen, who becomes the lover of an older sculptor and becomes impregnated by him at the age of 18. She
finds herself alone in carrying this baby, and ends up at an institution run by Catholic Nuns where she is forced to give up the baby soon after birth. Kate is a young woman married to an alcoholic musician who has a young daughter herself. She knows that she had been adopted and is on a quest to find her birth mother. It seems pretty apparent early on that her mother is Rosaleen. A final thread that is much more briefly dealt with is Aoefe searching for Rosaleen, who has broken off all
ties to her family when she becomes illegitimately pregnant and cannot face her parents. The overall theme in this novel is the search for missing loved ones--Kate trying to find Rosalleen, her birth mother, and Aoefe trying to find Rosaleen, her daughter who abandoned her family. And another main issue dealt with is the cruel system that was established for "wayward" girls where they were ill-treated and then forced to abandon their children. The author holds nothing back in exposing this
inhumane situation that was established in Ireland. The novel is extremely well-written and very compelling. It essentially becomes a page turner as the reader is wondering how things will turn out and will everyone be reunited. And the ending is as subtle and emotionally fulfilling as can be.
Jul 22, 2021 Trisha rated it liked it What a deeply sad but wonderful story. It's about being a mother and the lengths you go to both find yourself in the midst of being a mom and lose yourself. It's a story of three women, and at first their three stories are a bit jarring. You can't tell how they all fit although they book even tells you. I think Kate's story of 'now' was the easiest to read. Her struggles and juggles as a
mother and wife while also working as a teaching and practicing artist are easy to understand and identify wi It's a story of three women, and at first their three stories are a bit jarring. You can't tell how they all fit although they book even tells you. I think Kate's story of 'now'
was the easiest to read. Her struggles and juggles as a mother and wife while also working as a teaching and practicing artist are easy to understand and identify with. Rosaleen is an easy second to understand as you learn of her affair with an older man and her easy, simple life. It's Aoife's story that a struggled through more and found it more of a distraction than an addition to the story. These three women are at very different stages of their life and it all revolves around their
love of their child but also their journey to discover themselves (and be surprised by what they are capable of) and to understand what they want from life. It was mesmerizing and hard to stop reading once you started. As I was completely swept away with the story, it was easy to love this one. A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This is a heartbreaking novel that takes place across the span of three generations of Kelly women - Aoife, Rosaleen, and Kate - and explores institutions known as ‘mother and baby homes’. It is clear that Esther Freud undertook extensive and complete research on the subject as the story is very well fleshed out; she
discusses the strictures of Catholicism and the condemnation of unwed mothers through the three This is a heartbreaking novel that takes place across the span of three generations of Kelly women - Aoife, Rosaleen, and Kate - and explores institutions known as ‘mother and baby homes’. It is clear that Esther Freud undertook extensive and complete research on
the subject as the story is very well fleshed out; she discusses the strictures of Catholicism and the condemnation of unwed mothers through the three different women at three different times. There is a strong theme of loneliness interwoven with the unconditional and undying love of a mother, alongside a briefer discussion of the restraints that the men in these women’s lives placed upon them. It is an incredibly painful and bittersweet story, and introduced me to something that I wasn’t
previously aware of and was devastated to discover did, in fact, exist. My only issue was that I found it a bit difficult to follow at the beginning and that there were a couple of things that felt randomly placed, lacking an introduction into the story, an ending, or an explanation. (3.5)
This is not a new story... generations of women ,moulded by the catholic church and its attitude to marriage and illegitimate babies. A really really good read.
Sep 02, 2021 Abby Green rated it it was amazing Vivid and poignant, it brings to life the story of so many women in Ireland. Desperately moving.
This is a lovely, though largely melancholic, historical novel about the bonds formed and broken between mothers and daughters. It follows three generations of women, their penchant for falling in
love with deeply flawed men, and the pain that brings to their lives. The story is set in London and Ireland beginning around WWII, and the author does an excellent of job of framing the time and place with elegant description. She delves deep into the minds of her characters, which stirred in me a wid The story is set in London and Ireland beginning around WWII, and the author does an excellent of job of framing the time and place with elegant description. She delves deep into the minds of her characters, which stirred in me a wide range of emotions – from heartache and compassion, to disappointment and frustration. Aside from a couple of secondary characters, all
the men in the story were narcissistic cads: charming, handsome, self-absorbed, liars. And it was the women in their lives – wives, lovers, daughters -- who paid a hefty price for their behavior. While story is rife with heartbreaking moments (and times I wanted to grab hold of the characters and shake some sense into them), it is also filled with beauty and ultimately ends with a sense of brightness and redemption. I marked many sentences and passages that were powerful, evocative and
beautifully constructed. This is a book I will study to raise the bar for my own writing. (4.5 stars, rounded up)
May 27, 2021 Barbara rated it really liked it This is the story of three women, Aoife Kelly who is married to the unlikeable Cashel, her daughter Rosaleen who becomes pregnant by a married man and Kate who is unhappily married to Matt with a young daughter, Freya. Set in Ireland and London from WW2 to the present day, it is quite a sad and haunting book. Aoife has lost touch with her daughter Rosaleen and the family are forbidden to speak about her as they feel she brought shame on the family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Rosaleen th This is the story of three women, Aoife Kelly who is married to the unlikeable Cashel, her daughter Rosaleen who becomes pregnant by a married man and Kate who is unhappily married to Matt with a young daughter, Freya. Set in Ireland and London from WW2 to the present day, it is quite a sad and haunting book. Aoife has lost touch with her daughter Rosaleen and the family are forbidden to speak about her as they feel she brought shame on the family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Rosaleen thought she would be helped by the nuns at the Convent in Ireland but nothing could have been further from the truth. Kate is adopted and keen to trace her birth mother and sometimes even thinks she has seen her in various places. This is a complex story and quite confusing to start with but I am so glad that I persevered with it as once I got the time lines straight in my mind I really enjoyed it. ...more
A very confusing book. Timelines all over the place and changing between there different characters meant that I spent most of the first half of the book confused about what was happening and how old certain
characters were at that point in the story.
4.5 ⭐️ Published last year and out in paperback this Thursday 26 May 2022, I Couldn’t Love You More is the poignant tale of three generations of women, Aoife, Rosaleen
and Kate, and the lifelong consequences for them when Rosaleen becomes pregnant outside of marriage. Rosaleen is a teenager in London when she meets artist and Jewish refugee Felix Lichtman. He is elusive, charismatic and a talented sculptor twice her age, and she can’t help but fall for him. Rosaleen keeps Felix a secret from her I Published last year and out in paperback this Thursday 26 May 2022, I Couldn’t Love You More
is the poignant tale of three generations of women, Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, and the lifelong consequences for them when Rosaleen becomes pregnant outside of marriage. Rosaleen is a teenager in London when she meets artist and Jewish refugee Felix Lichtman. He is elusive, charismatic and a talented sculptor twice her age, and she can’t help but fall for him. Rosaleen keeps Felix a secret from her Irish Catholic family but when she finds herself alone and pregnant, she turns to the
church for help and is sent across the Irish Sea to Bessborough in Cork. In prose that is sparse in places, and a narrative that jumps in time and person (first person/third person alternating even within chapters), Freud captures the devastating effects of secrets on families, and the cruelty with which women were treated for the sin of being pregnant outside of marriage. The book is beautifully written, and very moving and affecting. The story is inspired by the author’s own
family history. Freud’s mother grew up in an Irish Catholic family and became pregnant herself as a teenager, going on to have two children with the late artist Lucian Freud. The book is a what-if – what if her mother had turned to the church for help to deal with her pregnancy? Partly set in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, this book would make a great companion read with Bessborough by Deirdre Finnerty, published last month (some of the same detail crops up in both – a testament to
Freud’s research for this book) or the novella Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. I listened to a sample of the audiobook on Audible and it is wonderfully narrated by actor Niamh Cusack. The ebook is on Borrowbox but not the audiobook unfortunately. If I had one quibble, I would have liked if Aoife and Kate’s names were switched. Perhaps I’m wrong but I don’t think there were too many Aoifes born in the 1920s! Cashel Kelly was also a rather twee, unlikely name for the time. Leaving
that aside, an excellent read. 4-4.5/5
Aug 07, 2021 Mike Langan rated it it was amazing I approached this novel about mothers, daughters
and secrets, over three generations with some trepidation but soon became engrossed in imagery and generational stories. Having lived in Ireland for the first 28 years of my life, it was very easy to recognise the all pervasive hand of the church, the marital relationships, and the 'disgrace' encountered when the neighbourhood gossips got to work. The story is based in contemporary Cork and spans three generations of related women dealing with the The story is based in contemporary Cork and spans three
generations of related women dealing with the choices they make and the men they love. Aoife relating the story of her marraige to her dying husband; Rosaleen, pregnant and unmarried in 60's London; adopted Kate in the 90's trying to find out where she has come from while dealing with a difficult marriage and rearing her daughter, Freya. Kate's adoption drives the narrative. “The choices are stark,” Kate tells us, in a moment of crisis: “Kill myself, or glue pasta on to card.” She is a
strong woman and choose pasta – making something over taking something away. Kate and Freya glue pasta on to card making houses for the three little pigs. Kate's decision goes to the core of the novel - you can give up or work with what you have and do your best to make it good. Three timelines, three stories and each very absorbing. A novel of great skill and attention to detail.
The story begins in 1960 where independent, fiery Rosaleen begins an affair with a famous sculptor twice her age. She finds herself pregnant, evicted from her flat, dismissed from her job, and
desperate to hide her pregnancy from her family. In dire need of help, Rosaleen turns to the sisters of Sacred Hearts for shelter and safety. What Rosaleen doesn’t know is the safety of the sisters comes with a price, is it worth it? Flash forward to present-day London, Kate lives with her daughter and husb Flash forward to present-day London, Kate lives with her daughter and husband, she sees her biological mother in every woman she meets. She struggles to find herself in the midst of an unhappy
relationship. She’s lost and sets out to track down her birth mother. This book was hard to get into, it flashes from past to present so quickly it gives you whiplash. Oftentimes I found I didn’t know what time period I was reading about. The characters got confusing, many of them not developing at all. After reading the first few chapters I almost put down the book, but I abhor DNFing a book! I kept pushing and started to grow to love Kate. Kate is strong because she has to be, for her
daughter, all the while internally struggling to find herself. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow-burn mystery unfolding. I suggest if you do pick this one up, be patient, this book gets very interesting towards the end and you will find yourself turning the pages to see how the main characters' lives unfold and connect.
This is the story of 3 generations of Irish women starting around WWII to current times. It includes a lot of horrors of the Catholic Church’s attitudes and behaviors toward sex in general This story includes three Irish women from three generations, beginning around WWII and progressing up to the present. The harmful attitudes and behaviors of the Catholic Church in Ireland toward sex in general and the criminal injustices done to unmarried mothers in particular are at the heart of the story. This is the story of 3 generations of Irish women starting around WWII to current times. It includes a lot of horrors of the Catholic Church’s attitudes and behaviors toward sex in general This story includes three Irish women from three generations, beginning around WWII and progressing up to the present. The harmful attitudes and behaviors of the Catholic Church in Ireland toward sex in general and the criminal injustices done to unmarried mothers in particular are at the heart of the story. There are three points of view used in alternating chapters. The events are not rolled out chronologically and I had to pull myself out of the story several times to puzzle out where we were. There are also scenes of dreams or inner musings, which some may find attractive or poetic, but didn’t move me greatly. The writing is fine and I’m sure this book will be well liked by many, but for some reason it just didn’t resonate with me. ...more
This book is about three generations of women based very loosely on her generation, her mother, and her grandmother. The book is about the different ways that love can grow between the ages and how love is
created and influenced by the kind of love received. We hear from all three women: Rosaleen, Kate, and Aoife. But at the heart of the story is a big lie, a silence, and an evasion. This book The book makes you think about how the various relationships are so different over the three generation The book makes you think about how the various relationships are so different over the three generations. The dedication and loyalty in our own generation are more dedicated to a connection with children with less attention put in the male-female
relationship. This book takes us through how these relationships impact the other. I love how the author wrote in a slightly freer style. The author seems to play with the narrative by using different techniques: one point of view in the first person and present tense while one is kind of a retelling, going backward through life. This was a beautiful, thought-provoking novel, and I loved how the author wove the different relationships together. To listen to my interview with the author, go
to my podcast at:
A difficult and painful read. This novel tells the story of three generations of women who are all searching to find something that is lost to them. Aoife
has lost her daughter and is effectively silenced every time she mentions her name. It is only at her husband’s funeral that she can grieve properly. Rosaleen has lost the love that she though was hers has been tricked into giving up her baby and been told of her father’s part in it. Kate knows that something is missing and is searching for her This novel tells the story of three generations of women who are all
searching to find something that is lost to them. Aoife has lost her daughter and is effectively silenced every time she mentions her name. It is only at her husband’s funeral that she can grieve properly. Rosaleen has lost the love that she though was hers has been tricked into giving up her baby and been told of her father’s part in it. Kate knows that something is missing and is searching for her birth mother and for answers that will give her some closure. The novel is painful.
Each of the women is deceived by someone sho they should be able to trust and the results are devastating. I found the novel difficult to read primarily due to it being so depressing but I must commend the author’s skill. The characters are well developed and beautiful. Rosaleen and Kate are like our girlfriends and Aoife’s despair is painful and palpable to the reader. Thank you to “The Pigeonhole” for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.
Jun 21, 2021 Natalie rated it it was ok I Couldn't Love You More This is a multi-generational
story set in England and Ireland about the effect of an out-of-wedlock birth and how it blights the family in many ways. There have been several books – and even movies – in the past several years concerning homes run by catholic nuns and the cruelties inflicted on both the unwed mothers and their babies. This book is indeed another retelling of this sad situation. Unfortunately, the story jumps back and forth and all over the pl This is a multi-generational story set in England and Ireland about the effect of an out-of-wedlock birth and how it blights the family in many ways. There have been several books – and even movies – in the past several years concerning homes run by catholic nuns and the cruelties inflicted on both the unwed mothers and their babies. This book is indeed another retelling of this sad situation. Unfortunately, the story jumps back and forth and all over the
place in such a way that I found it hard to follow. It took until almost the end to figure out who was who and what time frame we were in. So much so, that in losing the thread of the narrative, I found myself not able to build any strong sympathy for any of the women involved. I also was put off by the men they were involved with – none were very honorable and some were downright abusive. This is not a book I would recommend for readers wanting a clear picture of the horrific goings on in
what was purported to be homes run by good religious, but were in fact baby mills.
May 23, 2021 Pheadra rated it liked it I read this through my online book club and several readers gave up on it
early on. Understandable as the manner of storytelling was confusing. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because the second half was better than the beginning. It is the story of three generations of women. Firstly, Aoife Kelly and her highly unlikable husband Cashel. Secondly, one of their daughters Rosaleen who has an affair with sculptor — Felix Lehmann. She falls pregnant by him and is left to fend for herself. She tur I read this
through my online book club and several readers gave up on it early on. Understandable as the manner of storytelling was confusing. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because the second half was better than the beginning. It is the story of three generations of women. Firstly, Aoife Kelly and her highly unlikable husband Cashel. Secondly, one of their daughters Rosaleen who has an affair with sculptor — Felix Lehmann. She falls pregnant by him and is left to fend for herself. She
turns to the sisters at a convent more akin to a house of horrors. The 3rd generation representative is Kate, living in present-day London with a daughter and alcoholic husband. Adopted, Kate is determined to find her birth mother. For the most part this story was upsetting and disturbing and held true to the notion that history repeats itself and we pay for the sins of our fathers. 3 and a half stars
I was disappointed with this after having enjoyed ‘Mr Mac and me’ by the same author. I DNF’ed after 100 or so pages, frustrated by the rapid fire changes from one story to another. Each instalment was too short for my liking and I found I couldn’t settle into each story satisfactorily.
Aug 16, 2021 Deborah rated it really liked it Three generations of Irishwomen, from the dawn of WWII to the 1990s, moving back and forth between Ireland and London. Events turn around women’s lives—their marriages, their children—and the pain or happiness their choices bring. Aiofe marries Englishman Cashel (who insists on calling her Eva), running a pub in London until they can fulfill their dream of returning to Ireland to take over her parents’ farm. Rosaleen, their eldest girl, flees back to London at her earliest opportunity, where, at Three generations of Irishwomen, from the dawn of WWII to the 1990s, moving back and forth between Ireland and London. Events turn around women’s lives—their marriages, their children—and the pain or happiness their choices bring. Aiofe marries Englishman Cashel (who insists on calling her Eva), running a pub in London until they can fulfill their dream of returning to Ireland to take over her parents’ farm. Rosaleen, their eldest girl, flees back to London at her earliest opportunity, where, at the tender age of 18, she falls in love with a sculptor twice her age. When she finds herself pregnant and alone (husbandless in the 60s), she loses her job and her flat and has nowhere to turn. A priest steers her to a convent in Ireland, where, with no idea what she’s committed herself to, finds herself within the brutal confines of a Magdalen laundry. The next generation on is Kate, married to a mean and feckless drunk. She knows she’s adopted, but her adoptive especially mother can’t or won’t talk about it. Kate starts to piece together tiny bits of information, enough to go on a quest to track down her birth mother, running up against secretive and obstructive Roman Catholic institutions. Secrets and lies, lies and secrets. Will Kate succeed in finding her mother? ...more
Aug 05, 2021 Bookoholiccafe rated it really liked it I Couldn't Love You More by
@estherfreud_ is A sweeping story of three generations of women, crossing from London to Ireland and back again, and the enduring effort to retrieve the secrets of the past Many Thanks to @harperperennial for this gifted copy.
Jan 31, 2022 Featherbooks rated it really liked it This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I Couldn't Love You Moretells of three generations of women, their daughters, and their disappointing men. Alternating between characters and time periods, sometimes frustrating the reader when suspense builds (once or twice I skipped ahead), the middle woman is forced to go to the Catholic home for unwed mothers i.e. like the Irish Magdalen Laundries and gives up her baby for adoption. Once this child grows up, she seeks out the secret story of her mother and tries to find her. The writing is s I Couldn't Love You Moretells of three generations of women, their daughters, and their disappointing men. Alternating between characters and time periods, sometimes frustrating the reader when suspense builds (once or twice I skipped ahead), the middle woman is forced to go to the Catholic home for unwed mothers i.e. like the Irish Magdalen Laundries and gives up her baby for adoption. Once this child grows up, she seeks out the secret story of her mother and tries to find her. The writing is skilled and the story moves along at a good pace. Highly recommended. ...more
This was my first time reading a book by Esther Freud and I am sure to pick up more of
her work after reading this book. In what was a familiar tale, 3 generations of women struggle to trust the relationships they find themselves in and are left to deal with the repercussions. The book looks at three different timeframes, jumping between Ireland and London, and articulates in poignant ways how different the conditions were, and yet how limited the choices can still be, at times. This was a well-c This was a well-crafted, well-told story of
three women who we come to feel for and know. I find it such a skill to tell a strong story from multiple perspectives without having at least one of those perspectives be weaker or less interesting. And her weaving of facts about the living conditions in the women's laundry homes in Ireland were shocking but not done to shock. They were shocking in their impact, in how long they endured, and the systems that propped them up. Ultimately, it's the relationships between the women and their
families that shine most brightly and what will stick with me. I won't be forgetting this book anytime soon. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me a digital arc in return for an honest review.
This is a beautifully written story of maternal love and loss, spanning a time period from World War 2 until the present day. Told
from the perspectives of Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are grandmother, mother, and granddaughter on their family tree this novel focuses mostly on the impact of Rosaleen’s story on everyone else as she becomes pregnant with the baby of a married man and enters a truly dreadful Irish convent. Her disconnection from her family as a result provides the pivotal themes o This is a beautifully written story of maternal love and loss, spanning a time
period from World War 2 until the present day. Told from the perspectives of Aoife, Rosaleen and Kate, who are grandmother, mother, and granddaughter on their family tree this novel focuses mostly on the impact of Rosaleen’s story on everyone else as she becomes pregnant with the baby of a married man and enters a truly dreadful Irish convent. Her disconnection from her family as a result provides the pivotal themes of this novel. Esther Freud was born in London in 1963. As a young child she travelled through Morocco with her mother and sister, returning to England aged six where she attended a Rudolf
Steiner school in Sussex. In 1979 she moved to London to study Drama, going on to work as an actress, both in theatre and television, and forming her own company with fellow actress/writer Kitty Aldridge - The Norfolk Broads. In 1979 she moved
to London to study Drama, going on to work as an actress, both in theatre and television, and forming her own company with fellow actress/writer Kitty Aldridge - The Norfolk Broads. Her first novel Hideous Kinky, was published in 1992 and was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and made into a film starring Kate Winslet. In 1993, after the publication of her second novel, Peerless Flats, she was named by Granta as one of the Best of Young Novelists under 40. She has since written seven novels, including The Sea House, Love Falls and Lucky Break. She also writes stories, articles and travel pieces for newspapers and magazines, and teaches creative writing, in her own local group and at the Faber Academy. Her most recent book, Mr Mac and Me, is due for release in September 2014. She lives in London with her husband, the actor David Morrissey, and their three children. Related ArticlesFearless readers, gather ’round… For those with the courage and bandwidth to launch a bold new reading adventure, we’ve put together this... Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Is more than we can tell a sequel to letters to the lost?GENRE: Young-Adult, Contemporary, Romance. SUMMARY: Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past.
How many books are there in PS I Love You?With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing--and being braver than ever before. Life is for living, she realises--but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you. There are 2 books in this series. There are 2 books in this series.
Who is Esther Freud married to?David MorrisseyEsther Freud / Spousenull
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