The stolen child : a novel

Select an Action

Title:

The stolen child : a novel

Author:

Carey, Lisa, author.

ISBN:

9780062492180

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

373, 15 pages ; 21 cm

Subject Term:

Americans -- Ireland -- Fiction.

Inheritance and succession -- Fiction.

Sisters -- Fiction.

Superstition -- Fiction.

Magic -- Fiction.

Islands -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Ireland -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Summary:

May 1959. From one side of St. Brigid's Island, the mountains of Connemara can be glimpsed on the distant mainland; from the other, the Atlantic stretches as far as the eye can see. This remote settlement, without electricity or even a harbor, has scarcely altered since its namesake saint set up a convent of stone huts centuries ago. Those who live there, including sisters Rose and Emer, are hardy and resourceful, dependent on the sea and each other for survival. Despite the island's natural beauty, it is a place that people move away from, not to--until an outspoken American, also named Brigid, arrives to claim her late uncle's cottage. Brigid has come for more than an inheritance. She's seeking a secret holy well that's rumored to grant miracles. Emer, as scarred and wary as Rose is friendly and beautiful, has good reason to believe in inexplicable powers. Despite her own strange abilities--or perhaps because of them--Emer fears that she won't be able to save her young son, Niall, from a growing threat. Yet Brigid has a gift too, even more remarkable than Emer's. As months pass and Brigid carves out a place on the island and in the sisters' lives, a complicated web of betrayal, fear, and desire culminates in one shocking night that will change the island, and its inhabitants, forever.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	FICTION CAR	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	FICTION CAR	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	FICTION CAR	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From the author of the critically acclaimed The Mermaids Singing comes a haunting, luminous novel set on an enchanted island off the west coast of Ireland where magic, faith, and superstition pervade the inhabitants' lives and tangled relationships--perfect for fans of Eowyn Ivey, Sarah Waters, and Angela Carter.

May 1959. From one side of St. Brigid's Island, the mountains of Connemara can be glimpsed on the distant mainl∧ from the other, the Atlantic stretches as far as the eye can see. This remote settlement, without electricity or even a harbor, has scarcely altered since its namesake saint set up a convent of stone huts centuries ago. Those who live there, including sisters Rose and Emer, are hardy and resourceful, dependent on the sea and each other for survival. Despite the island's natural beauty, it is a place that people move away from, not to--until an outspoken American, also named Brigid, arrives to claim her late uncle's cottage.

Brigid has come for more than an inheritance. She's seeking a secret holy well that's rumored to grant miracles. Emer, as scarred and wary as Rose is friendly and beautiful, has good reason to believe in inexplicable powers. Despite her own strange abilities--or perhaps because of them--Emer fears that she won't be able to save her young son, Niall, from a growing threat. Yet Brigid has a gift too, even more remarkable than Emer's. As months pass and Brigid carves out a place on the island and in the sisters' lives, a complicated web of betrayal, fear, and desire culminates in one shocking night that will change the island, and its inhabitants, forever.

Steeped in Irish history and lore, The Stolen Child is a mesmerizing descent into old world beliefs, and a captivating exploration of desire, myth, motherhood, and love in all its forms.

"Steeped in dark Irish mythology, The Stolen Child is a piercing exploration of regret and desire, longing and love. It is a gorgeously written, inventive, and compelling novel."--Ayelet Waldman

Kirkus Most Addictive Books of 2017

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Even in the middle of the twentieth century, Saint Brigid's Island, 12 miles off the Irish coast, is steeped in the otherworldly and in lore related to fairies and the legends surrounding the saint who gave the island its name. It's a hard place, and the government has plans to evacuate and resettle the island's handful of inhabitants. Among these are Emer and Rose, twins who couldn't be more different. Rose is cheerful and sensible; Emer is a snarled-up fist of a woman who longed to be stolen by fairies as a child and is now terrified that the fairies will steal her son, Niall. Into their lives comes Brigid, an American whose mother grew up on the island and who has come in search of a well said to have special powers. A midwife with healing gifts, Brigid is the only person besides Niall who doesn't recoil from Emer's touch, and the two women develop a fierce bond that leads to tragedy. Carey (Every Visible Thing, 2006) has written a mesmerizing tale about motherhood, superstition, betrayal, and the porous boundary between the real and the magical.--Quinn, Mary Ellen Copyright 2017 Booklist

Library Journal Review

St. Brigid is a small island off the Irish coast steeped in magic and folklore. Inhabitants barely eke out an existence from the sea and are suspicious of strangers. American Brigid is made to feel even more unwelcome when the island women learn that she is searching for St. Brigid's Well-a secret spring of water that is rumored to heal wounds and give barren women a child. Emer is a lonely housewife who lived briefly in the twilight world of myth, but her expulsion left her with scarred hands that leach happiness from all she touches. Convinced her son must be protected from the fae, Emer obsesses about shielding him from harm. In an unlikely friendship with the new stranger, Emer finds comfort and love in Brigid's healing hands. However, after Emer is betrayed, her vengeance endangers the entire island and the magic that dwells there. VERDICT Returning to the magic found in Carey's The Mermaids Singing, her newest release will enchant readers. Reminiscent of works by Susanna Kearsley and Lauren Willig, this is a good choice for those who are interested in Irish lore and the feminine mystique.-Melissa Lockaby, Univ. of North -Georgia Libs., Dahlonega © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Helpful Links

Research Links

Contact

Events and Rooms

Follow Us

Today's Hours