Review of House of Eire

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "House of Eire" by June Gillam.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Do you like novels containing mystery, murder, suspense, folklore, and history? Would you like to learn and experience a little bit of Irish culture? Would you like to know the difference between the tourism ideas of an Irish-American land developer and small, traditional Irish businesses? If you answered yes to these questions, you will enjoy reading House of Eire by June Gillam.

Believe it or not, I was attracted to this book by its cover. The green-colored cover contained a picture of a castle-like tower, the title House of Eire, and a small three-leaf shamrock. I assumed this novel would have some Irish content and was not disappointed.

The main character, Hillary Broome, and her spouse, Ed, were parents to a charming 10-year-old girl, Claire. Hillary's great-grandparents had emigrated to America during the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. Hillary wanted to explore her Irish roots in Ireland and visit her friend Bridget. Ed had promised Hillary a honeymoon trip to Ireland ten years ago. He was invited to participate in a law-enforcement conference in Ireland. Since the stars were aligned, they decided to take a two-week family vacation in Ireland.

Hillary's friend, Bridget, was at war with an Irish-American land developer, who wanted to build an amusement park for tourists. Bridget felt that tourists to Ireland needed to know about Irish history and the injustices endured by the Irish in the 1840s. She believed that installing monuments in remembrance of the Irish plight would better serve tourists and Ireland. A line was drawn, and a lot of money was at stake. How would this battle be resolved? You will have to read this book to find out.

June Gillam developed believable characters. No one was a superhero. She narrated this story using the third-person narrative. The plot had suspense, mystery, murder, and twists. I was made privy to the thoughts of the main characters. The plot was revealed through these thoughts and character dialogues. The plot had an even pace. I enjoyed all of these aspects.

The themes in the story included the joys of family, the pain of parental abandonment, the longing to feel connected to the past, shame, Irish folklore, cowardice, the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, and restless spirits. I enjoyed reading this book. The editing was professionally done, and the novel was easy to read. I appreciated that some Gaelic words were sprinkled throughout the story. This lent authenticity to the Irish theme. I did not find anything negative to report. Therefore, I gave House of Eire 5 out of 5 stars.

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House of Eire
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[Musliudeen Taiwo]

Great review,I love stories that are based on mystery.I think this is a right book for me to read.Thanks for the recommendations.

[Priya Murugesan]

Looks like you enjoyed reading this book! Would surely love to try this.

[Claudia Angelucci]

Well done, Gerry This is a very pleasant review to read. The book sounds captivating as well. I understand what you're saying about the cover; it is very attractive! All the best!

[Amy Luman]

Gaining insight into other cultures, including those of Ireland, is a worthy goal. Unfortunately, there are about as many ideas of how this should be done as there are people wanting to do it. I probably won’t read this since it is part of a larger series. Thanks!

[Ludovica Peruzzi]

Not sure this book is up my alley exactly, but it definitely sounds like one of a kind! It would be nice to learn more about Irish culture and history, and this book seems to take an interesting approach. Great review!

[Kshitija Sonawane]

I can understand very well as to why you would be attracted to the book by the book cover. It is so green and so bright! Also, yes, I like suspense too and I believe I will like this book too. Thank you so much for the wonderful review Gerry.

[Elizabeth-Tush4Christ]

This is a great review as always, I like that it aroused a curiosity in me as the answer to the questions in the first paragraph was yes. I like the train of thought and how well put together the book is Kudos to the author. I do not have an in-depth view of what the Irish suffered during the 1840s and I hope to find out in this book. Thank you for such a great review, it whets the reader's appetite.

[Muhammad Haikal Birton]

What a delightful review This book seems to have captured your attention with its intriguing blend of mystery, suspense, and Irish culture. I'm glad to hear that the author's use of the third-person narrative and character thoughts effectively built suspense and kept you engaged.

[Aleena Augustine]

I'm definitely intrigued by the conflict between the amusement park and monument proposals in the book. It sounds like a complex issue with high stakes. I'm interested to see how the characters navigate and resolve it. Great job on the review!

[Cristiano Bellucci]

Thank you very much, Gerry, for your beautiful review. I like that you focused on the green cover, part of the Irish plot. I am intrigued by your review. I like thriller, I will add the book to my list.

[NetMassimo]

I read this novel a few years ago when it was the Book of the Month. I was only partially convinced but my knowledge of Ireland is limited and I wasn't particularly interested in the mother-daughter relationship, which is important in the story. Regardless, thank you for your great review!

[Abdullah Fawmi]

The book sounds very interesting. The book seems like an enjoyable read with its blend of mystery, suspense,murder, along with the inclusion of Irish culture and folklore. And I like that the author revealed the main character's thoughts. All in all this seems like a book made for myself. Thank you for an excellent review Gerry.

[Laney K]

The cover is quite interesting. The shade of green does stand out. I'm glad the book met your expectations!

[Anu Anand]

With its blend of mystery, murder, suspense, folklore, and history, along with a glimpse into Irish culture, it promises an exciting and enriching reading experience. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book.