Official Review: The Blue Washing Bag by Mary Clancy
Posted: 18 Feb 2021, 20:42
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Blue Washing Bag" by Mary Clancy.]
When a blue canvas bag is left on a Catholic priest’s doorstep, Ballygore residents are left wondering what to do with the orphaned baby carefully tucked inside. When a reclusive widow steps in to raise the infant child, a headstrong girl named Daisy grows up under the watchful eye of a very sheltered woman. Readers initially meet the birth mother, Molly Payton, on the day of the child’s merciful abandonment in 1965, but as the plot jumps back in time, it becomes clear what sort of woman Molly truly is. Orphaned at an extremely young age herself, she and her twin brother James were sent to a children’s home in 1935. A traumatic separation at the age of eight triggered a cascade of emotional reactions that left her permanently sullen, subdued, and scarred. Repeated admissions to a psychiatric hospital in Dublin became her primary state of existence.
As the plot progresses forward to 1985, readers become privy to the private life of Daisy, as she begins to encounter and experience her own accidental pregnancy woes and marriage complications. Having grown up completely unaware of her canvas-bag beginnings, she receives quite the shock when the truth is finally revealed. Determined to finally uncover the identities of her true birth parents, she sets out on a quest to find a reliable eyewitness and meet her familial contributors.
The Blue Washing Bag is Irish author Mary Clancy’s debut novel, and I greatly enjoyed how various time segments of the storyline were interwoven. Through several creative character associations, Clancy was able to reintroduce certain personalities back into the plot in fresh and unexpected ways. I also appreciated seeing Daisy begin to embrace her survivalist instincts while determining what it was she truly deserved.
This 339-page novel is written in Irish English, a writing style quite similar to British English. I did come across more than ten errors while reading, so this novel would benefit tremendously from another editorial revision. The minor grammatical issues and typos were the only aspects of this book that I disliked. Readers will encounter several mentions of alcoholism, infidelity, and spousal conflict. Since several instances involve disturbing physical abuse and verbal threats, readers who are sensitive to intimate partner violence should be forewarned. There is also a presence of scattered profanity and at least one scene of implied intimacy, so I feel that this book would be appropriate for mature audiences only.
Repeated instances of panicked desperation, bargaining, emotional abuse, and accidental pregnancies put many of the characters in very tough spots, and members of both genders will do almost anything to avoid the shame of scandalous offspring. Catholicism is present throughout the storyline, along with a functioning abortion clinic, so readers with an aversion to the Catholic faith, and those who do not support the pro-choice movement, might not appreciate all aspects of the plot.
I would gladly recommend this story to readers who appreciate works of historical fiction. As Daisy begins to embrace a brave sense of defiance, she sheds her restrictive vulnerabilities and stops feeling like a paralyzed victim, but her investigative mission leads her down a path of vengeful retribution that tests her moral conscience. Due to the aforementioned typographical errors, this book earns a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, but if those errors were corrected and addressed, I would be inclined to give The Blue Washing Bag a perfect rating. Clancy effectively pulls readers into her world of intense family sagas and emotionally dramatic interactions, making us all contemplate how we got to where we are today.
******
The Blue Washing Bag
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
When a blue canvas bag is left on a Catholic priest’s doorstep, Ballygore residents are left wondering what to do with the orphaned baby carefully tucked inside. When a reclusive widow steps in to raise the infant child, a headstrong girl named Daisy grows up under the watchful eye of a very sheltered woman. Readers initially meet the birth mother, Molly Payton, on the day of the child’s merciful abandonment in 1965, but as the plot jumps back in time, it becomes clear what sort of woman Molly truly is. Orphaned at an extremely young age herself, she and her twin brother James were sent to a children’s home in 1935. A traumatic separation at the age of eight triggered a cascade of emotional reactions that left her permanently sullen, subdued, and scarred. Repeated admissions to a psychiatric hospital in Dublin became her primary state of existence.
As the plot progresses forward to 1985, readers become privy to the private life of Daisy, as she begins to encounter and experience her own accidental pregnancy woes and marriage complications. Having grown up completely unaware of her canvas-bag beginnings, she receives quite the shock when the truth is finally revealed. Determined to finally uncover the identities of her true birth parents, she sets out on a quest to find a reliable eyewitness and meet her familial contributors.
The Blue Washing Bag is Irish author Mary Clancy’s debut novel, and I greatly enjoyed how various time segments of the storyline were interwoven. Through several creative character associations, Clancy was able to reintroduce certain personalities back into the plot in fresh and unexpected ways. I also appreciated seeing Daisy begin to embrace her survivalist instincts while determining what it was she truly deserved.
This 339-page novel is written in Irish English, a writing style quite similar to British English. I did come across more than ten errors while reading, so this novel would benefit tremendously from another editorial revision. The minor grammatical issues and typos were the only aspects of this book that I disliked. Readers will encounter several mentions of alcoholism, infidelity, and spousal conflict. Since several instances involve disturbing physical abuse and verbal threats, readers who are sensitive to intimate partner violence should be forewarned. There is also a presence of scattered profanity and at least one scene of implied intimacy, so I feel that this book would be appropriate for mature audiences only.
Repeated instances of panicked desperation, bargaining, emotional abuse, and accidental pregnancies put many of the characters in very tough spots, and members of both genders will do almost anything to avoid the shame of scandalous offspring. Catholicism is present throughout the storyline, along with a functioning abortion clinic, so readers with an aversion to the Catholic faith, and those who do not support the pro-choice movement, might not appreciate all aspects of the plot.
I would gladly recommend this story to readers who appreciate works of historical fiction. As Daisy begins to embrace a brave sense of defiance, she sheds her restrictive vulnerabilities and stops feeling like a paralyzed victim, but her investigative mission leads her down a path of vengeful retribution that tests her moral conscience. Due to the aforementioned typographical errors, this book earns a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, but if those errors were corrected and addressed, I would be inclined to give The Blue Washing Bag a perfect rating. Clancy effectively pulls readers into her world of intense family sagas and emotionally dramatic interactions, making us all contemplate how we got to where we are today.
******
The Blue Washing Bag
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A great deal of character growth and development occurred throughout these pages, as many of their lives shifted and transitioned. Greatly appreciate you stopping by to read and comment!
