Set mostly in Ireland in 2016 and in 1919. Clare inherits a house that was once Clonamurty Farm in County Meath in Ireland from her Uncle.
Clare falls in love with the old house but her husband, Paul wants to sell it. Clare wins and moves in. Clare finds an old comfy arm chair that she remembers her grandmother always sitting in. When Clare decides to reupholster the armchair, she finds a small mysterious bundle hidden in the lining of the chair that was dated back to a time before her grandmother lived in the house.
The book keeps flashing back to Ellen in 1919 who starts working at Carlton House. Ellen’s friend Jimmy lives at Clonamurty Farm, but Jimmy joins up as a volunteer to fight for Irish Independence.
This story switches back and forward between 2016 and 1919 and is about the fight for Irish Independence and about strong women and their struggle to overcome adversary. I loved the history and the way Clare discovers the story about the mysterious bundle she finds.

Interesting story, featuring dual timeline set in Ireland. You just can't lose with me on Irish stories, and this was no exception. I enjoyed this very much.

This book sucked me in. There was some emotional impacts and insights that were phenomenal. I will say at times the characters were hard for me to connect to. I really did not feel the impact of Mary Ellen's life but Clare and her struggles pulled me in immediately. For me personally there was no real twists or suspense but this was a solid read. I liked the background knowledge and the history. I would rate this 3.5 stars with a round up to 4 because I liked how the author emphasized the emotional abuse and showed how it can be damaging without the physical abuse. It takes a lot to show that.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC. This is an honest review.

This book had a good mix of Irish history and family drama, told in two story lines set 100 years apart. I have Irish ancestry, so I always enjoy reading about Ireland.

“You can research ancestry all you like, but how people actually felt and what they thought is lost in the mists of time.”

THE FORGOTTEN SECRET is the first book I've read by Kathleen McGurl and it won't be my last. It is difficult to place this in just one genre as it has so many facets to it. It's a touch of women's fiction, a touch of mystery and a wonderfully historical!

I must say I LOVE dual timeline stories as it brings to life two stories into one. And this one is no different. Centreing around two different women from two different eras, it's beautiful, poignant and a little sad.

The story begins with Mary-Ellen O'Brien in 1919, at the height of the Irish war for independence. I know little of its history and to be honest it doesn't really interest me but it makes a fitting backdrop for Ellen's story. At 18 she has just begun her first job as an upstairs maid at Carlton House, known locally as "the big house". She works for Madame Carlton who is both friendly an sympathetic, and Ellen soon discovers she's an important figure in the fight for Ireland's independence. Ellen's childhood friend Jimmy Gallagher has also just returned from boarding school and together he and Ellen discover first love.

Amidst the sweet joyful moments of first love, however, is the war for Ireland's independence, and sadly for her, Jimmy has chosen to fight for the cause which lay close to his heart. Closer, it seems, than Ellen does. As I don't condone war in any shape or form I fail to see how the bloodshed of innocent people could bring peace and resolution to anyone. However, Jimmy feels fiercely about Ireland's independence and signs up to become a "volunteer". The only saving grace is that Madame Carlton is also a volunteer and often keeps Ellen updated, passing notes secretly between the two.

But just when life seems to as sweet as ever, unforeseen circumstances hit sending Ellen off to the Merciful Sisters in Dublin. Though I know little of Ireland's history, I do know a little of the notorious Magdalene Laundries of the early to mid-20th century. Set up for "fallen women" the Magdalene laundries also took in girls who misbehaved or were homeless. Many had illegitimate children there, and often the children either died mysteriously and were buried in the grounds or secretly adopted unbeknownst to the mothers. Conditions were harsh and almost unlivable. How anyone could send their child there is beyond me!

Fast forward 90 years we meet Clare in 2016, married to a manipulative controlling husband for 25 years and with two beautiful grown sons. Clare finds herself with a newfound independence when she inherits a dilapidated cottage farmstead from an uncle in Ireland. With this and the money also bequeathed to her, Clare suddenly decides to leave her husband Paul when she had shown no "backbone" to stand up to him before. How she suddenly did after 25 years of conditioning under his manipulation and control, I've no idea. However, despite this I still found myself rooting for her and her independence.

So Clare packs up her belongings and her car, which Paul ironically thinks of as his, books her ferry crossing and leaves. Despite telling Paul of her intentions for days and weeks leading up to it, he still didn't believe she would. He belittled her and told her she wouldn't survive five minutes without him. Upon returning home from work, Paul discovered she had indeed left him and proceeded to call and text her repeatedly with demands of where was his dinner and how was he supposed to get to work without a car? I found Paul's tirade tiresome and wanted to slap him. Although there were times I wanted to slap Clare as well.

Aside from those little nuances, Clare settled into her dilapidated cottage and set to making it a home. She makes two friends immediately - Janice, who runs the cafe, and Ryan, who runs the bookshop across from the cafe. Clare has an immense love of books but Paul dismissed her interest and threw out her beloved novels to make way for his car magazines. At last now she can pick up her love of books again with no one to stop her. She can also eat what she likes, often devouring slices of Janice's to-die-for cakes which Paul wouldn't allow her to, insinuating she was letting herself go. Such put-downs had my blood boiling!

As soon as Clare moves into Clonamurty Farm and begins to pull it apart, throwing out junk and setting aside pieces she could re-purpose. One such chair, which had seen better days, Clare found a hole in the bottom of - large enough to put her hand in. As she did so, her hand encircled something and she withdrew it, revealing an old birth certificate for a James O'Brien folded over a First Communion medallion with the date 1910 and the name Jimmy Gallagher engraved on the back. Who were these people? And what did the birth certificate have to do with the medallion? Were these things someone's forgotten secret?

The discovery of these items inspired Clare to delve into the history of her new home to find out who lived at Clonamurty Farm before her family did.

I must admit, Ellen's story was by far the most poignant and the one that enthralled me the most. Her character just touched your heart. I felt myself seeing the world - or Ireland - through her eyes and the harsh realities that faced a young woman on her own amidst a time of war. As Clare unravels a few secrets and learns a little more about her new home we see Ellen's story unfold in parallel to the present day.

THE FORGOTTEN SECRET is a clever page turner that will transport you back in time to 1920s Ireland alongside the present day story. Each chapter tells the tale of both women in dual timelines that will take your breath away. I am a sucker for historical fiction so of course the historical aspect is always going to appeal to me more. But having said that, I did enjoy both stories which lead to an incredibly touching end.

BUT...I felt there were still a few things that were left unsaid that should have been explored more. Throughout the book as Clare talks about her grandmother (which I was confused at times when she referred to her being her grandmother and her great-grandmother), we are lead to believe from Ellen's story alongside Clare's who Granny Irish was. But it seemed not. However, the story doesn't actually tell you of Granny Irish's identity, just a vague reference to a woman in one of Ryan's history books which we are then lead to assume. The other point that grated with me was throughout all of Clare's research into the history of Clonamurty Farm and who lived there before her family, there is no reference at all as to how it started out as the Gallagher's farm and ended up being the Kennedy's. What happened in between? Wasn't that the whole point of Clare's research?

For all the stories that were in THE FORGOTTEN SECRET, despite the sorrow and heartache that be-felled Ellen she went on to have her happy ever after in the end, though we only hear it third hand in the end. But the saddest part is the reunion that never was. What Clare and Ryan achieved in the end was beautiful and bittersweet.

“You can research ancestry all you like, but how people actually felt and what they thought is lost in the mists of time.” This has to be one of my favourite quotes from the book. So beautiful and so insightful. I also loved Ryan's analogy of Ireland's war of independance in parallel to divorce.

I would like to thank #KathleenMcGurl, #NetGalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TheForgottenSecret in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Morton - lite.

While the duel timelines is enjoyable, I found both Clare and Ellen to be rather immature. However, this exploration into the history of Ireland was very interesting and I learned more than I expected.

Still, it was a good, quick read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Forgotten Secret by Kathleen McGurl is a captivating story set in Ireland, weaving together a dual timeline plot that successfully links past and present.

In 2016, Clare has inherited Clonamurty Farm in County Meath, and seizes the opportunity to escape her emotionally abusive marriage. Upon taking ownership of her new home, Clare is shocked to discover a birth certificate and medallion hidden in an old chair, and dating back one hundred years. Clare takes it upon herself to research her discovery and in so doing uncovers the role of her Granny Irish in a turbulent period in Ireland's history.

One hundred years earlier, the story of Ellen O'BrIen is revealed, and her life during the dark period that was the War of Independence is presented as a grim and challenging time for the young woman. A stay at the Magdalene Laundry is particularly trying for Ellen, having been left by her father to the care of the ironically named Sisters of Mercy. Ellen returns briefly to Clonamurty Farm in the hopes of leaving a secret message for her lover who is off fighting, a message that will remain hidden and undiscovered for nearly a century.

I very much enjoyed the dual timelines and perspectives employed in this novel, and look forward to reading more by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this ARC.

The number one sign of a good story: when you finish it, you get mad at the book because it dared to end. And, well... Let me put it this way. This book forcefully hit the sofa after I read the final words of The Forgotten Secret.

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
A country at war

It’s the summer of 1919 and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing and before long, Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of love and loyalty.

A long-buried secret

A hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in County Meath. Seizing the chance to escape her unhappy marriage she strikes out on her own for the first time, hoping the old building might also provide clues to her family’s shadowy history. As she sets out to put the place – and herself – back to rights, she stumbles across a long-forgotten hiding place, with a clue to a secret that has lain buried for decades.

The opinion
Here's something I've recently discovered: I really love books where there's two parallel stories taking place at different points in history. As it turns out, Kathleen McGurl does that beautifully in The Forgotten Secret. Mix in the fact that this book talks about a part of European history that I don't know enough about but would love to learn more of? This book got me good.

There's a distinct difference in tone between Ellen's story and Clare's story. First of all: Ellen's story is told from a third person perspective, Clare's from a first person perspective. However, that's just on the surface level. McGurl manages to set the characters so drastically apart, not only in their narrative, but in the very word choice. 

While both leads have an evolution towards independence, Ellen's story definitely hit me more. Maybe it's just that she's closer to my age, maybe it's that her story shows so much history. Either way, while I appreciated Clare's story - and all the fun details on up-doing old furniture! That bit was fascinating, more so than I had expected, actually. Ellen's story, though? That one really hit me. That's the type of story I'm going to be thinking about for a good while.

The rating: 4/5
One of the biggest compliments I can give a book is that it made me want to read more like it. That was absolutely the case for this book. It managed to get the balance between history and story, between sentiment and senses so right... I finished this book in two sittings, and - as I already said - I felt disappointed after it was done... Just because I wanted there to be more. I wanted more story to enjoy, and more than just the glimpses we got into Ellen's life after the treaty... Honestly, this type of story has to be told just right, and McGurl definitely managed to do that. (Goodreads)

-Saar

Great historical fiction which pulls you in. Strong characters and a good story line which draws you in from the word go.

The Forgotten Secret by Kathleen McGurl is a wonderful historical Novel of Ireland. It is told in two time periods by Clare in 2016 and Ellen in 1920. The characters are realistic and the settings well described so the reader will feel a part of the story. This book has so many interesting details of history, real life struggles, joys, tragedies, war, mysteries, even an element of genealogy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forgotten Secret is a dual timeline novel set in Ireland, both in the present day and during the War of Independence of 1919-1921. In the present day we follow Clare Farrell, who decides to leave her emotionally abusive husband and start a new life for herself in Ireland when she inherits her uncle’s old farmhouse.

Clare was quite a hard character for me to warm to. Her decision to leave her husband was very abrupt and seemingly without any heavy emotional repercussions, which felt highly unrealistic. Having spent 25 years in a manipulative and controlling marriage, she swanned off to Ireland without too much thought, taking a fancy to the first man she met there before divorce proceedings were even underway.

The historical portion of the story followed Ellen O’Brien, a young housemaid trying to find her place in the world at a time of war and turmoil for Ireland. I preferred her story to the present day timeline, and enjoyed learning more about how civilians’ lives were impacted by the War of Independence.

I would have liked to have seen more historical detail through Ellen’s eyes. She was quite a passive character, doing as she was told without questioning the instructions, which meant the actual part she played in the war and the goings on at the house where she worked were never really explained in much detail.

The plot moved along at a good pace, leading to a moving conclusion to Ellen’s story and a fairly satisfying ending to Clare’s. Overall this was a quick read with some interesting historical context, but the present day portion didn’t quite click for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Clare is a woman in modern England stuck in a miserable marriage with her controlling husband of 25 years. When she inherits a farm in Ireland, she jumps at the chance for a separation to find happiness and independence of her own. In pursuing her favorite hobby of restoring old furniture, she finds a birth certificate and an old medallion stuffed in an old chair. She decides to research the history of these objects with the help of the local bookseller.
Ellen, a young Irishwoman in the early 1900s, starts a new job as a servant to a woman who was an active nationalist Irish volunteer. She has fallen in love with her longtime friend and neighbour Jimmy, who is also a volunteer, and is disappointed that he refuses to marry her until Ireland is free. She feels compelled by both of them to assist with the war effort.
I like that Clare finally freed herself from her abusive marriage. Paul is such a controlling, horrible character in this book. It's so sad that Ellen lost everything and never found out the truth in the end. Great historical fiction about Irish history I haven't read much about before.

A historical fiction story rich with Irish history. I was thankful that the author included a little history lesson before the story began. This novel jumps from the past to the present. Usually when the story goes back and forth there is a tie to the stories. It felt like this one was a very loose tie to the past. The real story was Ellen’s that started in 1919. I loved learning about the war in Ireland. . I enjoyed Clare’s story but it seemed secondary. The author did a nice job tying up the loose ends but I wanted a little more about Granny Irish. I was very curious about her story and how she came to live on the farm.

A Kate Morton-ish story that flips back and forth between the present and the past. Clare inherits an old family farmhouse and, after leaving her absolutely atrocious husband, finds a secret in her new home about the past. This was a quick read and kind of underwhelming. Not bad, 3 stars, but not as good as I had hoped.

I have recently become a fan of dual timeline books and The Forgotten Secret is a terrific one. Loved the plot, setting and the author’s writing. I certainly recommend this book. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Brilliant plot, excellent main characters that you invest in. I read this book in one sitting and I would highly recommend it.

I am a sucker for a great cover and it was that along with the tag line ‘For fans of Kate Morton’ that drew me towards this book and I am so glad it did. The cover also had the same feel to it as Laura Madeleine’s brilliant book The Secrets Between Us and Nikola Scott’s My Mother’s Shadow. Both outstanding novels by authors in the same stratosphere as Kate Morton and now Kathleen McGurl will be another worthy author to add to that list.

If you have never read either of those books and you enjoy this one I highly recommended adding all three to you TBR lists, just be prepared to lose a lot of sleep! I have now lost another night of beauty sleep to this little beauty of a book, I literally read it in one sitting right through the night.

Set in Ireland switching between Clare in 2016 and Ellen in the 1920’s it is two women’s stories of love, loss, hope and courage in two very different ways and two very different times yet converging to an ending that would make a grown man weep!

Ellen’s story by far and away is the star of the show for me, her character dances off the pages and is instantly relatable, we have remember what it is to be young and in love for the first time, and that is how we first meet her, meeting up with her childhood sweetheart after his return from boarding school.

The history of Ireland is also brought to life through Ellen’s story, a lot of which I hadn’t known and was presented in a non glorified interesting way that shows both sides of the ‘Troubles’ in Ireland at that time.

Clare’s story at times had me shaking my head in disbelieve and others chuckling to myself but didn’t grab me quite as fully, but I was still rooting for her and her new-found independence. Her husband makes my ex husband seem like a prince and that’s saying something 😂 And I dare you to read the word ‘eejit’ without doing it in the voice of Agnes Brown! (Mrs Brown’s Boys) Her voice kept creeping in through some of the dialogue! Sorry if I have now put that voice inside your head too as you read this book!!

A clever page turner of a book that will whisk you away to Ireland and leave a part of your heart back there with it.

The Forgotten Secret: A heartbreaking and gripping historical novel for fans of Kate Morton will be published in the UK on 01 March 2019 and can be pre ordered now from Amazon UK

A big thank you to the author Kathleen McGurl, publishers HQ Digital and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/the-forgotten-secret-by-kathleen-mcgurl/

I would like to thank Rachel Gilby for asking me to review this delightful book. and for organising the blog tour.
The Forgotten Secret is set in two different eras, the early 1900's and the present day. As you read you follow their journeys. Clare whose story is set in the present day, inherits a farm in Ireland and leaving her controlling husband she moves there. The farm is the connection between the stories as we also follow Ellen who works at the farm as a maid in the 1900's and is involved in the fight for the countries independence.
I have read stories in the past where the author has struggled with really being able to write parallel timelines and stories but Kathleen has no problem whatsoever. Her writing style draws you in as a reader and I had no problem following along. I particularly enjoyed learning about the history of Ireland.
An empowering and poignant story that captivated me from the start and left me wanting more.
I have to find more by the author.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set with two time lines. One timeline takes place in. the early 1900s and involves an Irish maid Ellen. The other timeline is told from a modern perspective where the main character finds an old birth certificate and that starts her tracking the people from the past timeline. There was tons of Irish history in this novel and I was grateful for the authors note at the start of the novel. A good dual timeline novel.

This was a lovely story. From war with its heartbreak and loss, there was also survival. There was love both in the past and present and always a hope for things better.



Told in two separate time frames from 1919 the story of Ellen and her love for Jimmy set against the Irish war for independence and then fast forwarding to an Irish woman of 2016 and her quest to build a life away from a manipulative and emotionally abusive husband.



Ellen was a simple girl who found employment as a maid. Her employer was a woman of distinct courage who was fearless in her support of the quest for independence. She knew Ellen was like minded and involved her in a few simple but very important tasks all helping the rebels. When Jimmy Ellen's sweetheart was involved in an attack, he was forced to leave her and move far away. He never knew Ellen was pregnant and at that time, the fate of unmarried pregnant girls was dire. The Madeline Laundries were horror chambers and Ellen who was sent there fared badly. Ellen disappears after the birth of baby James to try to find out what has happened in her own home, and when she returns she is told that the baby died.

The story takes off from there and Ellen has to find her feet sans any support from anyone because there is literally no one around. Picking up the pieces, we only unravel Ellen's life in 2016 when Clare Farrell literally running away from her husband discovers an old birth certificate and a medallion and tries to go back in history to find out to whom these belong.

Clare herself is trying to find her feet after a 25 year marriage has fallen apart and she is ill equipped to do so. Even simple things seem beyond her because her husband has over ridden all her wishes and done exactly as he wanted. But Clare herself knows that she is strong and that she must overcome those obstacles to live again, the way she wants to live.

Both stories bitter sweet and emotional, one set in older Ireland and one set in modern Ireland are equally very compelling.

A history lesson on the side also helped.