Cover Image: The Forgotten Secret

The Forgotten Secret

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a solidly woven family mystery, shuttling back and forth between contemporary Ireland and the Ireland of one century earlier, during the war for independence. I liked the credible way Clare, the contemporary protagonist, stumbles upon a piece of history, stashed in an old chair, which came with the Irish farmhouse she has just inherited. The hidden artifacts stir her curiosity, at a time when she needs a diversion from her own story -- a crumbling marriage. Without being overly partisan, the author provides a nice slice of history about the independence struggle, especially the terror wreaked by the Black and Tan thugs deployed by the Crown. While the slice of history was well developed, I would have liked more character development, especially for the contemporary crowd. I found Clare off-putting and thought her new chapter was launched with unbelievable speed. Weeks after leaving her controlling husband, she enjoys 100 percent support from her two sons, even though they remain friendly toward their father; she has a boyfriend waiting in the wings; and even starts her own business (in another country, yet) -- this from someone so completely under her husband's thumb that she had never even had a bank account before. The dialogue also felt stilted at times. None of these gripes prevented me from finishing the book, because I wanted to find out what happened to Ellen, 100 years earlier, and even to Clare.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

“The Forgotten Secret” is a story about two women, Carol and Ellen, that are 100 years apart. The story unfolds in a Irish farmhouse that Clare has inherited (present day) to Ellen (1919-1920). This begins a journey that parallels between the two women.
I have to say I learned quite a bit about Irish history that I was not aware of. If you are interested in Irish history, you will like this book.
I did enjoy this story and will read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author, Kathleen McGurl, for the opportunity to read and review the arc of “ The Forgotten Secret.” This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really like this author and her style, similar to Kate Morton but a different part of history. The characters were relatable and realistic.

Was this review helpful?

The Forgotten Secret
by Kathleen McGurl
HD Digital

The Historical notes @ the front of this book helped a great deal.
This book is based on two woman one from the present and one from the early 1900's in Ireland.
Clare is about to turn 50 and inherits a farmstead in Ireland. It's the perfect excuse to run, leave her controlling husband and start anew.
Ellen is a maid that worked in the house in the early 1900's and is involved in the fight for independence from Britain and the story of her love for Jimmy.
The author blends the present with Clare and the past with Ellen seamlessly she builds both her timeframes and characters effortlessly and you enjoy moving between both worlds.
This book was a treat, hard to put down, and when you were not reading you were thinking about Clare & Ellen and there lives.
This was a great read from beginning to the end, in fact you did not want it to end.

Thanks to Netgalley & HD Digital for the ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
Also sent to BookBub & Pintrest
BE ladyedan, ladyedan62

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to HQ Digital uk and netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Iam totally lost for words this really is one amazing book.
As I live in Ireland that book really hit all the correct notes.
This is a book of before and after that alternated seamlessly between the two periods in time.
Such a fascinating topic I want to give nothing away but just to say totally blown away I really can't praise this book enough and will be telling family and friends to read This ROLLER COASTER EXTRAVAGANZA.

Was this review helpful?

The Forgotten Secret is an engaging dual time-line story which follows the fascinating lives of two women living a century apart, which mesmerised and thrilled me throughout.

In the present, we have middle-aged Clare, a somewhat downtrodden wife and mother, who seizes the chance of escape from her humdrum life which has suddenly been provided by a surprise inheritance, a rather dilapidated farmhouse in Meath Ireland. She is married to an utter stinker of a husband and personally, I find it virtually impossible to believe anyone would have stayed with him the length of time she has. Having brought up 2 delightful sons now adults, has been one of her greatest achievements and one result of the marriage she doesn’t regret.

This made me view her as a total doormat to begin with but she actually grew on me a lot and as she grows the strength to stand up for herself, I began to understand why she didn’t want to rock the boat until she was handed a lifeline. It also made me think how many women today must remain stuck in a pretty dire marriage, just because they really haven’t had the chance to break free and they fear being unable to cope alone.

Anyway, Clare moves to Ireland and into the run down old building, alone, with the plans to begin to renovate it, little by little and as she gradually begins to blossom and make new friends she also makes a discovery of some old hidden documents which make her wonder about past occupants of the farm and begins to do a little research.

Meantime we have a charming parallel story running. 100 years earlier, also in County Meath, lives Ellen. She too gets a chance to break free from her humdrum existence with her grumpy and unappreciative Dad, as she takes a job in service in the Big house. But this is 1919 in Ireland and the country is divided, trouble is brewing and Ellen, young and in love, falls foul of the conflict and finds her life changed beyond recognition.

The two stories are both superb in their own right. The young woman and the somewhat older one both wormed their way into my heart as I read late into the night finding the book so captivating I couldn’t bear to put it down. It flows effortlessly in an appealing style to intrigue readers of all ages. A completely engrossing drama that had me in its clutch throughout with a heartbreaking core and a little twist about how the two womens stories are linked which surprized and delighted me.

Was this review helpful?

This was a pleasant, dual timeline read. In the present day, Clare is left property in Ireland and leaves her manipulative husband behind in Britain to start afresh. Items she discovers in the house prompt her to research the history of the house and people connected with it. Her investigations lead to the early 1900's, and housemaid Ellen's story unfolds as she finds herself caught up in the fight for independence from Britain.

Past and present combined nicely to offer a quick read, but I didn't particularly connect with either character. Ellen's story got better as it went on, but Clare's was rather clichéd, and I found it a little unbelievable that she would have got out from such a controlling relationship so quickly. I'm sure I would have have enjoyed the book more had her part of the story been better developed. There is lots of history concerning Ireland's fight for Independence contained in the plot, which appears well researched and I would recommend it for, as I'm sure it would interest many.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book is set in the present day and the past. I read this quite quickly and quite enjoyed it but easily moved on to something else hence only 3 stars

Was this review helpful?

Another great read by Kathleen McGurl set in Ireland. It switches between early 20th century to now and focuses on the lives of two women nearly 100 years apart.
It concerns the Irish fight for independence in the early 1900 and a woman escaping an abusive relationship in the present day. It switches smoothly between the two.great for fans of Rachel Hore and Judith Lennox.

Was this review helpful?

This book was better than I expected it to be, once you get past the book cover which in no way represents anything about the story itself.

The dual stories of Clare and Ellen span almost 100 years and are set in the same farmhouse, in a small Irish village. Both women are on the cusp of major changes that will shape their future.

I enjoyed this book and especially loved Clare's story. The support of both her children in her decision to move to Ireland was the complete opposite to Ellen's decision, and the parallels - although with different ages and stages of life are completely different - can be seen.

Not being very familiar with Irish history, I appreciated the notes at the beginning of the book.

Was this review helpful?

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Set in dual timelines, present day Clare stumbles upon a long hidden secret when she inherits her families old farm house.

A fairly quick read, I never deeply attached to either timeline and found current day Clare unrealistic and older timeline Ellen to be extremely naive and immature.


3.25 stars

Was this review helpful?

This book centres around two different woman from two different eras.

Clare is living in our modern age and is about to turn 50 and living London , she inherits her uncle Padraigs farmstead in Ireland. When she first visits a seed is sown and she imagines a new life in Ireland away from her increasingly controlling husband.

Ellen lives in Ireland around 1919..She is 18 and has just started her first job as an upstairs maid in a big house. Her childhood friend has returned from school and they discover first love.

Irish history is woven throughout this book and as I live Ireland I found this very interesting.

The two woman’s lives are very different but nevertheless full of events which shape them into the people they become.

This story reminded me of how lucky I am to live in the present age. Our ancestors did not have the freedom or choices we have today.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this memorable book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. McGurl has written an absolutely beautiful, emotional and heart-breaking story about the Irish fight for independence. The story tells of two very different women. Mary-Ellen in 1919 and Clare who a hundred years later inherits an old farmhouse where most of Ellen's story happened. Everything was going well for Ellen, she found a coin, she found a job and she was in love. With war on the horizon Ellen and Jimmy find their lives in danger. Deception, misunderstandings, and a different time-period contribute to Ellen being sent away from home by her father because she is unmarried and pregnant.

Clare decides to leave her emotionally abusive husband of twenty-five years and move from England to Ireland to live in the farmhouse that she inherited. There she starts to uncover the secrets of the past. With the help of her sons and some new Irish friends she starts to build a great new life for herself.

An absolutely brilliant book, I read in one sitting. I wish there were more than 5 stars for this one!!

Was this review helpful?

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

This quote from The Forgotten Secret is why I enjoy reading historical fiction. Fictional stories let us part the curtain to the past, to a past that is more than dates and monuments, to show us a time filled with real people trying to live their real lives. Author Kathleen McGurl succeeds in giving us two different women, living at two different touchpoint times in their lives.

Clare is our modern-day guide. She is about to turn fifty and hopes that “being 50 will be the start of a wonderful new phase in my life.” When she inherits her Uncle Padraig’s dilapidated farmstead in Ireland, a desire awakens in her to live in the place in Ireland. Her adult son encourages her to leave her home in England. He quotes W.B. Yeats to her, “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there.”

Arise and go now becomes Clare’s mantra. And she has good reason to leave- her husband of twenty-five hears has become increasingly controlling. Many changes await Clare as she begins her new life, but the most interesting is that she finds a hidden secret in an old chair by the fireplace of her farm in Ireland.

And that is how we meet Ellen O’Brien, from the Ireland of about 1919. Ellen’s story is told in the third-person, and alternates chapters with Clare’s first-person accounts. Ellen has also reached an age milestone- she has recently turned eighteen. Changes await her as well, as she begins a new job as an upstairs maid and as she learns about love with her childhood friend, Jimmy. The Author uses Ellen and Jimmy to bring to life the struggles of the Irish Republicans.




Both women have fascinating stories and the author writes in an engaging and readable style, with a few twists along the way. There are helpful historical notes about the history of Ireland in a preface to the book, which helped me, as I didn’t know the details of Ireland’s history. I enjoyed this book, and if anything, I wish it had been longer, as Clare and Ellen both have complex stories, that would have been richer with a slower unfolding.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

The Forgotten Secret is definitely a book I’d recommend to others. I was hooked from the start...and even pleasantly surprised.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this novel! The author is brilliant at setting a scene, and masterful at creating a plot that sets the imagination on fire. I so loved the characters, who are human, raw, flawed and wonderful. I was absolutely heart-invested in their lives as I devoured each chapter. Just ridiculously good. A definite recommend.

Dear Kathleen McGurl,

I need everything you've ever written!

Love,

Stacie

Was this review helpful?

I picked this book because I love historical fiction, my father-in-law is (directly) from Ireland, and the description seemed intriguing. In the end, the book paid me back with intrigue and an interesting story, but it took a while to get there.

One of my pet peeves when reading is when the prose *tells* rather than *shows* and I'm sorry to say that was a frequent distraction in my mind while reading this book. It had a compelling enough story, but the characters felt flat until about halfway through the book. Rather than seeing that as character development, I felt like I just wasn't privy to the personalities of the characters. They were too busy *telling* me things about themselves and their lives.

*small spoilers here*
I did learn a lesson in this book (one I've had to learn multiple times over in my lifetime): you don't know someone else's situation, so hold back your judgments. The modern day main character, Clare, seemed to very quickly decide to leave her husband when the opportunity arose, though she didn't seem to have the backbone prior to this to even stand up to him. I was so bothered by the fact that she wouldn't pursue marital counseling that I sat frustrated with her through most of the pages. By the end chapters, the character had slowly revealed countless anecdotes of life with her controlling, emotionally abusive husband. No, I never ever liked him. He was quite the villain. I learned my lesson that I was spending so much time judging her that I might have missed parts of her personality.

The book carries with it the common millennial psalm/proverb for women to become independent and separate yourself from men so you can "find yourself." As a joyful Catholic, I find that a little shallow, but I recognize its place in our culture. Also as a joyful Catholic, I'm disgusted by a renewed understanding of those laundries, as embodied in the novel. Awful, unchristian practices. Heart-breaking.

Overall, the fact that I felt I was being told so much instead of being able to uncover emotions, motivations, and metaphors on my own was frustrating enough to overtake the intrigue of the story. I did cry in pain at times and finally connected with both characters in the last 25% of the book, so that's lovely.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Was this review helpful?