An Irish Wife
This is a love story set against the harsh reality of the immigrant experience in the late 19th century. Niamh Kilgariff leaves Ireland for what she thinks will be a new life in America. Niamh has a husband awaiting her, an arranged marriage to Martin Gill, a cousin of her father’s and a man much older than she. Martin is a miner in the coalfields and brings her to live in a squalid company-owned house. The mine owners become rich, but the miners and their families live in poverty, existing on subsistence wages and facing eviction whenever work ceases. And when Martin’s mine closes and there is no pay, life becomes even worse for Niamh. Her husband begins to drink and becomes abusive.
One person who knows of Niamh’s situation is Harry Robinson, son of a prominent family in the neighboring town. He and Niamh met by accident in the woods where she often goes to find respite from her grim daily life. Harry falls in love with Niamh and wants to marry her. But she is a devout Catholic who will not leave her husband. She and Harry spend one passionate day together, and Niamh becomes pregnant. When Martin dies in a mine accident, she believes that her sin has caused his death. Niamh realizes that while she loves Harry, love may not be enough. The differences in their backgrounds are just too vast.
It is a heartbreaking story, but well-written and devoid of sentimentality. It’s not a fairy tale, and while the romance between Niamh and Harry seems doomed, the author teases her reader with hope for a happy ending. Niamh must make a hard decision, choosing between love and reality. This dilemma drives the resolution of the plot and makes An Irish Wife an unforgettable love story.
