Dear Inmate (Paddy series)
In 1854 Lowell, Massachusetts, a mill town northwest of Boston, is home to many newly arriving immigrants, especially from Ireland. Unfortunately for them, the predominant political party is the anti-foreigner American Party, more widely known as the “Know-Nothings.” The Know-Nothings hate all Catholics, especially Irish Catholics. Ironically, many of their members are apparently abolitionists as well. The recently elected Lowell mayor is one of their party members, and a series of official actions is undertaken to make life even more miserable for the Irish. At this time there are no government aid programs of finance, housing, or healthcare for immigrants, all of whom arrive legally. In the case of the Irish, they are fleeing the terror of widespread famine and the additional horrors of British occupation and anti-Catholic laws in their native country.
Newly arrived Rosaleen does not take kindly to the ill-treatment meted out to her people, and she responds by disseminating letters of protest using the pseudonym, “A Paddy.” Rosaleen’s plate is full, however, as she is also somewhat involved in the abolition movement (though slavery has long been outlawed in Massachusetts) and the growing temperance movement. Through her own perseverance and dedication, she uncovers a horrible secret and sets out to publicize and end it.
This is the second book in a series (after Signed, a Paddy), and reading the first would be helpful to keep track of the many characters, relationships, and causes. The novel vividly and engagingly relates a time and place in U.S. history which is not well-known outside of those of us who have grown up there. There is one surprise villain unmasked near the end that I found somewhat implausible. Still, this novel is an emotional account of historical adversity and a testament to the resilience of those early Irish immigrants.
