The Donoghue Girl
In a small mining town in Northern Ontario, it’s the late 1930s. The Donoghues, with their general store, are one of the town’s leading families. Outspoken daughter Lizzie wants more than the small life expected of women in that time and place. So when charming out-of-towner Michael Power catches her eye, she is smitten—despite Michael’s initial interest in her prettier older sister Ann. Told from multiple points of view, this story explores the complicated relationships of family, marriage, and motherhood.
Michael and Lizzie’s journey takes them through ups and downs, including the stress of a long-distance relationship. Lizzie is a fully-developed character, and the parts of the story from her point of view are the most compelling. Unfortunately, Michael exists in a vacuum clouded with stereotypes, even when he’s telling the story from his point of view. For example, he’s largely estranged from his own parents and he has no friends in Canada, but we are never shown why. Although this book is historical fiction, the roiling emotions portrayed have resonance today.
