The Glorious Guinness Girls
Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh are the glorious Guinness girls, members of the dynastic brewing family, and part of the Bright Young Things, a set of glamorous, privileged young people who were the celebrities of 1920s London. Here, their story is told by their mother’s companion, a girl their own age, Fliss, who lives with the family in Ireland before they move to London for Maureen’s season as a debutante. Fliss is privy to all the family’s secrets but is also tormented by the disappearance of her brother, who has charmed the family while they were in Ireland, but during the troubles and social unrest in Dublin, has vanished and perhaps died.
The story moves along well, charting the Guinness girls’ successes and struggles in London society, as well as successfully weaving in the political background of Irish Nationalism and the struggle for independence. Fliss must also find her way in life in a time of societal change with increased opportunities for women to train and join the workforce.
The story is a little lacking in tension. A separate narrative with Fliss much later in life, searching for papers in the family’s old Irish mansion, hints at secrets that never really deliver the promised punch. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting and enjoyable read. The descriptions of London and the Bright Young Things are a definite highlight. Maureen Guinness stands out as a fascinating, complex character.
