The Making of Her
Dublin, 1996. Joan, the wife of business entrepreneur Martin Egan and the mother of an accomplished daughter, Carmel, is the envy of society. But beneath the happy veneer festers a great personal regret. Thirty years earlier, Martin forced Joan to give their first daughter, Emma, up for adoption. But whereas he has severed all emotional connection to the child, Joan’s longing for Emma has intensified, prompting her to resent her husband and to distance herself from Carmel. Therefore, when a letter arrives from Emma, begging Joan to help her young son, she begins storming the walls that surround the prison house of her unquestioning wifely obedience. Although Joan strives to reach a compromise with Martin, it soon appears that she might have to go her own way if she intends to save the life of her grandchild, as well her relationship with Emma—and with Carmel.
Set in the 1990s and 1960s, The Making of Her is a novel of growth, whose mature heroine rebels belatedly against the familial, social, and religious strictures that have ensured she felt inferior to her husband all her life. Realizing that Martin’s wealth, staunch Catholic faith, and filial loyalty to his mother mean little in comparison to his stone-cold heart, Joan finds the courage to overcome her lack of confidence, which derived from her working-class background and a culture where adoption counted as a way out of hardship. As Joan grows into her new understanding of herself, she finally forges fresh bonds with the people she truly holds dear, whilst learning to cut ties with those who demand she submit to their wills. A story about an awakening, no less powerful for the age of its female, late-developing protagonist.
