Signed A Paddy by Lisa Boyle

Release: June 21, 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Lisa Boyle
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Indigo

A coming of age novel of loss, love and courage.

Ireland, 1848. Fourteen-year-old Rosaleen watches her mother die. Her country is reeling from the great potato famine, which will ultimately kill more than one million people. Driven by a promise and her will to survive, Rosaleen flees her small coastal town.

She eventually arrives in America at the birth of the industrial revolution .Also, she is full of hopes with a new sense of independence. Yet the more Rosaleen becomes a part of this new world, the more she longs for a community she lost. And more so a young man she can’t forget.

Through both heartwarming and tragic events, Rosaleen learns that she can’t outrun the problems along with being Irish. And maybe, she doesn’t want to.

About the Author:

Lisa Boyle has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Finksburg, Maryland, Lisa received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. As part of her college program, Lisa traveled the Middle East and spent two months reporting on political and human-interest stories.

Various magazines and online publications have published her works. Also, she has held many different jobs over the years from cheesemonger to educator at the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. Moreover, Lisa and her husband Tim live in North Carolina with their daughter and a goofy-looking mutt named Lloyd. Signed, A Paddy is Lisa’s first novel.

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Signed A Paddy Review:

“Signed, A Paddy” is a beautiful historical novel about a woman’s journey as she settles in America in the 1800s, and I loved reading it.

The strength of the story lies in the characters. Rosaleen is terrific in the lead, and I loved reading her journey as she travels to America and settles in the new land. She makes friends along the way and experiences various moments that change her perspective of life. The author also writes the romance nicely. I liked Rosaleen’s relationship with both Emmett and Henry and wondered who Rosaleen would choose. I could see a contrast difference in the strength of the character when I compared Rosaleen to the version she was in the beginning.

However, more than Rosaleen, I loved Marie. In my opinion. Marie was the highlight of the story, and I loved how she teaches and helps Rosaleen and tells her about the Abolitionist Movement. I also adored the small moments where Marie exposes Rosaleen to the world of literature. On a side note, I loved some of the recommendations the author mentions in the novel, like “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” “Oliver Twist,” and “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.”

Moreover, the author covers critical issues prevalent during the time, notably The Abolitionist Movement. I thought the author conveyed the message realistically on how people focused on the movement, but many opposed it. Some of my favorite moments in the story were Rosaleen’s initial adventures in the ship, her moments with Marie, and towards the end, revolving around “The Paddy.”

Overall, I thought “Signed, A Paddy” is a terrific debut by the author, and I cannot wait to read her future novels.