Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, May 4th 2021
Format: paperback
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
From London to Ireland during the 1920s, this glorious, gripping, and richly textured story takes us to the heart of the remarkable real-life story of the Guinness Girls—perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia.
Descendants of the founder of the Guinness beer empire, they were the toast of 1920s high society, darlings of the press, with not a care in the world. But Felicity knows better. Sent to live with them as a child because her mother could no longer care for her, she grows up as the sisters’ companion. Both an outsider and a part of the family, she witnesses the complex lives upstairs and downstairs, sees the compromises and sacrifices beneath the glamorous surface. Then, at a party one summer’s evening, something happens that sends shock waves through the entire household.
Inspired by a remarkable true story and fascinating real events, The Glorious Guinness Girls is an unforgettable novel about the haves and have-nots, one that will make you ask if where you find yourself is where you truly belong.
My Review:
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Read if you like: 1920s historical fiction, reflection on past.
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Told from the perspective of Felicity, who goes to live with the Guinness sisters as a companion when she is 11. We get to read about the Guinness family through her eyes.
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I liked reading about 1920s glamour, a glimpse into Irish history after the first world war, as well as Felicity’s later reflection on her past.
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I would have loved to have read from the sisters perspectives, but I understand that this would have made the book very long most likely.
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CW: death of a loved one, drug and alcohol use, partying.
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