SIGNED, A PADDY

Boyle’s debut historical novel follows the early years of an Irish orphan who leaves her homeland in the mid-19th century to begin anew in America.

It’s the summer of 1848 in the small village of Baltimore, Ireland. Fourteen-year-old Rosaleen MacNamara, a fisherman’s daughter, lost her father to the sea several years ago, and her mother has now become a victim of the potato famine that’s been devastating the country. Alone, she buries her mother, setting off the next day for Cork in the hope of finding other family members. But they’re all gone—either dead or moved to other lands. Rosaleen seeks safety in a workhouse in Cork, where, despite the filth and harsh working conditions, she at least has shelter and a bare minimum of food. A year later, the British government begins shipping healthy young women off to Australia to work as housemaids, although rumors speak to pessimistic outcomes. Rosaleen is one of 20 people selected from the workhouse, but with the kind assistance of a young substitute captain, the 15-year-old steals aboard a neighboring vessel bound for Boston. Onboard, she meets 19-year-old Emmett Doherty, and by the end of the monthlong journey across the pond, their lives have become intertwined. Boyle crafts Rosaleen as an ingratiating narrator and allows readers to see both the good and the ugly aspects of pre–Civil War Massachusetts through her eyes. The author nicely weaves some of the period’s roiling social conflicts into the drama, including racism, bigotry against the Irish, and exploitation of child labor (especially by railroad companies). It also addresses the inexcusably dangerous working conditions in the factories as Rosaleen becomes involved in both the abolitionist and labor movements in Lowell, Massachusetts, home of cotton mills. Tender moments of friendship alternate with frightening sections, including a vivid description of an infuriating and heartbreaking mill accident. Boyle also captures the mood and culture of the young Irish immigrants without employing a heavy reliance upon dialect and establishes a good pace for the poignant narrative.

A compelling and reflective mix of tragedy and optimism with a strong lead character.