The maid of Ballymacool :

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Title :

The maid of Ballymacool : a novel / Jennifer Deibel.

Title:

The maid of Ballymacool :

Author:

Deibel, Jennifer, 1978-

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

343 pages ; 22 cm

ISBN:

9780800741747

9780800742713

Production / Publication Information:

Grand Rapids, Michigan : Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, [2023]

Summary:

"The only home Brianna Kelly has ever known is Ballymacool Boarding School, but when the son of local gentry arrives at the school to deal with his unruly niece, an unexpected discovery uncovers the truth about her past--and the key to her future"--

Language:

English

Genre:

Geographic Term:

Donegal (Ireland : County) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Subject Term:

Young women -- Fiction.

Orphans -- Fiction.

Boarding schools -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	FICTION DEIBEL	31330009306154	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	FIC/DEIBEL	31480011643845	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	FIC DEIBEL	32121000947602	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	FIC DEIBEL	30470002082872	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	F DEI	32125001427928	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	FICTION DEIBEL	32132003378810	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

"Deibel's update on the 'Cinderella' story features sympathetic, three-dimensional characters that readers will find easy to root for."-- Publishers Weekly

"Deibel once again inventively draws on Ireland's fascinating history as inspiration for a compassionate and compelling sweet romance with a Celtic Cinderella-like flavor."-- Booklist

"Jennifer Deibel has done it again with The Maid of Ballymacool , a hopeful historical romance novel about unrelenting faith and new beginnings with just a pinch of mystery. With rich language and historical detail, Deibel brilliantly emphasizes the story's central themes of love, faith, and redemption."-- BookPage

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Deibel (The Lady of Galway Manor) transports readers to 1935 Ireland in this enchanting romance. As a baby, Brianna Kelly was left on the doorstep of Maureen Magee, the headmistress of Ballymacool Boarding School, with only a broken pendant as a link to her past. Demanding, abrasive Magee raises Brianna as a servant; now 20, she's still "earning her keep" as a maid at Ballymacool and finds solace only in the woods near the school, where she collects small trinkets and connects with God. Her fortunes shift when Michael Wray, the son of a local lord, visits the school to keep an eye on his wayward cousin; once there, he's captivated by the beautiful scullery maid. Michael and Brianna fall in love, but she struggles to imagine a future together given her low social standing. Then her pendant goes missing, and the search for it unravels a mystery involving Magee and the Ballymacool estate that may have huge impacts on Brianna's life. Deibel's update on the "Cinderella" story features sympathetic, three-dimensional characters that readers will find easy to root for as they navigate the page-turning plot and find their way to one another. This heartwarming entry will keep readers hooked till its satisfying close. (Feb.)

Booklist Review

Since when is Michael Wray responsible for his cousin Adeline Fitzgerald? Ever since his parents claim to be too busy to travel to Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls and deal with Adeline's misbehavior. Once Michael arrives at the boarding school, he finds that the mystery of Adeline's unruly antics isn't the only thing keeping him at Ballymacool. One of the maids there, Brianna Kelly, seems oddly familiar to him despite the fact that Brianna has worked there ever since she was orphaned at a young age. As Michael attempts to unravel where and when he may have crossed paths with Brianna, what the two of them discover will ultimately provide the key to unlocking the secrets of Brianna's past. While thoughtfully exploring the important role the past can play in one's life, Deibel (The Lady of Galway Manor, 2022) once again inventively draws on Ireland's fascinating history--in this case, the 1930s--as inspiration for a compassionate and compelling, sweet romance with a Celtic Cinderella-like flavor.