A Dance in Donegal

About the book A Dance in Donegal:

All her life, Boston-born Moira Doherty has relished her mother’s descriptions of the Emerald Isle. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira is compelled to fulfill her dying wish–that she becomes the teacher in Ballymann, the beloved village in Donegal, Ireland, she’s heard so much about.

After an arduous voyage, Moira begins a challenging new job in an unfamiliar and ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends–and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced–as she seeks to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

My Thoughts on A Dance in Donegal 

A Dance in Donegal is a wonderful romance but also suspense but also a historical fiction book that I could not put down.

I really enjoyed this book and a new to me author.  It read quickly and well.  The characters reached out to grab me and just wouldn’t let me go. 

Moira is definitely a wonderful character.  All her life she’s wanted to go to the enchanted village where her mother is from.  Well, her mother made it sound enchanted at least.  Finally, her mother gets the new teaching position in the village for her and she’s ecstatic.  That is until her mother dies and she just can’t imagine herself leaving where they lived.  But she can’t imagine not going. 

Spoiler Alert.  She goes. 

But it’s not all that she thought it would be.  She makes friends but it’s almost as if she has an unseen enemy out to get her.  It’s only as you get further into the story that you learn more about her mother’s time in the village, or at least what some people happened. 

Can Moira find out the truth?  Or will she die trying?  Can she count on anyone?  And when push comes to shove can she call upon her faith in God to see her through?

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the author of A Dance in Donegal:

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children.

You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com, Facebook (@JenniferDeibelAuthor), and Instagram (@jenniferdeibel_author).

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