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‘The two girls sat in the back of the car, their destination unknown and their crimes worse than murder.’
In November 1979, Ailbe and Maire disappear from their rural village in Ireland, never to return. Pregnant out of wedlock, they are now outcasts from society.
Believing they will at least have each other, the girls are devastated when Ailbe is dumped at the gates of a place known only as ‘Bessborough’, whilst Maire is forced to continue on to Dublin, to be cared for by the relatives of her married lover.
What follows is an enduring tale of family, love, friendship, secrecy, self-sacrifice and the extraordinary endurance of women in the most appalling of circumstances.
MY THOUGHTS
My thanks to Kelly of Love Books Tours for the tour invite and for the pdf to review. Emma Marns was talking at my local library a few months ago about this book and I was gutted not to be able to attend on the day. The Walk is published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and is available in ebook (including Kindle Unlimited) and paperback formats (25 July 2023).
I’ve read several books about the Irish convent homes for unmarried mothers and the cruelty of how they were treated – especially by nuns, people that you would expect to be compassionate, never fails to anger and sadden me.
Maire and Ailbe are best friends aged 19, both pregnant in differing circumstances however the consequences are the same. Cast out by their families and considered to be pariahs in the religious community they face an uncertain future.
This may be a fiction story but Bessborough Mother and Baby Home did actually exist until 1998, when it was finally closed. Young girls who entered through the doors were given a new name and forbidden to reveal any details about their lives. Ailbe and her fellow mothers, also pregnant out of wedlock, were punished for their apparent sins by cruel and abusive treatment leading to ultimate heartbreak. My heart ached for Ailbe and those like her. In contrast Maire’s situation was different and although she faced the same consequences, her treatment was not cruel.
This superb debut novel certainly tugged at my heart. It is not just about two young girls and the consequences they faced but it is also a family drama through the decades. Sacrifices are made for love and duty with secrets held in order to ensure that dreams are fulfilled. There were some characters that I felt great affection for and there were others that whilst I may not have disliked them, my sympathy for them gradually eroded away because of their behaviour.
Despite the often distressing and saddening themes, this is also an uplifting story revealing strong and resilient characters with a determination to do better.
Emma Marns has written a captivating and authentic debut novel which I raced through, I was so keen to discover how events would unfold. Although I was completely pulled in by characters and events, I would have liked to have seen more focus on those who appeared mostly off the page rather than the in depth family situation which I felt consumed rather more of the story than was necessary. However this certainly didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment and I look forward to reading more by this author.
I always wanted to be a writer, and when studying Heaney and Friel at A-Level and then James Joyce at university, I felt an unexplainable pull towards Ireland and the stories I suspected were there! After completing my undergraduate degree at UEA (it’s wonderful) and an NCTJ qualification in Sports Journalism, I enjoyed a brief but fruitful career writing about football and other pursuits much too energetic for me in real life.
I then embarked on an M.Phil. in Irish Writing from the truly magnificent Trinity College Dublin as a mature student (27 is mature?! News to me) and it was there that I first had the idea for The Walk. It took ten months to write and two YEARS to sign a publishing contract – so if you are in the pursuit of something worthwhile right now and facing a good deal of rejection and setbacks, please don’t give up!
In my day job I work at East 15 Acting School as their administrator / doer-of-all-the-things / resident coffee-maker and friendly person, which is a joy and I love it dearly. I have a lovely husband (Bradley) and a beautiful daughter (Melody) who keeps me busy when I’m not working, writing – and definitely not sleeping.
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