Patricia Falvey Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Patricia Falvey
Patricia Falvey is a historical romance writer born and bred in County Down in Northern Ireland. Falvey’s family later moved to England, and the author finally immigrated to the U.S. alone when she was twenty. The Irish author’s debut novel, The Yellow House, is set in Northern Ireland. Her inspiration for this novel was the stories her grandmother shared with her on life in Ulster and the early 20th Century’s happenings. Falvey currently resides in Texas and Dallas even though she, at times, retreats to her Northern Ireland home.

The Yellow House
The Yellow House tells to story of Eileen O’Neill and the tragic events that she had to endure during the most trying time in history. This book also delves into the politics in Northern Ireland in the early 20th Century. Eileen is a strong woman with a feisty attitude and a sharp tongue. The political dissent between the Protestants and Catholics in the Irish was is at its worst, and men continued to die or return home with horrific injuries thanks to the First World War. Past secrets and religious intolerance destroy Eileen’s family. However, this young woman is determined to reunite her family and reclaim the home that belonged to her ancestors.

To ensure that her dreams come true, Eileen takes a job at the local mill where she works by day while playing the fiddle in a band in her free time. Eileen is also in love with two men. There is James Conlon, the leader for the Volunteers in the Home Rule, and Owen Sheriden. As she tries to figure out which man is best for her, Eileen hopes to rebuild the yellow house at the edge of Slieve Gullion Mountain. She dreams of her family’s happy times in that house and the long family history the home carried. Can Eileen accomplish all her girls within minimal help?

This is a coming of age story for Eileen. After losing her family in a series of tragic events, it is admirable that Eileen is willing to rise above it all. While Eileen is deeply flawed, it is easy to identify with her. You may not agree with some of the decisions that she makes. Still, her determination and dedication to her family make her stand out. Once you start reading, this book will be hard to put down. It is intriguing how the different characters cope with the war, religious strife, and poverty. The author also touches on mental illness, harsh working conditions in the mines, and lack of adequate medical care amongst the poor.

The Yellow House is the story of determination, war, and the effects of religious differences. Even after her family is destroyed, Eileen holds to the dream of reuniting and rebuilding it even when facing harsh conditions at work and weathering personal betrayals. The author touches on family, love, and home, which are the things that matter to Eileen and the rest of us. While this starts as a simple love story, things get deeper when Eileen starts questioning her loyalty and identity. As the protagonist works to adjust to the culture shift and changes in her family, it is easy to feel her confusion and understand her actions. Are you curious to know if Eileen’s dreams come true? Pick this book for this and more.

The Girls of Ennismore
The Girls of Ennismore tells the story of two girls from two different backgrounds that form an unlikely friendship. It is June 1900, and Rossie Killen has just turned eight. One morning, she decides to cross the road dividing her family’s farm and Lord and Lady Ennis’s estate. Rossie makes her way to the big house where she joins the servants who are busy preparing for Queen Victoria’s arrival. While the royal visit is historic for Ennismore, Rossie’s chance meeting with a girl who becomes her best friend is even more momentous. It is on her first day in the big house that Rosie meets Lord and Lady Ennis’s daughter, Victoria.

Victoria Bell is desperately lonely. Even though the noble children rarely socialized with the locals, Lord Ennis makes an exception when Rossie stumbles into their lives. Lord Ennis organizes for Rosie to join Victoria in her classes so the two girls can spend time together. This rare opportunity is exhilarating for Rosie even though it isolates her. Victoria’s aunt and governess, Lady Louisa, is not ready to teach a peasant girl. The also servants resent Rosie for escaping the drudgery of life they were forced to live. While Rosie finds herself caught between her people and royalty, she remains focused on her goals. The bright and strong-willed girl not only grows close to Victoria but her elder brother Valentine as well.
Victoria and Rosie’s friendship is interrupted when the two girls near womanhood. Rosie has to find a way to support her impoverished family while Victoria is getting ready for a coming-out season happening in Dublin. As the girls are going through a significant change in their lives, things in Ireland are changing as well. An Easter rebellion is looming as the Great War starts and Ireland fights for Home Rule. Ennismore will not go unscathed, and Rosie’s family love, friendship, loyalty, and patriotism collide with the changing times. This leads to major heartbreak and loss that only prompts the now young woman to fight for her independence.

The Girls of Ennismore reads like a blockbuster. Set in Ireland just after the First World War, this story paints a clear picture of how Ireland was in the early 1900s. While this book stars two young girls and their journeys into adulthood, there are many undercurrents and tensions in it. You can feel the bitterness from the Irish people forced to provide cheap labor after their land was taken. The poor suffered as the big landowners lived in luxurious lives. It is fun interacting with all the characters and seeing how they boldly respond to the changes that happen over time.