The Road to Magnolia Glen

A misunderstanding has Kiera Young and her two younger sisters almost sold into a brothel upon their arrival in the new world. Thankfully, a fellow Irishman aboard their ship, saves the day and whisks the girls off to Breeze Hill Plantation where his brother resides. Unluckily, the Young Irish lasses may not be as safe as they think even though they are far from port. Quinn and his brother do all they can to keep the girls safe, but suddenly Quinn's heart is in danger. He finds himself falling for Kiera and has to rethink what his future has in store. Is there room in his heart and his home for this troubled, beautiful young girl? A little bit of danger, intrigue, romance, and inspiration are tucked into this novel. Although it's the second in a series, it features different characters and reads easy as a standalone.

Angela's Ashes

I haven't picked this book up since middle school, but damn, it was still as powerful.Frank McCourt recounts his childhood in the Irish slums with such tenacity, hilarity, and vividness; that you feel as if you are there with him. Only an author such as McCourt could make such a trying, poverty stricken, childhood into a story of strength and humor, and belief. As a child he grew up having to accept handouts because his father was a drunk and would drink away whatever little work money he was able to get. Due to the family's malnourishment and lack of proper housing; Frank lost three young siblings to illness, and spent his entire childhood hungry and in and out of hospitals. Despite all that he was able to look towards the future and worked hard to save money to go to America. He used his brains to escape the poverty cycle and Angela's Ashes is just the first of his memoirs. There are others (that I have not read yet) that recount his life in America, his teaching job, and his adult life. A wonderful memoir, and if you get a chance, listen to it. The author narrates it himself and you won't want to miss out on his Irish accent and singing of bawdy tavern songs.

The Glorious Heresies

I love reading novels written in dialects and slang not of my own. The Glorious Heresies is set in Ireland and the characters think, speak, and feel in Irish, it is... glorious. Alternating stories slowly become intertwined throughout the book and as the title suggests they're well meaning (mostly) heretics. From the teenage drug dealer to the prostitute to the "off her rocker" old mother who accidentally kills a burgler with a holy relic all characters find themselves questioning the direction of their lives. It's dark, gritty, amusing, witty, and above else impossible to put down. Even when the characters are at their worse the reader somehow finds themselves rooting for them, hoping that these glorious heresies can get their shit figured out.