The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

My Review

The Maid of Ballymacool, by Jennifer Deibel, is a Christian historical fiction set in Ireland in 1935. Brianna is a young lady who has lived at the boarding school most of her life. She is now working there, expecting to work very long hours and under very strict discipline. When one of the girls starts acting out, her cousin is called to help. Not only does Michael observe what is happening with his cousin, he also sees what is happening to Brianna.

This is an enjoyable story to read. While is starts out slow, once the story gets going it becomes hard to put down. The story also has some mystery with why Brianna is treated the way she is and the history behind the necklace and items she finds. This story is descriptive and easy to imagine. It is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed the wisdom of the older characters in the story. I especially enjoyed the conversation Michael had with the men working at the school one of the men tells him that we are to pray for our enemies, but it’s not easy.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

About the Book

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

About the Author

Jennifer Deibel is the bestselling and award-winning author of A Dance in Donegal and The Lady of Galway Manor. She’s also a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. 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 http://www.jenniferdeibel.com .