Today I’m happy to be on the Bookouture blog tour for My Only Daughter by Ann O’Loughlin! This is a story about family drama and a mother’s love that you won’t want to miss.
Book: My Only Daughter
Author: Ann O’Loughlin
Pub Day: June 21st, 2023
Buy Link(s): https://geni.us/B0C28M5QWLsocial
Synopsis:
‘I love you, and you are my daughter, no matter what anyone says. Nobody can take you from me.’
In beautiful Rathmoney House nestled by the wild Irish Sea, Margo sits in her black suit, three strings of pearls at her neck, nodding at those offering their condolences. She never thought she would be here without her beloved husband. All she has left is their beautiful daughter Elsa and a house full of memories. Then, she receives a letter that turns everything she thought she knew on its head…
When Margo learns that her daughter was accidentally switched at birth with an American child and Elsa is not in fact her biological daughter, her world shatters. American Cassie and her daughter Tilly are equally shocked to learn about this tragic mistake, and both parents are terrified about the prospect of their daughters being taken away.
Margo and Cassie know that together they must protect their daughters, both biological and not. Cassie and Tilly fly to Ireland, and with the help of the local community they must learn to support each other through the most difficult times.
Will they be able to find a new version of family, or will the shocking revelation force them apart forever?
Previously published as My Mother’s Daughter
An absolutely glorious and emotional read that celebrates the power of female friendship. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Cathy Kelly and Kathleen McGurl.
My review:
Imagine it. Out of the blue, you receive a letter telling you that the child you’ve raised and loved was switched at birth with another.
What do you do?
This is the conundrum that Margo and Cassie face. Margo and her daughter Elsa live in a small village in Ireland. Cassie and her daughter Tilly live in the United States. Both women gave birth in France, and due to a hospital employee’s negligent actions, they both went home with the wrong babies.
Margo and Cassie must face this difficult situation alone – Margo because of her husband’s death, Cassie due to divorce and the fact that when her soon-to-be-ex learned Tilly wasn’t his biological daughter, he pretty much dropped her like a hot potato. Lawyers on both sides advise against contact. But both women know that only they know what is best for their daughters, and they’ll have to sort this situation out themselves. So Cassie and Tilly make the journey to Ireland to meet Margo and Elsa.
This story, y’all. It really stuck with me. I was adopted as a baby, and the concept of nature versus nurture has always fascinated me. Here, we see two mothers meeting their biological daughters for the first time as preteens. Do they see themselves, their husbands, in the features and gestures of a child raised by another family? What has shaped the daughters they raised, their upbringing or their genetics? Or maybe it’s both.
I’m an attorney by education, and I couldn’t just take off my attorney hat while I read. It boggled the mind a little, the extent to which both women just disregarded legal advice after no doubt investing a lot of time and money into hiring their respective legal counsel. But Ann O’Loughlin packs a lot of emotion in this book. That really carried the story for me and made this a compelling read. It isn’t just the switched girls. It’s all of the other things they’re dealing with that draw the two women closer together – death of a loved one, the struggles of divorce, illness. And I did love how Margo’s friends eventually expanded their circle to include and support Cassie and Tilly, too.
Family doesn’t come in one form. (I know that better than some – adopted, birth family, two sets of in-laws along the way. My family tree is a family flow chart!) Ann O’Loughlin illustrates that beautifully here, and that is the heart of this story – family found, sustaining each other even through the most challenging circumstances. An excellent read!
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advance copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
About the author:
Ann is the Irish author of five novels and has been translated into eleven languages. Her first novel The Ballroom Cafe was also an ebook bestseller and in the top 20 bestselling books of 2015 on Amazon UK. Ann loves to write and often gets up at 5am to get the words down, before starting her other job of writing as a news reporter. A leading journalist in Ireland, Ann has covered all major news events in a long career with Independent Newspapers, Ireland. She is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner specialising in legal issues. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and family.
Where to find Ann: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter
