I am glad to have discovered this new-to-me author, and will be looking forward to reading more of her work in the future. Scientists have said that reading fiction develops empathy. That is due to books like The Maid of Ballymacool. One cannot help but feel empathy and righteous anger at the plight of Brianna Kelly. She is treated more as an indentured servant than as the adopted daughter of the headmistress of Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls. Having been left on Mistress Magee's doorstep as an infant, Brianna has become resigned to living a largely isolated life filled with chores and an absence of relationships other than the occasional visit to an elderly woman who lived in a cottage in the woods. That is, until the appearance of Michael Wray, a member of the ascendancy class who visits the school to assist with his rather difficult young cousin.
Deibel builds her story with a mix of drama and whimsy, a delightful combination. She draws the reader into her characters' lives, both the primary and secondary characters, making them real even though their circumstances would be foreign to the majority of us. Readers will applaud the advocates that rise to the occasion, and weep for the pain, emotional and physical, of those who are betrayed, neglected, or fearful.
I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Maid of Ballymacool from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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