The Yellow House: A Novel
The Yellow House: A Novel book cover

The Yellow House: A Novel

Paperback – February 7, 2011

Price
$12.98
Format
Paperback
Pages
368
Publisher
Center Street
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1599952024
Dimensions
5.25 x 1 x 8 inches
Weight
11.2 ounces

Description

"Patricia Falvey draws on her North of Ireland roots to put a human face on the turning point in 20th century Irish history. A moving novel and singular achievement."― Mary Pat Kelly, author of Galway Bay, on THE YELLOW HOUSE "Intelligently plotted, with engaging characters, the novel offers a fresh view of the highly dramatic Revolutionary Period in Ireland. The well-researched history illumines but never smothers the storyline. Small details bring the era to life with stunning clarity. The writing is lucid and accessible, occasionally even lyrical. This is a very rewarding first novel and I look forward to reading more from Patricia Falvey."― Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland, Pride of Lions, Grania, The Last Prince of Ireland, and The Irish Country series on THE YELLOW HOUSE "THE YELLOW HOUSE is an eloquently written story of the emergence of hope and love in a time of struggle and confusion in Ireland. It avoids the ever-present pitfalls of drowning us in a history lesson while not ignoring the richness of that very history. With her debut novel, Patricia Falvey breathes life back into an Ireland that has nearly vanished from memory. For that, I am grateful."― Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country "...You can often tell where a book's plot and characters are going. But so many times I was astonished to find that what I expected on the next page was a complete surprise. Falvey held my attention with suspenseful events that constantly amazed me...THE YELLOW HOUSE is a powerful book, full of strongly drawn characters that exemplify vitality, humanity, and passion for life. They are so realistic, I felt like I knew them."― Frank West , Irish American News "This novel delivers the best of both worlds: secrets, intrigue and surprising twists will keep readers flipping the pages, while Falvey's insight and poetic writing tugs at the heartstrings of the most cynical audiences."― Publishers Weekly on THE YELLOW HOUSE "The Yellow House was extremely interesting from an educational perspective. It brings to life the struggles of individuals and communities seeking freedom.― Cecie O'Bryon England , The Washington Times "If you like historical fiction, with great flourishes of families destroyed and remade, this is a classic."― The Review Broads on The Yellow House "...Falvey tells a good story along the way. A host of interesting characters, surprising but plausible plot developments, and deftly incorporated details of the Irish struggle for independence add up to a debut novel sure to please fans of historical romance."― Kathy Piehl, Library Journal on The Yellow House "...Falvey very successfully weaves together the politics, history, and landscape of Ireland in this period...Falvey brilliantly illustrates the cultural, political, and economic conflicts that result in erecting Ireland's North/South dividing border. The well-researched history of the period emerges through the characters, their conflicts, and their choices. The story is absorbing and satisfying historical fiction."― Sacremento Book Review and San Francisco Book Review, February 2010 on The Yellow House "The early scenes of Eileen's and James' lawless exploits for the Catholic resistance make for thrilling reading....The book serves as a provacative reminder of the tangled strings of family, war and familial war, and also...as a spendid example of old-fashioned, minimal-bodice-ripping romance."― Joy Tipping, The Dallas Morning News, February 14, 2010 on The Yellow House "The characters are full, rich and real and the history of Ireland feels authentic. The author refrains from delineating clearly between the good guys and bad guys. She allows the reader to make their own decisions and I liked that. The Yellow House is a winner. I just can't shake the memory of it and that's a good thing.― Andrea Sisco, Minneapolis Insight Examiner, March 2, 2010 "[O]ne of the best historical fiction novels I have read in years. . . . I simply could not pull myself away from this book. It took me back to classics such as Gaskell's North and South and the heroine Eileen had so many of the qualities that I have always loved in dear Tess of Hardy's Tess of the D'Ubervilles . When one book can bring me back to two of my favorite books of all time that are both absolute classics, I am in awe. This book kept me emotionally invested until the very end. . . . Wonderfully written, magically created, it could only come from a true Irish lass and to be her debut novel. . . .amazing. I loved it . . . every page."― Stiletto Storytime, March 14, 2010 on The Yellow House "It is rare for a first-time novelist to tackle historical events in as refreshing a manner as Patricia Falvey does in The Yellow House ....Falvey controls the story....Take your time reading The Yellow House , you'll be sad to see the last page."― Irish America, June/July 2010 "Set in the tumultuous years before and after World War I, The Yellow House is an impressive debut that will appeal to readers of Irish family sagas. Falvey skillfully takes major events and reduces them to a personal level, focusing on the effects of World War I and religious unrest in Ireland on one woman and the people around her."― Historical Novels Review, May 2010 Patricia Falvey was born in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. She was raised in Northern Ireland and England before immigrating alone to the United States at the age of twenty. Until recently, she served as a Managing Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC, where she led a national tax consulting practice. Over the years she participated in numerous writing seminars, and in June of 2007, Patricia finally made the decision to leave her position with PWC at the pinnacle of her career and devote herself full time to her first love - writing. THE YELLOW HOUSE is her first novel.

Features & Highlights

  • A Northern Irish woman's life is tangled in political and personal turmoil as she struggles to hold her family together and follow her heart.
  • THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life.She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(412)
★★★★
25%
(343)
★★★
15%
(206)
★★
7%
(96)
23%
(315)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Never Really Grabs You

NO Spoilers

I was drawn to The Yellow House for its many good reviews and the fact that being of Irish descent, I usually enjoy all stories Irish, especially about the Troubles and immigration to America (see below for recommendations of this type). This novel, however, never fully engages the reader although the writing is well-done stylistically.

Eileen, the main character, is realistic as a flawed character and admirable for her courage, tenacity, and grit. A drawback to her character is that there's no real fluctuations to her character; she's the same throughout and too constant, which, for this reader, is boring. The men in her life are radical extremes, and the love story is not hard to figure out.

The ending, as some reviews have mentioned, is too "neat." Not that I was wishing for tragedy or an unhappy ending for the protagonist, I just don't find the ending provided to be realistic. You have characters who have stolen the happiness of others closing the novel being suddenly concerned for the welfare and happiness of those whom they originally harmed with seemingly little remorse. Decisions such as this is where I was dissatisfied with the end.

The author has an excellent grasp of the history of the Troubles, but these are not at the forefront of the novel. She briskly summarizes the evolution of the conflicts in snippets throughout the novel. It is definitely Eileen's story, which is fine, except if you're reading it with the expectation that the action is going to be set in the heart of the Troubles. Eileen's participation in the raids is short-lived.

This would be an okay book club or beach read. If you're really looking for a novel about the Troubles that has both action and a look at relationships during this time, then I strongly recommend The House of Splendid Isolation by Edna O'Brien and Mary Pat Kelly's Galway Bay for a more epic story on the famine and journey to America.
23 people found this helpful
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Difficult to read

It was interesting to read about the revolutionary upheavels in Ireland and I realize that the profanities are typical to the language in the old countries but it was very difficult to get through much of it. There was almost too much anxiety and strife to be believable. It seemed to never end and I had to force myself to finish the book. If I could edit it down I would like it more.
13 people found this helpful
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not a 4 star book

I thought I would love this book. I really enjoy historical novels, I like to read books with strong main characters - and the synopsis on the back of the book promises a heroine who is strong in body, spirit and passion. What I got was a main character who was not at all likeable, not heroic and not the "warrior" they keep telling us she is. Instead, she is melodramatic and just "all mouth", and little common sense. The men in the book should have dumped her quickly, instead of being hopelessly in love with her.
If you want to read an historical novel with a substantial main character, a strong and wise female, read "Widow's War" or "My Name is Mary Sutter", skip "The Yellow House".
11 people found this helpful
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Amateurish

The book started out okay. It was interesting and so were the characters. But about halfway through the book, I wishing it was finally over. Talky, talky, talky--not enough action. The characters were predictable and became not only boring, but annoying and repetitive. The plot was childish with the age old common refrain of boy meets girl and girl doesn't know a good thing in front of her face until the end. About 60% of the book could have been deleted with no loss whatsoever.
9 people found this helpful
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Great first novel!

I have read a lot of historical fiction and was pleasantly surprised. The depth and grit of the characters, the setting and plot--the old story of poverty and war and families caught between--and the tension that Falvey allows to build between certain characters was intriguing and kept me reading. There is a range of emotions that her writing evokes and it was easy to be moved by the story she paints. A very good read. Now I am looking forward to her next novel!
6 people found this helpful
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beach read at best

Predictable plot line filled with cliched characters. The main character was difficult to like and eventually got on my nerves. I would recommend this for a light read at the beach.
5 people found this helpful
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My New Favorite

I read a lot of books-mostly historic fiction and stories that take place in Ireland and England. I have enjoyed many, but every now and then a book comes along that is unforgettable and steals my heart. The Yellow House is such a novel.

The story is clear, uncomplicated and delightful, Patricia Falvey doesn't waste time jumping around confusing story lines. Instead, she creates complex characters that are so dimensional you want them to be real. Especially Owen. I am still thinking about him and the other characters long after reading the last page.

Her writing is so beautifully descriptive and exciting it amazes me. If you want to learn what it was really like during those years in Northern Ireland, this is the place to start. She doesn't just tell you facts about the IRA, the fever hospital, the British army and the mills, but brings you up close and personal to the people whose lives were shaped by those things. She makes you cry, laugh, hate and love along with them and I am grateful to her for giving me a new understanding of this part of Ireland's history, a place close to my heart.

A few parts of the book are very romantic, dreamily so. But it is by no means a shallow "romance novel." Far from it, there are many layers. Soul touching, thought provoking, wonderful layers. There are suspenseful and graphic moments as well. It is exciting, educational, and endearing. A piece of history made accessible and breathtaking. I will never forget it.

I am so glad Patricia Falvey gave up her successful business career to pursue her love of writing. She is my new favorite author and I am deeply touched by her beautiful work.
5 people found this helpful
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Could have been great

I believe that this novel could have been fantastic. I loved that the author was able to illuminate the turn of the century struggles within Northern Ireland. I loved the dialogue - I could hear the voices in my head. However, I absolutely couldn't stand the main character. She was rude, stubborn, close-minded and one-note emotionally. I cannot believe that two men that the author described as very sought-after bachelors would fall for this woman. She had NO redeeming qualities at all; not just at the beginning of the book, but the entire way through. It's beyond belief that a rich, good-looking Quaker, whose family was the most influential in the town, would risk his reputation and his life to be with her. I kept waiting for her to develop into a well-rounded person emotionally - expected that to be part of the conclusion of the book - but it never happened. What a disappointment.
3 people found this helpful
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Not a fan.

I usually always finish books, but this one I barely got halfway through. The main character annoyed me with her attitude and all of the characters were not very fleshed out. Lacked depth. I hate that I wasted mobey on this one.
2 people found this helpful
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The Yellow House

The Yellow House tells the story of Eileen O'Neill over the course of 20 years. When she was eight her family and her world started unraveling. What keeps her going over 20 years is the dream of reclaiming the yellow house, her childhood home. Thrown into harsh conditions of working on a factory floor and then into the politics of the fight for Ireland's Independence it is the dream of the yellow house being able to reunite her family that keeps her going. The Yellow House is a story of love and friendship and struggle. This was a great engaging story that I could not put down.
2 people found this helpful