Less than 100 years ago, a form of slavery still persisted in parts of rural Ireland—the hiring fair system. Children as young as seven or eight were sold for fixed periods by their impoverished parents to farmers who worked them to the bone, treating them as little more than cattle. And often, even worse.
The Donegal Woman is based on the true story of the author’s own grandmother, Margaret. Born to the poorest of Protestant farmers in the hills of Donegal, Margaret was hired out as a child, raped by her master, and once pregnant, forced to marry another man many times her age. But Margaret survived in a silent world of her own, driven by a passionate determination to do right by her children.
Reviving the tradition of three of Ulster’s great radical writers, Peadar O’ Donnell, Patrick MacGill, and Sam Hannah Bell, this author, with his first novel, has captured the authentic voice of a woman of extraordinary spirit. John Throne beautifully tells his grandmother’s tragic story, a story much like that of countless other Irishwomen of her time.
Margaret’s story is a powerful reflection of the struggle against oppression that women have long faced. Her resilience and strength is inspirational to all women. Women the world over can identify with Margaret and see her tale as the feminist call to action that it is.
The Donegal Woman is based on the true story of the author’s own grandmother, Margaret. Born to the poorest of Protestant farmers in the hills of Donegal, Margaret was hired out as a child, raped by her master, and once pregnant, forced to marry another man many times her age. But Margaret survived in a silent world of her own, driven by a passionate determination to do right by her children.
Reviving the tradition of three of Ulster’s great radical writers, Peadar O’ Donnell, Patrick MacGill, and Sam Hannah Bell, this author, with his first novel, has captured the authentic voice of a woman of extraordinary spirit. John Throne beautifully tells his grandmother’s tragic story, a story much like that of countless other Irishwomen of her time.
Margaret’s story is a powerful reflection of the struggle against oppression that women have long faced. Her resilience and strength is inspirational to all women. Women the world over can identify with Margaret and see her tale as the feminist call to action that it is.
