The Judge's Wife
A Novel
Ann O'Loughlin
- 312 Pages
- February 27, 2018
- ISBN: 9781510723955
- Imprint: Skyhorse Publishing
- Trim Size: 5.5in x 8.25in x 0in
Description
*Shortlisted for a 2017 RoNA Award*
With her whole life ahead of her, beautiful young Grace’s world changes forever when she’s married off to a much older judge. Soon, feeling lonely and neglected, Grace meets and falls in love with an Indian doctor, Vikram—he’s charming, thoughtful, and kind, everything her husband is not. But this is 1950s Ireland, and when she falls pregnant, the potential scandal must be dealt with. As soon as she has given birth, Grace is sent to an asylum by the judge, while Vikram, told that Grace died in childbirth, returns to India heartbroken.
Thirty years later, after the judge’s death, his estranged daughter Emma returns home to pack up his estate, where she finds Grace’s diaries and begins to piece together the life of the mother she never knew. Meanwhile, Vikram is planning a long-awaited return to Ireland with his much-loved niece Rosa—who has grown up hearing all about her uncle’s long-lost love—to stand, at last, at the grave of the woman he adores. When the judge’s will is finally read, revealing he has sent letters to Vikram and Emma, the deception spanning both decades and continents finally begins to unravel, exposing long-buried family secrets along the way and raising the question of if true love can last a lifetime.
Authors
Reviews
"A richly woven tale of passion, conspiracy, hypocrisy, and a chilling secret beyond the grave. . . . In a compelling read, Ann O'Loughlin renders her characters with precision, while also revealing the dark side of Dublin society, even in the 1980s." —The Sunday Independent
"A passionate, dramatic story . . . deftly written between time-lines and places. A poignant tale . . . many narrative threads are woven in to the rich fabric of the story but at its center are the complexities of love and how to navigate a relationship when all odds are stacked against you." —Books Ireland
"She applies herself with lyrical zest . . . O'Loughlin digs deeper to explore the more tangled knots tying down the wider dramatis personae of her drama and she fleshes them out with compassion . . . she opens the throttles and guns it for full metal melodrama with two huge revelations towards the end." —Irish Examiner
"It is neatly done, and O'Loughlin weaves her tapestry well, with most of the characters coming gloriously, tangibly to life. . . . O'Loughlin's prose in this novel is precise and restrained, almost hauntingly so . . . that the result is great writing. . . . The Judge's Wife is essentially an uplifting read, the kind of book you want to gobble up in one sitting." —The Sunday Times
"Grace was a rare and memorable character, one I don't think I've read similar to in any other book. . . . Powerful with its emotion and captivating with its storytelling, The Judge's Wife is a book that breaks your heart." —Reviewed by the Book
"Im not normally a very fast reader, but I literally devoured this. . . . There is so much to tell about this enthralling tale of love and deception, but I don't want to spoil the shock and surprise . . . an absolutely pleasure to read, I thoroughly recommend this book." —Ampersand Book Review
"To say that I loved The Judge's Wife would be an understatement. I couldn't believe the amount of emotion I felt whilst reading this story. . . . Ann O'Loughlin could not have written a better book. It is full to the brim with emotions and is just as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking." —Kelly's Book Corner
"The Judge's Wife is a powerful and moving story, very well written with characters that are fascinating and a central theme that is quite tragic." —Random Things Through My Letterbox
"I absolutely, completely and utterly adored this book from the first page, all the way through every single page, through to the very last. . . . A stunning book that broke my heart, on more than one occasion. It was devastating, it was perfect and it was beautiful. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and their lives long after I'd read the last page. A magnificent read!" —Kim the Bookworm
Praise for The Secrets of Roscarbury Hall
"Unraveled family secrets are rewoven into bittersweet truth in this poignant debut. . . . O'Loughlin metes out revelations, both painful and redeeming." —Publishers Weekly
"Ann O'Loughlin has spun a masterful tale with The Secrets of Roscarbury Hall, a story full of secrets and dark memories . . . Beautiful story." —Manhattan Book Review (5 stars)
"A delicious novel, filled with the joys and sorrows only humans can cook up. O'Loughlin has written a tale of sisterhood in all its forms—siblings, nuns, and strangers who appear out of the blue to become your family when you need one the most. Best read with a cuppa tea and warm scone, drizzled with sugar icing, sprinkled with lemon zest. Sweet and sour. Just like the women in Roscarbury Hall." —Mary Hogan, bestselling author of Two Sisters and The Woman in the Photo
"A lovely story of two women with the courage to confront the injustices of the past, bringing light to a dark corner of Ireland's recent history." —Kathleen MacMahon, bestselling author of This Is How It Ends
"Warm and engaging . . . I loved journeying through the lives of these fascinating characters. A beautifully drawn, skillfully written, well-researched novel." —Kate Kerrigan, New York Times bestselling author of the Ellis Island Trilogy
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