Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan- Review

The Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan 

Publisher:  DX Varos Publishing (March 7, 2023)
Category: Literary Fiction, British and Irish Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Tour Dates March 13-April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065702
Available in Print and ebook, 396 pages

 

Description Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan

Helen Campbell is the eldest and most practical of three sisters, daughters of hard-working Irish emigrants living in New York City in the 1950s. She does what she can to keep the wild-child middle sister, Carolyn, in line and support the youngest, Peggy, as she pursues her dreams of becoming a doctor. Then Helen meets Charlie. 

While it's love at first sight for those two, Carolyn’s antics threatens to derail all the sisters’ future happiness. However, through thick and thin, the three sisters strive to prevail, though not necessarily in the ways they thought they wanted.

Review Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan

 Review by Suzie

In order to write a cohesive and enjoyable historical fiction, one has to do a lot of research. It is clear almost immediately upon starting this book, 'The Campbell Sisters' that writer Eileen Joyce Donovan did not shy away from doing just that.

Never have I read a historical fiction set in New York that was more engaging and delightful, and I think a lot of that had to do with the amount of specificity that Donovan put into the setting of this book.

I found myself relaxing and enjoying the story, purely because I knew that the author was not going to get a single detail wrong. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me tell you a little bit about the actual plot of the book, because that's obviously just as important.

'The Campbell Sisters,' is a story about family, love, and heartache set in the backdrop of post-war New York City. Finding love for the first time, Helen, the eldest sister, worries about whether her new beau Charlie will fit in with her modest and sensible image—and whether he will impress her parents.

Meanwhile, Carolyn, the middle sister, seems intent on doing just the opposite. That is, she finds herself in a situation that disgraces her family, to the point that her parents, Irish immigrants, have no choice but to throw her out of their apartment. Lost and bewildered, Carolyn must rely on the help of Helen and their younger sister, Peggy to find a new place to live before the end of the month.

I absolutely loved this book! My heart went out to all three sisters and I found myself rooting for them to find love and conquer all of their obstacles. This is a completely immersive story that I could see myself re-reading again and again! 

Awards and Praise for Eileen Joyce Donovan

2019 Marie M Irvine Award for Promises, 2021 When Word Count competition for A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma “This story is well written and immerses the reader in the period rooting for Alex. At times, I found her decisions a bit rash, but I remembered myself fighting for my career in a male-dominated field. The story is well-researched, and I enjoyed it immensely.”- Carol Amorosi, Author of The MacKay Mysteries, Series 

“It was compelling to read of the mores of the time: school teachers couldn't drink in public, staying at a boarding house came with a set of restrictive rules and trying to get lead stories in a newspaper entailed being part salesperson/part private investigator. With the role of newspapers and reporters being in the news of late, this depiction of a young woman learning the ropes in a competitive, male dominated field was fascinating in the scope of how tough it is to get a story right.”- Susan Wands, Author of Magician and Fool 

“I don't normally read historical fiction, but I so enjoyed this book set in the 1920's. The theme is timeless as the main character is determined to make it in a man's world. Great read!”- Stacy Wilder, Author of A Liz Adams Mystery, Series 

“The characters and fast paced plot drew me in and kept me reading. I enjoyed the historical details and the fact that every time I thought I knew how a character would react, I was wrong. The author is too skilled to fall into stereotypes.”- Grammarian, Amazon Review

About Eileen Joyce Donovan

Eileen Joyce Donovan has been writing her entire life, in one way or another, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for clients. At the persistent urging of her husband, she finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of her stories and take the plunge. Years later, her persistence paid off and both her debut historical fiction, Promises, and her second novel, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, won prestigious awards. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, and her essays have been included in various Chicken Soup for the Soul editions. 

She lives in Manhattan, New York and is a member of Authors Guild, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and The Historical Novel Society.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/etdonovan1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileen.donovan.923

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