Dance in Donegal Paperback – 2 Feb. 2021

Lovely book couldn't put it down

This is a historical romance set in Ireland. Moira has travelled all the way from America to take up a teaching position in her mother’s home-town. However, she soon discovers that mystery surrounds her mother’s past, and some people are against her because of it.I loved the Irish dialect in this book, and the characters were mainly well-crafted. Moira herself can be a bit infuriating, because there are times in the story when she seems a little too innocent.Faith is important to Moira all through the book, but she seems to grow in her relationship with the Lord as the story progresses, mainly thanks to some local friends who help her evaluate her decisions.I especially enjoyed the part about the young teenager who becomes deathly ill and must be cared for by Moira, a teacher against whom he previously set up a hate campaign. Moira risks being ostracized by the locals in her efforts to care for her student. Since this is the era of the Spanish flu, I found it especially interesting, as the fears from which people suffered mirrored those many are facing in the current coronavirus pandemic.I have to admit this isn’t the kind of book I would normally read. Parts of it were a little too romantic and fanciful for my taste, but it is very well written and would appeal to those who enjoy these kinds of historical romances.

If you like stories set in Ireland that have the flavor of the Gaelic language, with a touch of romance and a flair of mystery, here is the book to read. The novel is a debut by author Jennifer Deibel who has herself been immersed in the Irish culture shares the richness of the Emerald Island through this tale. The lead character is a young woman currently living in Boston with her mother; her name is Moira Doherty. Moira’s mother has been sharing stories of Ireland for all of Moira’s life. They stirred in her heart the desire to go there someday. Well, for Moira that day has arrived. After losing her mother and not sure what she is to do, she senses the Lord telling her to go forward with her plans. With her head filled with stories of her mother’s homeland along with the ache of her mother’s death, Moira steps into her future. From the moment she lands on the island, she encounters a different language with some very different customs and beliefs. Moira is welcomed into her temporary place of residence as she acclimates to the area in preparation to teach the children of the town’s school.Throughout the book there is something in Moira’s past that she is unaware of, but all the people in town seem to know and look at her with questioning eyes. Moira is a young woman with hopes to understand what has drawn her to the very town her mother grew up in and what secret lies in her mother’s life that is impacting Moira’s life now. Moira is befriended by most of the local town’s people though she has a few of them who are threatening her with revealing her secret, the secret Moira doesn’t know.The climax in the book is well written and comes with such heart-pounding force I couldn’t help but continue reading to see how it would be resolved. The book started out slow for me but quickly progressed as I was drawn into the mystery of what lay behind Moira’s life. The author has another Irish romance novel forthcoming, and a teaser is included in the back of the book. I look forward to her next book that I hope includes the flavors of faith, romance and a touch of mystery.

I felt like I was within the book was I read. I could feel the breeze on my face, the salt of the ocean. I could even smell the peat and the ashes. You must read this, the love for each character was truly felt.

Lovely Christian historical romance! Well written, with themes of forgiveness, trust and redemption woven throughout the story. Lots of scripture references included in a natural flow, without being awkward or preachy.

I wanted to love A Dance in Donegal, and I did love some parts. The descriptions of Ireland, for instance, were nuanced and three-dimensional, down to the weather, the thatched roofs, and the smells and tastes of a classic full Irish breakfast. I felt like I was there. As other reviewers have said, the looks at Irish culture, especially the Gaelic language, helped a lot, too.I found the idea of Mrs. Doherty's secrets intriguing, especially when coupled with the nasty "treats" Moira received and the apparent attempts to sabotage not only her new career, but her presence in Ballyman. I wanted Moira to find the truth because I was intrigued, and I rooted against her adversary because I felt protective of Moira's love for, and presence in, Ireland. That, coupled with the above descriptions and some secondary characters like Brid and Buach, gave A Dance in Donegal some good bone structure.Unfortunately, that bone structure starts to fall apart not long into the story. For one thing, the chapters are too short and too quick. Not even 30% of the way in, there have already been over 15 chapters--and very little happened in them. That is, events did happen, but they were summed up or glossed over, so the pace felt simultaneously too quick and too slow.Plus, because Moira hops from event to event, we never see her settle in and do anything or grow as a character. The biggest and most off-putting example, for me, is that the story is supposed to be about Moira becoming a teacher at an Irish schoolhouse, an unfamiliar environment. As another reviewer said, I kind of expected an Irish version of Christy. Instead, we rarely see Moira teach, and most of the interactions with her students that get significant page time are negative. And, this is a nit-pick, but--could readers please have a pronunciation guide? I muddled through because I'm somewhat familiar with Irish names, but not that familiar. I can only imagine other readers would be lost.In addition, most everything else, plot, character, and otherwise, is told, not shown. Jennifer also repeats information. It reached the point that I started to believe I was supposed to root for Sean and Moira's chemistry because they found each other annoying or hateful, but were attracted to each other's eyes. I recognize Jennifer was trying for the enemies to lovers trope, and I respect the effort. However, I found no reason for Moira and Sean to feel adversarial with each other, nor did I get any of the banter and spark I expect from this trope.I'm extremely disappointed that I couldn't love this book. However, as it is Jennifer Deibel's debut, I'll keep my eye on her. I've found sometimes, debuts are hard but subsequent releases improve by leaps and bounds. I certainly hope that's the case here.

What a great story. I really enjoyed this book.It's the story of a young woman who recently graduated and was ready to start her first teaching job in Boston. Then her mother dies.Her mother lived in Ireland before moving to America and she wanted Moira to start her teaching career in Ballymann, Ireland, a small village where her mother was living before some scandal broke out. She would like Moira to clear her name. But Moira has no clue as to what her mother is talking about. Should Moira move to Ireland after her mother dies?After much praying and having "dreams" Moira decides to take the teaching job in Ballymann.The story moves along quickly and village life is not so easy for a girl from Boston in the early 1900's. She meets a few welcoming people but being a small village she is also met with many who remember and believe the scandal.God plays a big role in this book. Ireland sounds beautiful, many superstitions, the Irish Gaelic language is spoken, romance blooms, hurt comes from gossip, the scandal is finally put to rest and this was a really good story!