An Irish Immigrant Family Raising Seven Boisterous Children in 1900 - an Editorial Review of "Growing Up O'Malley"

Book Blurb:

From Mary Frances Fisher comes Growing Up O’Malley, her companion novel to Paradox Forged in Blood. Both are compelling works of historical fiction based on true events and stories passed down from the author’s family.

Growing Up O’Malley is a poignant story of an Irish immigrant couple raising seven boisterous children in the early 1900s. Their antics provide the backdrop for a story filled with humor and determination to navigate life’s challenges—the Great Depression, kidnapping, deadly illness, and World War II. Their journey focuses on optimism, Irish wit, and faith to provide inner strength hidden until tested by fate.

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Author Bio:

Mary Frances Fisher, a lifelong resident of Cleveland OH, has spent the majority of her career as a legal nurse consultant and signed with Pro Model and Talent Agency as a commercial print model. With Germaine Moody and writer contributions from over 100 countries, she co-authored her first published work in 2013, 50 Seeds of Greatness (www.50seedsofgreatness.com).

Her additional writing experiences include several short stories published by Transcendent Publishing: "Earning My Wings" in Touched by an Angel: A Collection of Divinely Inspired Stories and Poems, October 2013; "Mercy's Legacy" in Best of Spiritual Writers Network 2013; "Be Careful What You Wish For" in The Best of Spiritual Writers Network 2014; "The Gift" in Finding Our Wings: A Collection of Angelic Stories and Poems, March 2016; and “Leap of Faith” in The Best of Spiritual Writers Network 2016.

She also wrote a screenplay based on her short story "Mercy's Legacy." Growing Up O'Malley, a companion novel to Paradox Forget in Blood, has an expected release date in Summer 2023.

Mary Frances lives in a suburb of Cleveland with her family.

Visit Mary at www.maryfrancesfisher.com

Editorial Review:

Title: Growing Up O’Malley

Author: Mary Frances Fisher

Rating: 4.0

"... fate has chosen me to be the Storyteller of my family's century-long chronicles. ’Tis a grand journey filled with a sprinkling of smiles, love, heartache, laughter, and tears."

"Growing Up O'Malley" by Mary Frances Fisher is a compelling work of historical fiction based on true events and stories passed down from the author’s family. The sentiment above invites the reader on a voyage across generations, from famine-ravaged Ireland in the 1880s through their immigration to America, their struggles during the Great Depression, and their endurance through World War II. Along the way, the family faces kidnapping, deadly illness, the trauma of war, and profound loss, yet they are sustained by their unshakeable faith, their love for one another, and their determination to find joy even in the darkest of times.

"With no income from Jamie, Elizabeth appealed to the government for assistance. But politics and greed overshadowed common decency and human compassion in a climate teeming with desperation. Under British rule, Catholics who toiled the earth were considered serfs— prohibited from owning land and prevented from eating their own food because the exportation of victuals was highly profitable for English landlords."

This passage tells the reader why the O'Malley left County Mayo, Ireland, for Cleveland, Ohio, a move that was pioneered by Elizabeth's oldest child, Brian Ginley, in 1901. Survival was impossible. Their struggle was not just personal but political and historical, orchestrated by an unjust system designed to keep them oppressed. The reader is primed for a moving tale where Elizabeth, the matriarch and foundational figure of the family, will sacrifice everything for her children, endure unimaginable hardship, and ultimately plant seeds of resilience that will carry the family through generations.

"“I just sold the store, and we can finally return home... “But Paul, that’s not enough⁠—” A loud face slap landed Emma on the floor. “It’s plenty of time. I won’t hear another word about it. And can’t you keep that child quiet?” Emma ran back upstairs, reeling from Paul’s temper, and consoled her five-year old son, crying from a fall onto already skinned knees... Frank’s journey would traverse the world as he continued to suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of his father. It would feel like a lifetime before he found happiness, a. concept woven into the fabric of the O’Malley home but absent for young Frank."

This passage establishes the stark contrast between the O'Malley's and Szabo's letting the reader see that not all immigrant stories are the same. While the O'Malleys find freedom and prosperity, the Szabos find only more hardship. This makes the book's portrayal of the immigrant experience more nuanced and realistic. Frank grows up in a violent home. His suffering is ongoing, and the reader understands that he will have no stability or peace any time soon. He has never experienced the love and warmth like the O'Malleys, something the reader will want to see his reaction to when he later gets integrated in O'Malley's family after marrying their daughter Ellen O'Malley.

Throughout the novel, the author speaks directly to the reader creating a profound sense of intimacy with them, even as she prepares them for an unforgettable journey through history. In a brilliant narrative choice that makes the family story emotionally resonant, the author doesn't simply use history as a backdrop rather, she integrates historical events into the family's journey, making the political feel deeply personal. These historical events include the Potato Famine which establishes why the family initially fled Ireland, and the Holocaust, World War II, as well as the Great Depression, three of history's most horrifying events whose aftermath captures how ordinary lives were shattered by forces beyond their control. The crown jewel of the narrative however is in the resilience of Elizabeth, a woman who, even when she falls into "an abyss as a black curtain shrouded her, terrified it would devour her soul," she refuses to surrender. Her endurance defines the strength of subsequent O’Malley women in the face of adversity, establishing a legacy that carries the family through generations.

"Growing Up O'Malley" by Mary Frances Fisher effortlessly forces the reader to confront political and personal injustices. On the other side, it reminds them of the power of kinship, love, and resilience in overcoming even the darkest circumstances. Its lessons don't just sit on the pages, rather, they burrow into the reader's soul yearning to be lived, shared, and passed down through generations.

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