‘The
Irish Bride’ – what a well plotted, stylishly written romance Alexis
Harrington has created! With all the right
elements, Ms. Harrington has succeeded in fashioning a gripping tale that is sure to suck
the readers right into Farrell and Aidan’s world.
But things don’t begin all
that well for Farrell Kirwan and Aidan O’Rourke. Due to disastrous circumstances
beyond her control, Farrell suddenly finds herself an orphan and the only course of action
she’s left with is to marry Aidan. This is totally repugnant to her for she’s
always been in love with Aidan’s gentle brother, Liam! But fate and a disquieting
menace leave them both with no choice and soon Aidan and his new and rebellious bride are
forced to flee from County Cork and leave Ireland behind. Aidan badly wants to go to
America, that land of milk and honey, far away from the starving Irish lands and begin
life anew. He knows well that Farrell doesn’t love him and he’s sure that she
doesn’t even suspect the burning and hot feelings she’s inspired in him for so
very long. Still, he can’t but help but feel triumphant, for at last the beautiful
and desirable Farrell is his! Meanwhile Farrell is resolved that this will be a marriage
in name only!
They set off on a long and hard
voyage to America aboard a tiny barque. Unknown to them, there’s someone, a very
dangerous and unscrupulous someone, who’s bent upon revenge and has made it a mission
in life to track down this fleeing couple and destroy them both. But not knowing this,
this pair completes a difficult and grief-filled voyage, only to land in New Orleans,
miles away from their intended destination of New York! In spite or maybe due to the time
spent together, their relationship is on very shaky grounds, for Farrell cannot help but
loathe and mistrust Aidan and is inclined to blame him for all her misfortune, and Aidan,
on the other hand, craves Farrell with a passion that’s frightening in its intensity.
With low finances and a contentious relationship, they find that the America of reality is
far different from the one of their dreams! Instead of milk and honey, they discover
vastness and slaves! What will this unlike duo do now?
In her latest creation, ‘The
Irish Bride’, Alexis Harrington has created a book lush with sensuality, rich
with characterizations and deep in emotions. She’s used language and words with great
skill to evoke not just the starving and poverty-stricken conditions in Ireland, but to
also enliven the awe-inspiring and scenic majesty of uncharted America. The ease with
which she illustrates the differing characters, cultures, languages and locations is
profoundly impressive. Even the characters of the two main protagonists, Farrell and
Aidan, are well-developed and well thought out. They’re truly the salt-of-the-earth
kind, gritty and hard-working Irish, typical of their country land. Even their tempers are
truly legendary Irish! Ms. Harrington has set them in a complex moral landscape to make
choices that will affect them for years to come and this is deeply interesting as well as
inspiring. To sum up, great sparring dialogue, well-defined characters and just a hint of
suspense make ‘The Irish Bride’ a delightful work of fiction.
Reviewed By Rashmi Srinivas
for The Road to Romance
February 10, 2003 |
