But everything changes when Ruby finds her late grandmother's old case in the attic. Among its strange contents: a curious, handmade volume called The Book of Light.
As Ruby delves into its mysterious pages, she's enticed into a most beguiling world, whose allure and magnetic power she finds irresistible.
Martha, convinced that her newly empowered daughter is going crazy, enlists the help of the kindly parish priest, and then psychiatrist Henry Shevlin. Henry appears imperturbable, yet is inwardly reeling from his wife's unexplained disappearance the previous year.
As Ruby undergoes therapy, she meets local bachelor farmer Jamie McCloone. Through their shared loneliness and isolation the two find the courage to connect. But will Ruby's mother allow her daughter the happiness she so richly deserves?
The Godforsaken Daughter is an unforgettable peek into small-town life in Ireland's recent past. It's a glorious successor to McKenna's first two “Tailorstown” novels, The Misremembered Man and The Disenchanted Widow.
Author Info:
Writing books, she says, is a real challenge. It requires much inspiration and self-discipline. It is, however, emotionally and spiritually rewarding in ways she'd never dreamed of before she published her first book, "My Mother Wore a Yellow Dress," in 2004.
This was a memoir of her journey to adulthood, and of the extraordinary people who shared that journey, her dear departed mother in particular. Christina dedicated the book to her.
Her next project took the form of a novel, in her opinion the most difficult type of writing. The genesis of "The Misremembered Man" came to her in a particularly lucid dream -- evidence that, in some cases, dreams do indeed come true!
Contrary to certain press reports, the film rights to "The Misremembered Man" have not been sold.
The sequel, "The Disenchanted Widow," revisits Tailorstown, the setting for the first novel. It was published to great acclaim by Amazon on August 27, 2013.
Fans of "The Misremembered Man" will be pleased to learn that the sequel sees a return of the inimitable Rose McFadden, as well as a couple of minor characters from the same book. It also features an enigmatic parish priest, Father Cassidy, whom Christina based on an individual from her childhood. The situations and occurrences involving Cassidy are also based on actual events.
The paranormal holds tremendous interest for her. This is in part due to the fact that in her childhood she experienced a haunting when she was eleven years old.
This interest has produced two books so far. The first was entitled, "The Dark Sacrament," which she co-authored with her husband, David M. Kiely. The second is "Ireland's Haunted Women." Both recount recent cases of paranormal activity in Ireland, as seen through the eyes of the haunted and their "deliverers."
Christina has just released her third novel in the Tailorstown series. Entitled "The Godforsaken Daughter," it was published on St. Patrick's Day, 2015.
She's also updated and revised her 2004 memoir, "My Mother Wore a Yellow Dress," which is now available both as a paperback and a Kindle.
TOUR STOPS:
Monday, March 16th: Write, Meg!
Tuesday, March 17th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, March 19th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Friday, March 20th: Bell, Book, and Candle
Tuesday, March 24th: BookNAround
Wednesday, March 25th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Thursday, March 26th: The Avid Reader
Monday, March 30th: Mom in Love with Fiction
Wednesday, April 1st: WV Stitcher
Thursday, April 2nd: Joyfully Retired
Monday, April 6th: Unshelfish
Tuesday, April 7th: girlichef
Wednesday, April 8th: The Book Bag
Thursday, April 9th: My Bookshelf
Friday, April 10th: Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, April 13th: Patricia’s Wisdom
My review:
I very much enjoyed this book! It was different and mostly unique, I say mostly because it did remind me of Cinderella at times. The characters were well written, however I could not pick a favorite or one that I related to. What really makes the story the most interesting I think is when Ruby finds The Book of Light and the paranormal aspect is brought into the plot. This plot point really helps the book along, it made the book go from unenjoyable to me as a reader enjoying it very much! The only thing I really didn't like was the cover of the book. Its just so blah and not well put together in my opinion.
Final verdict:
I would recomend this book! It has a slow start but just keep with it you'll be glad you did. Its a fun book too! Perfect for spring break and summer reading!

I very much enjoyed this book! It was different and mostly unique, I say mostly because it did remind me of Cinderella at times. The characters were well written, however I could not pick a favorite or one that I related to. What really makes the story the most interesting I think is when Ruby finds The Book of Light and the paranormal aspect is brought into the plot. This plot point really helps the book along, it made the book go from unenjoyable to me as a reader enjoying it very much! The only thing I really didn't like was the cover of the book. Its just so blah and not well put together in my opinion.
Final verdict:
I would recomend this book! It has a slow start but just keep with it you'll be glad you did. Its a fun book too! Perfect for spring break and summer reading!


