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Decanted Truths by Melanie Forde

For Irish immigrant families like the Harrigans and Gavagans, struggle has been the name of the game since they arrived in Boston in the nineteenth century. For twice-orphaned Leah Gavagan, who comes of age in the Depression, the struggle is compounded by bizarre visions that disrupt her daily life — and sometimes come true. She has difficulty fitting in with her surroundings: whether the lace-curtain Dorchester apartment overseen by her judgmental Aunt Margaret or the wild Manomet bluff shared with her no-nonsense Aunt Theo and brain-damaged Uncle Liam. A death in the family disrupts the tepid life path chosen for Leah and sets her on a journey of discovery. That journey goes back to the misadventures shaping the earlier generation, eager to prove its hard-won American credentials in the Alaskan gold rush, the Spanish-American War, and The Great War. She learns of the secrets that have bound Theo and Margaret together. Ultimately, Leah learns she is not who she thought she was. Her new truth both blinds and dazzles her, much like the Waterford decanter at the center of her oldest dreams — an artifact linking three Irish-American families stumbling after the American Dream.

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About the Author

For most of her writing career, Melanie Forde ghosted on international security issues. She published her first novel, Hillwilla, in 2014, followed by On the Hillwilla Road in 2015. Her West Virginia trilogy culminates in Reinventing Hillwilla, published in 2018. 2018 also brought forth her Irish-American family saga, Decanted Truths, 20 years in the making.

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My Review

5 Stars

This is the story of two Irish Families, the Harrigan’s and the Gavagan’s initially around the time of the Depression. The first part kind of centers around Leah Gavagan who is an orphan and raised by her aunt and uncle. Leah is turning 18 and her aunt wants to send her to school in New York so she has some training to make a living.

While Leah is in New York, tragedy strikes and Leah ends up leaving school and returning home. This tragedy strikes Leah’s Aunt Margaret with the loss of her son. Margaret’s health declines until she passes away and her secrets come to light. After learning about Margaret the family has to process the now uncovered secrets and go on with their lives.

This was an interesting story and I found myself wanting to know more about the family members and their histories. I really liked Leah and felt bad that she was sent to school where she clearly doesn’t want to be. But learning about tough Margaret’s secrets make me realize how the different things we chose to do can affect so much more than just our lives, it also can affect our families and friends.

This is a great read and one I recommend checking out if you like historical stories. I really liked the slight paranormal gifts that you see with the family too. It really added a little touch to make the story even more connected. It is definitely worth checking out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank the Author for the opportunity to read and share this book along with waiting forever for me to get a review written. Thank you for your patience.