‘If home is where the heart is, where will hers take her?‘
– Moving On
[ About Moving On ]
Three great loves. Two different countries. One step closer to finding her way home . . .
As a new decade begins, hopeless romantic and big dreamer Ellen is finally moving on from her hometown.
In Galway she takes a job in a bookshop, and somewhere between the dusty bookshelves and the quiet afternoons, a bookseller named Ben finds a place in her heart.
Fast forward, and the bright lights (and cosy flats) of London are calling Ellen’s name. There she meets Leo, a charming, attentive city banker who’s everything she’s ever wanted.
And wherever she goes, her heart beats in time with her childhood friend, Danny – though they never seem to be in the right place at the right time.
If home is where the heart is, where will Ellen’s lead her?
[ My Review ]
Moving On by Roisin Meaney published February 6th with Hachette Ireland and is described as ‘a warm-hearted romance, which explores the places, spaces and faces who make us who we are.’
Ellen Sheehan has dreams to explore the world beyond the hometown she grew up in on the west coast of Ireland. Her childhood left her marked after the departure of her father leaving a bitterness in Ellen’s heart. She blamed her mother and this ambivalence toward her mother festered over the years. Ellen had been a Daddy’s girl and after he left her world was torn asunder. Ellen rebelled causing much heartbreak for her mother but Ellen was never prepared to see the world from her mother’s perspective. Ellen’s sister Joan had her life planned but all Ellen was sure of was her love for reading and books.
Her best friend Claire was always up to high-jinks and the duo made a plan. They would leave home and head to Galway city. There they would live independently and have the craic, just the two of them against the world. Claire was unable to leave at the same time as Ellen so Ellen took the bus to Galway and travelled to her Aunt Frances’ place where a bed was awaiting. With a job lined up in a small independent bookshop Ellen was excited. A romantic at heart she had dreams of finding her one true love but instead life took a slightly different turn,
We follow Ellen’s trajectory over the following decades as she navigates life’s ups and downs. With the good comes the bad and Ellen is dealt her fair share of disappointment and grief but through all the hardship there is a thread of hope that lingers. Investing ourselves in Ellen’s life we, as the reader, make plans with her and travel through the decades alongside her, shedding tears by her side and becoming her biggest champion. Ellen Sheehan’s story is extremely affecting. It is a story of many who search for true love, that perfect match that can seem unattainable. Ellen does not get everything right. Her decision-making at times can be frustrating but just like in real-life we stand by her and support her.
Over the years, there are three men that are central to Ellen’s life – Ben, Danny and Leo. Ellen, at different times over the years, has relationships with all three, be it platonic or otherwise. She values friendship dearly and, with her forgiving nature, is sometimes blind to what is right there staring her in the face. Ellen moves home a number of times throughout her life and the book is divided into sections according to these events. As the years pass, Ellen’s personality develops as she shifts from being a young woman to becoming a mother and all that that entails.
Roisin Meaney does a gorgeous job carrying the story of Ellen forward through the decades. Something about Moving On really resonated with me, although my life is so very different to that of Ellen Sheehan’s. A bittersweet yet uplifting tale, Moving On is a deeply emotional story that tugs at all the heartstrings. It is a beautifully rendered journey through loss, love and healing, one of resilience with an enduring sense of hope. Roisin Meaney has written a stunning novel, probably my favourite yet and that’s really saying something!! Congratulations Roisin.
*Thank you to Hachette Ireland and to Plunkett PR for a copy of Moving On in exchange for my honest review.
[ Bio ]
Roisin Meaney was born in Listowel, Co Kerry, She has lived in the US, Canada, Africa and Europe but is now based in Clare, Ireland. This Number One bestselling author is a consistent presence on the Irish bestseller list and she is the author of twenty novels including Life Before Us, It’s That Time of Year and The Restaurant. She has also written books for children.
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