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Maisie Moon’s Guilt follows a young Irish woman navigating the crushing weight of guilt, faith, and societal judgment in 1940s Catholic Ireland and post-war England in a journey of identity and redemption. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My mother was a devout Catholic and came from Ireland. She travelled to England from Ireland in 1947 to train as a nurse and she ran a ward at an early age in Birmingham. So the first part of the book is modelled on my mother’s own experiences. However, she didn’t have a child out of wedlock, that was the fictional part to give her more flaws, and make her more relatable.
How did you balance the subtle supernatural elements with the gritty realism of Nancy’s story?
Yes, not so easy, as you do have to have an interest in the supernatural to suspend disbelief. I tried to make the experiences as realistic as possible.
Nancy’s voice feels so raw and authentic. Was her character based on anyone you know or real historical accounts?
Nancy was based on my mother who passed in 2021 at the age of 93. She was feisty, opinionated, brave and with a heart of gold. As I said, previously, when I cared for her in the last month of her life, she recounted many of the hospital stories to me. So many of the stories are actually true.
With regards to the flashbacks, those are mixed with my own memories of meeting my cousins in Ireland at a young age.
What research did you undertake to capture the vivid details of post-war England and 1940s Ireland?
I did plenty of research as I love history. I used every available resource as I want the facts to be correct. I have to be careful not to info dump into my writing, as often I want the reader to enjoy the historical facts as much as I do, but sometimes I go into too much detail. It needs to be shown rather than told.
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England begins to rebuild after the devastation of World War II, a young Irish Catholic travels to England to train as a nurse and escape her heart-breaking past. Determined to make a fresh start, the last thing Nancy Flanagan expects is to encounter a mysterious patient harbouring his own dark secrets. Secrets that will turn her world upside down . . .
Together, Nancy and her patient decide to right their past wrongs and face down an evil that has been lurking in the shadows. With the help of a ragtag team, they travel to Argentina to pursue these malignant forces.
As Nancy delves deeper within the murky world of mythical beings, she discovers she has an unknown gift. Confronted with a supernatural malevolence targeting her loved ones, she emerges as an unlikely heroine in the endless spiritual warfare of good versus evil. Can she and her friends survive the emotional and physical toll on them? Will Nancy succeed and save her loved ones and the world?
The Nancy Flanagan Chronicles – Book One – Guilt
Maisie Moon’s Guilt follows Nancy Flanagan, a young Irish woman grappling with the weight of personal mistakes, societal judgment, and the rigid expectations of 1940s Catholic Ireland. After a traumatic experience leaves her with a child out of wedlock, she is forced to leave her daughter behind and move to England to train as a nurse. The story unfolds as both a fictional memoir and a historical narrative, immersing readers in the post-war era’s cultural and social tensions. Moon blends elements of guilt, faith, resilience, and the supernatural into a compelling story about identity and redemption.
One of the strongest aspects of this book is Nancy’s voice. It’s raw, unfiltered, and entirely her own. The first-person narration pulls you straight into her thoughts, making her experiences feel real and immediate. From the moment she steps onto the train leaving Ireland, you feel her mix of excitement and dread. In scenes like Nancy’s confrontation with her mother about giving up her daughter, the dialogue crackles with tension. The pain is tangible, and the way Nancy swings between anger, defiance, and longing makes her heartbreak all the more believable.
The historical details ground the novel beautifully. The descriptions of post-war England like rationing, war-weary soldiers, and bombed-out cities, are vivid and immersive. The moment when Nancy meets an elderly woman at a trolleybus stop and receives a ghostly message from her late husband is particularly haunting. The supernatural elements are subtle but effective, adding another layer to Nancy’s struggles. It’s as if her guilt manifests in more ways than one, not just in her own mind but in the world around her. Moon’s decision to weave in these ghostly encounters makes the novel stand out from typical historical fiction.
The book sometimes lingers in reflection, especially in the early chapters. Nancy’s memories of her family, while rich in detail, occasionally slow the momentum of the story. The strongest parts are when she’s in the moment, whether it’s working as a nurse, navigating the stiff English social hierarchy, or encountering figures from her past. I think the novel is at its best when Nancy is forced to react to the world around her rather than retreating into recollections.
Guilt is an emotional and thought-provoking read. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy deeply personal historical fiction, particularly those interested in themes of faith, shame, and perseverance. If you love books like Angela’s Ashes or The Nightingale, this one will stay with you. Moon has crafted a moving, deeply human story that won’t soon be forgotten.
Pages: 387 | ASIN: B0DS1K8Y6F
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