The Girl from Donegal

‘An atmospheric story, sweeping across 80 years’ Sunday Independent



Donegal, Ireland, 1939



As the world teeters on the brink of WWII, Eliza Lavery is alone in the world after her fiancé, Davey, was lost following the Irish War of Independence. But a fateful meeting on the wild beauty of Ballymastocker Bay could change everything.



Hamilton, Bermuda, 2022



Eight decades later, troubled by her future, Saoirse O’Donnell walks on the pink sands of Bermuda’s Horseshoe Bay. When she uncovers a connection to Eliza, all those years before, she hears a story that promises to influence her own heart – but that also reveals a long-buried secret.


Two women must each make a choice between their past and their present in this sweeping, epic love story spanning two continents, three generations, and joy and tragedy over nearly a century.



Praise for The Girl from Donegal

‘A timeless love story, beautifully told across eighty years and two continents . . . takes us on an emotional rollercoaster’ HAZEL GAYNOR


‘[The] characters are unforgettable and drawn with real heart – you’re rooting for them from the get-go and with them all the way’ CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD


‘A terrific read with fabulous historical detail and great characters. Thoroughly engrossing’ SHEILA O’FLANAGAN


‘A beautifully told international saga encompassing war and tragedy, life-changing decisions and love in its many facets’ ROISIN MEANEY


‘One of the best books of the year . . . it’s Carmel’s best book yet . . . I lost whole days of my life to this beautiful, sweeping story and I can confidently predict that readers everywhere will too’ CLAUDIA CARROLL