The Fairy Tree A home for worries and wishes, handed over into the lap of the fairies, hang it on to hurry away. Ribbons, prescription packets, baby soothers, brassiere, barmbrack ring. A blade of grass tied to a twig. A haven for peace of mind, for answers—for other worldly intervention. It is the last resort
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Fiercely independent and passionate, Brigid feels hindered by her family and the strict society of her small Irish town in the early 1900's.
Brigid and her cousin Molly, who is more like a sister, dream of a new life in the seemingly unlimited land of opportunity they call Yankeeland—America. Brigid gets her chance when she emigrates with her husband Ben and her brother James, while Molly stays in Ireland.
But When Brigid's quest to have a child leads her to seek unconventional help, her mental stability is questioned. She is soon caught up in a patriarchal medical establishment she has little power to fight. The new life in America Brigid dreamed about takes a drastic turn.
Decades later Brigid's grandniece discovers a sack full of letters between the two cousins. She unravels the story and vows to tell the tale of what really happened to Brigid in Yankeeland
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Lacy Fewer
Award Winning Author of Yankeeland
As some light a candle, my pilgrimage is to the bookstore. The touch, the feel, the scent of a new book inviting me into its world. In those moments time stands still.
People fascinate me. With no fixed type, my insatiable questions can get the better of me. My life in the corporate world of finance has enriched me with a window into people's lives from all walks of life.
I am a connector. I am a doer. I say what I see. Forever grateful and positive in equal measure, I make myself smile—fun always finds me. My three children are my greatest gift in life; all that I do is for them.
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what people say
Book Reviews
In the end the novel's careful handling of its real subject—shame—is well-rendered and timeless."
The Irish Times
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Yankeeland" is author Lacy Fewer's debut as a novelist and was inspired to write her novel by her discovery of her grandaunt's letters -- which in her words, 'haunted her'.
Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and an entertaining read from cover to cover, Lacy's genuine flair for the kind of distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style has raised her work of historical fiction to an impressive level of literary excellence.
Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Literary & Historical Fiction collections
Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
"This is not a book for those who seek a lighthearted, breezy read. Yankeeland does not offer the glossy version of immigration often romanticized in folklore; it tells the truth, raw and unvarnished. But for readers who crave depth, who appreciate literature that challenges as much as it comforts, this novel will resonate. Fans of Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah will find a kindred spirit in Fewer’s work.
Few books manage to capture the pulse of history while making it feel deeply, achingly personal. Yankeeland does so effortlessly. It is not just a novel—it is an experience, a testament to the quiet revolutions waged by those history often forgets. This is a book that lingers, that settles into the soul like a long-lost letter from home. It reminds us that no matter how far we travel, we carry our past with us, stitched into our very bones."
Chrysalis Brew Project
"A piercing and infuriating tale that brings to light a historical cruelty too often kept secret."
KIRKUS REVIEW
Fewer’s lyrical prose brings 1900s Ireland and immigrant America vividly to life, but it’s her emotional depth that lingers. There’s a recurring theme of erasure: of women’s pain, of mental illness (mainly through the character of Kate), and of personal ambition in the face of societal expectations. When Brigid eventually boards a ship bound for America, we feel her tremble with both fear and anticipation. The reality she faces in the new world is harsher than imagined—a country riddled with class divides, subtle (and not-so-subtle) bigotry, and the ever-present threat of disillusionment.Fewer doesn’t offer neat resolutions but rather quiet reckonings. Letters, lost dreams, and family stories become tools of reclamation and remembrance. By the end, Yankeeland reads like a love letter to the women history forgets but whose stories shape generations.This debut novel is historical fiction at its finest: textured, moving, and quietly radical. Recommended for readers who love strong female protagonists, nuanced family sagas, and stories that honor the complexity of what it means to start over.
San Francisco City Book Review
Blogs & Audios
October 8, 2024
‘Tis Only an ‘Aul Wink’ Lacy Fewer · TIS ONLY AN AUL WINK ALF MP3 It is true for Tomsey Burke—he never missed a good funeral, telling all and sundry that life was “only an aul wink, that’s what it is.” Everyone agreed with him, and sure, he loved the attention. Not understanding what he
October 3, 2024
Secrets Lacy Fewer · SECRETS ALF MP3 Reading Brigid’s letters forever changed my thinking on secrets. The muttering—”leave well enough alone”—holding onto their truth, nurturing it. Emotionless faces, as I tried to get them to understand, it consumed me. No one wanted to help carry their cross; no one knew what to do with their pain—a
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Prologue
Boston, September 1993
I could never have known that fate hand-picked me that beautiful mid-week East Coast morning.
Sitting on the floor, two large black sacks by my side. Told I could do as I wished with them,
they had brought nothing but sadness to the finder.
The bags, you see, held their story.
Closing my eyes, inhaling the smells of the past, smiling as it enveloped me.
I had always carried a passion for a story, no doubt the lure was the escapism. A great love of
history, a fascination with my own. With each envelope their lives shed their shadows, their truth
no longer needed to hide.
Prologue
Boston, September 1993
I could never have known that fate hand-picked me that beautiful mid-week East Coast morning.
Sitting on the floor, two large black sacks by my side. Told I could do as I wished with them,
they had brought nothing but sadness to the finder.
The bags, you see, held their story.
Closing my eyes, inhaling the smells of the past, smiling as it enveloped me.
I had always carried a passion for a story, no doubt the lure was the escapism. A great love of history, a fascination with my own. With each envelope their lives shed their shadows, their truth no longer needed to hide.