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
In Yankeeland, Lacy Fewer weaves a poignant, multi-generational tapestry of the Irish immigrant experience, told through the fierce, resilient eyes of Brigid Kelly. What begins as a story of hopeful departure from a stifling rural life in Wexford, Ireland, slowly unfolds into a deeply layered narrative of ambition, trauma, identity, and survival in early 20th-century America.Brigid is no wilting flower. From the moment we meet her, she’s brimming with dreams that far outpace the expectations laid out for her by family and village life. Her desire to escape the confines of tradition and patriarchal constraint—both familial and societal—fuels her journey to America. But Fewer wisely sidesteps romanticized immigrant tropes. Brigid's story is not one of easy success but of aching sacrifices, cultural alienation, and the cost of daring to want more.One of the strongest elements of Yankeeland is its exploration of female agency in a world where women are expected to endure quietly. The loss of her mother marks Brigid's early life, the indifference of a grieving father, and the rigid rule of a stepmother more concerned with appearances than affection. Her bond with her cousin Molly is one of the novel's tenderest threads—two girls sharing secrets, laughter, and eventually diverging paths. This relationship becomes a poignant symbol of lost innocence and the divergence between duty and desire.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
The book opens in an unconventional style, like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronté. It uses direct characterization, presenting Brigid and the family with narrative and what appears as a mundane trip to Lady Harriet’s house, an American transplant. However, as the story unfolds, meaningful dialogue moves the story forward. “It’s all lies, James. Lies, lies, lies. They have kept me locked up in this room. They don’t care for me. They have been cruel to me, James” (90). The letters also feel like snooping into lives, along with sporadic mysteries, such as when Brigid has surgery. Neither Brigid nor the reader know immediately what kind or how Kate’s mental illness relates to Brigid.
It is easily read with a glimpse into pre-World War I culture and landscape and often embraces heart-wrenching scenes as it copes with the stress of achieving prosperous lives, creating happy homes, having children, and being loved and loving without losing one’s identity. In the end, the right thing is hard to do, especially when it hurts and will change lives forever.
Reedsy Discovery
“Yankeeland tells a fascinating story of dreams, dislocation, and - above all - humanity. Yankeeland is a tale of hopes raised and eroded, lives lived and suspended, stories told, untold and retold. But Yankeeland brings hope. Brigid's life, with all of its complexity and tragedy, also had magic, beauty, and infinite possibility. A different life was possible for Brigid then, just as it is possible for everyone now, provided we focus on our common humanity. In the end, that is all that matters."
BRENDAN KELLY, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN & AUTHOR OF 'IN SEARCH OF MADNESS'
With a deft and delicate touch, floating on prose that rings as clearly as a morning church bell, Annmarie Lacy Fewer traces bloodlines and heartlines that reach back generations, and, as she does so, shines a light on the commonalities that bind us. Her characters embody who we are through their aspirations and dreams, loss and resiliency, and that most precious of qualities, hope. This is a book of layers, part history, part exultation, and a quiet examination of the sorrows of the lost who cannot find help. As such, Yankeeland merits multiple readings. A brilliant first novel, and one that speaks of glories to come.
GREG FIELDS, THE BRIGHT FREIGHT OF MEMORY - PEN/FAULKNER AWARD NOMINEE
A lyrical and deep exploration of the immigrant experience. Families torn asunder when the dreams of the young conflict with the traditions and social expectations of their parents and families. YANKEELAND captures both the amazing potential and the pain and frustration of trying to realize your dreams when reality hits hard in the new land. A solid addition to the Irish to America literature.
DEAN CYCON, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF A QUEST FOR GOD AND SPICES AND FINDING HOME(HUNGARY, 1945)
Triumph and tragedy
Lacy Fewer’s lovingly researched novel of the Irish diaspora beautifully interweaves the adventure of a new life in America with heartfelt loss and tragedy. Detailed scenes transport the reader to a past age as we explore the sights and sounds of 'Yankeeland' at the beginning of the 20th century. Yet alongside material prosperity runs a darker truth. I felt a deep sympathy for Brigid, who as she enters womanhood eagerly forsakes her old life and her family ties, yet finds that married life in a new country becomes a struggle for her emotional and psychological survival.
MAYBELLE WALLIS 'DAUGHTER OF STRANGERS'
"A piercing and infuriating tale that brings to light a historical cruelty too often kept secret."
In Fewer’s historical novel, an Irish family contends with the difficulties of immigration, early-20th-century medical misogyny, and broken dreams.
Brigid Kelly was once a lively, self-confident child who relished tending to her younger siblings in the small Irish town of Moling. But in 1892, when Brigid was 6 years old, the birth of Thomas, the family’s fourth child, brought about the tragic death of Brigid’s mother (“all light had been sucked from their warm, loving home and replaced with individual struggles to exist”). Five years later, Brigid’s father Patrick buckles to social pressure and marries Agnes O’Brien, a stern woman who rules the house and the children with an iron fist. Brigid, desiring a life larger than is available in their little village, decides she must find a way to leave. Opportunity comes in the form of Ben McCarthy, a local lad who shares Brigid’s aspirations of starting over in America. The two marry in 1908, and, with Brigid’s brother James in tow, they sail to New York. Brigid and Ben settle in Niagara Falls while James plants his roots in San Francisco. When Brigid becomes involved with a group of spiritualists, free thinkers, and suffragettes, she is shunned by the church, and the resulting loss of social position causes Ben to lose his job. The author alternates between stories of the siblings left in Ireland and those of the three immigrants, but it is Brigid’s painful tale of hope, determination, and an eventual mental unraveling that drives the narrative. The strongest of the four Kelly children, she is undone by a series of tragedies that are exacerbated by the era’s accepted medical mistreatment by a misogynistic doctor. With a sharp eye for detail, Fewer treats her readers to enjoyably lavish depictions of upper-class travel across the Atlantic and a portrait of San Francisco’s bustling rebirth after the famous earthquake; she applies the same meticulous attention to the frightening isolation of Brigid’s life in a mental institution.
KIRKUS REVIEWS
"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
Based on the life stories of a real Irish-American immigrant family, Fewer’s book is poignant and frequently unsettling. These characters experience some of the worst things any human can encounter, but Fewer’s commitment to depicting life’s bleaker aspects is admirable. The novel's great strength lies in its portrayal of early twentieth-century American life, which is both immersive in its scope and accurate in its details.
The US Review of Books
Readers who enjoy historical fiction about womens’ lives and particularly writings which contrast the concerns of old and new countries in immigrant experience will appreciate the backdrops and challenges that Lacy Fewer traverses in her vivid story. Libraries seeking fiction that excels in vivid descriptions, strong juxtapositions of interpersonal relationships and choices, and the evolution of Brigid Kelly’s world as she moves from a small Irish village to the sweeping promises (and illusions) of America will find Yankeeland easy to recommend to a wide audience, from women’s fiction readers to patrons who look for powerful tales of immigrant experience and connections that remain equally compelling in “the old country.” Filled with delightful moments of growth, new discoveries, and connections that evolve over time and distance, Yankeeland is a thoroughly involving story that explores secrets, family ties, growth, and life and death in a manner that makes the story hard to put down.
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Fewer’s writing captures the texture of Irish life in the early 20th century with remarkable detail. The quiet desperation of Brigid’s early years and her longing for freedom and beauty are palpable. I loved how Fewer used vivid imagery, like Brigid poring over forbidden magazines or sneaking into the store to gaze at glamorous pictures. These small acts of rebellion made Brigid feel alive and relatable. I’d recommend Yankeeland to readers who enjoy historical fiction with strong, complex female protagonists. Fans of Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn will find much to admire in this heartfelt tale. While it’s not a breezy read, its rich storytelling and poignant themes make it a journey worth taking
LITERARY TITAN
With a deft and delicate touch, floating on prose that rings as clearly as a morning church bell, With rich detail and lyrical prose, Fewer transports the reader to a bygone era with a story that nonetheless echoes of the present. Brigid’s journey of courage and resilience will break your heart, lift your hopes, and beg questions around society’s persistent failings towards women that history would prefer we leave unasked. A layered, compelling read.
RACHEL STONE, AUTHOR OF THE BLUE IRIS
"A beautifully written and deeply evocative novel, this story weaves past and present seamlessly, immersing the reader in both the struggles and triumphs of its unforgettable protagonist. The prose is rich and lyrical, capturing the complexities of family, ambition, and the quiet strength of women who refuse to be erased. With masterful pacing and emotional depth, the author delivers a tale that lingers long after the final page."
DIANNE C. BRALEY, AWARD-WINNING & BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SILENCE IN THE SOUND AND THE SUMMER BEFORE