One History, Different Perspectives

It is not very often that a book cover will match something in my closet; but the girl on the cover of The Glorious Guinness Girls by Emily Hourican is wearing a dress so similar to my high school grad dress, I just had to do a special post/review for it.

The "Fanny" of the Guinness Family

The relationship between England and Ireland during the 1920s is severely tense, and with the conclusion of the Great War, some families are excelling while others struggle. Such was the case for Felicity, whose mother sends her to live with the Guinness (yes, the beer) family because she cannot afford to keep her. Thus, Felicity (Fliss) enters the glamorous, privileged lives of Aileen, Maureen, and Oonagh Guinness. Despite the fact that it is clear she is not a Guinness Girl herself, Fliss becomes dedicated to the three sisters, accompanying them to parties and becoming their confidant.

A cross between Mansfield Park and Downton Abbey, this book is definitely a window into the roaring twenties. At first I was a bit put-off by how entitled and oblivious the Guinness Girls were, especially considering Fliss' brother was involved in the conflict in Ireland, but the story got better as it went on, and I did enjoy the descriptions of the parties and such.

Despite the fact that the book grew on me eventually, I still feel like I would've enjoyed more on the Irish uprising. It was a fun summer read, and an interesting look into the lives of real historical figures, so I give this book 3.75/5 stars.

I hope you check out my Instagram to compare my grad dress to the book cover! To share your thoughts, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

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