Far from Home [Paperback]

Charlotte Hardy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1997

From humble beginnings in an Irish village, beautiful Brid Flynn rises to become a dazzling star of the theatre. The glitter and squalor of Victorian London, the class conflicts of rural Ireland, and New York high society, are the backdrop to this tale of private and public tragedies and triumphs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's a familiar story. In the mid 1800s, a poor, beautiful Irish Catholic girl, Brid Flynn, falls in love with handsome Harry Leighton, the English Protestant son of a local landowner, despite the fact that a steadfast local lad is seeking her hand. After several secret assignations, declarations of undying devotion and one romantic lovemaking session in a hut in the rain, Harry is off to London and Brid is in hot pursuit. Because Harry takes her around London and they are seen together in public, Brid clings to the belief that she will marry him eventually. But when Harry becomes heir to the family title after his brother's death, Brid learns that he has been secretly engaged to an heiress. Pregnant and bereft of family and friends, spunky Brid retreats to a convent. Soon, however, she embarks upon a career as a barmaid and music-hall entertainer, eventually making a trip to America. This debut romance contains nearly every stereotype of the genre, exacerbated by the fact that Brid's unquenchable yearning for Harry seems more pathological than passionate. Moreover, Hardy never invests Brid with the strength and presence that might convince readers that she will eventually walk with kings and Vanderbilts without losing the common touch.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This conventional tale of unrequited love records the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Brid Flynn, an Irish innocent in Victorian England. Brid is seduced and abandoned by Harry Leighton, the younger son of the local lord. Alone in London, she is forced to give up the son she bears. Brid, however, overcomes adversity and goes on to a successful career on the stage, eventually making a good marriage and returning to her Irish village as a grand lady. Hardy's first novel vividly displays the author's firsthand knowledge of the theater and is an accurate portrayal of the life of an actress on the Victorian stage. The plot and characters, on the other hand, are pedestrian. This story has been told before, often as well if not better. Recommended for public libraries where historical romances are in demand.?Andrea Caron Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, Kan.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Books (March 27, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749930209
• ISBN-13: 978-0749930202
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,155,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking Sweeping Novel, September 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Far from Home (Hardcover)

This was an absolute beautiful novel. It completely enraptures you. It is quite similiar to Tess of the Derbyvilles. You become connected to the main charachter Brin. A definite literary classic!