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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
In the Family Way by Jacqueline Smith is a literary fiction novel set in the 1920s that follows Mary Maguire, a fatherless girl raised by her grandmother to be a devout Catholic. Mary faces a life-changing dilemma and chooses to fight back by joining Cumann Na mBan, a women’s nationalist organization. Her journey takes her across the Atlantic to America, and then to Ireland, where she seeks to reconnect with her roots and discover her true identity. The novel explores themes of family, resilience, and the search for belonging.
Smith expertly weaves historical detail into the narrative, immersing readers in the political and social struggles of 1920s America, Glasgow, and Ireland as readers embark on Mary’s journey.
Mary's close narrative perspective is rich and multifaceted, capturing her inner strength, vulnerability, and determination as she navigates a world that often limits women’s choices. This is articulated well through dynamic dialogue and brilliant thought presentation when she is expected to make some very difficult choices indeed. In a novel rooted in its Gaelic heritage, Jacqueline Smith’s writing is suitably lyrical describing the gorgeous countries that Mary visits, yet grounded in the gritty, realistic dialogue of the time. This realism makes the story both intimate and expansive as Mary’s journey unfolds and she sees more of the world and learns from her experiences as her perspective changes and matures. The exploration of themes like identity, family, and heritage is tenderly woven into the plot and comes out naturally in dialogue and dramatic exchanges, offering important lessons on self-discovery that just make readers adore Mary all the more, but also help them reflect on where we’ve come from historically as human beings. Overall, In the Family Way is a deeply moving and interesting drama that I would recommend to fans of historical fiction.
