Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A father dies, leaving his three daughters with more questions than ever..
The Christmas Party
What you need to know before your trail
When Declan Lorne, the last remaining knight in Ireland, dies suddenly, an ancient title passes with him. But his estate on Ireland’s rugged south-west coast is left to his three daughters. The two eldest, Ottie and Pip, inherit in line with expectations, but to everyone’s surprise – and dismay – it is the errant baby of the family, Willow, who gets the castle.
Why her? Something unknown – something terrible – made her turn her back on her family three years earlier, escaping to Dublin and vowing never to return. So when Willow quickly announces she is selling up, her revenge seems sweet and the once-close sisters are pushed to breaking point: in desperation, Pip risks everything to secure her own future, and Ottie makes a decision that will ruin lives. It’s each woman for herself.
Before moving in, Connor Shaye, the prospective new owner, negotiates throwing a lavish party at the castle just days before Christmas – his hello, their goodbye. But as their secrets begin to catch up with them, Ottie, Willow and Pip are forced to ask themselves which is harder: stepping into the future, or letting go of the past?
Locations
Reset- Ireland - (Republic of)
- A: Co Cork - Blarney Castle
- B: Co Cork - Dripsey/Carrignamuck Castle
- C: Co. Waterford - Ashford Castle
Travel Guide
Welcome to the castles of Ireland and The Christmas Party
The location of the book is a fictional village in the South West of Ireland. The author’s mum is from Cork and there are some really interesting castles here so there are a few on the map to take note of.
First of all, this is not really a Christmas book. Apart from a mention of a party at the end, and the notion that it’s cold outside, you wouldn’t really realise that it’s Christmas at all. Minus Christmas however, the atmosphere is one of a grand Irish castle, the last Knight of Ireland and the fortunes of the family who are left behind when the Knight dies. Castles in Ireland – that’s the real and very fine setting here.
What happens when the last of a line dies, and those who are left are girls….when the law states that only men inherit titles and property…
The legacy, history and tradition are all examined here in a family of three girls and their mother. The youngest sister who left Ireland years earlier is left the castle. Not surprisingly, this causes shock and anguish amongst the rest of the family. The castle is all they have left of their father. It’s their family home, their legacy and part of their Irish history.
The book looks at the knights of Ireland, what happens when a family line dies out, and what it’s really like to own and renovate a castle. There’s a lot to running a huge castle and home like the one in the book. Very interesting to find out how decisions to keep it going are made.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Christmas Party
Destination : Ireland (Republic of) Author/Guide: Karen Swan Departure Time: 2000s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
