TRIGGER WARNING: A grandfather drugs, rapes and impregnates his teenage granddaughter. It is not graphically described but it does occur

I tend to come out of every Moira Fowley-Doyle book angry but they're always just so damn good. This is a pro-choice and pro-access book. Let's just get that out there. If you're someone who goes full "even in rape, abortion shouldn't be given because it's a gift from God" person, this is not a damn book for you.

I remember a few years ago when all of the protests and anger about abortion access in Ireland happened. I cannot fucking believe there are countries LITERALLY USING THE ARGUMENTS OF THE 1800S TO TRY AND BRING BACK ABORTION BANS. It makes me want to pull my hair out. I cannot imagine thinking you have the right to tell a total stranger--under any circumatances--what they should do with their body and having to be a parent. Mind your own damn business!

Anyways, duel timelines were so good. I freaking loved how they slowly started tying together. It so perfectly showed how completely messed up governments with laws directly put there by religious institutions have these multi-generational effects that constantly oppress women, feminism, and access to healthcare. All of the issues brought up were actually big driving forces as to why I won't touch religious institutions with a ten foot poll. It's all hard to read but it's important.

I really enjoyed the contemporary timeline with the 3 sisters. Our main character is ownvoices lesbian (I mean it'd be weird not getting any queer rep from a book by Moira Fowley-Doyle). It really brought up this continued fight of separation of Church and religion from publicly funded entities such as schools as well as homophobia. I lived in this pretty wonderful bubble growing up where I had parents and grandparents who never cared what mine or my siblings orientation was. I always saw lots of support groups like GSA's and I just honestly lived in a very diverse geographic area (and a country that legalized same sex/equal marriage and abortion access before it was something I ever thought about) and wonderful time period before Donald Trump. Now I don't doubt that there was homophobia but it was most definitely not a publicly acceptable thing to be. It was quite eye opening to see in 2012 that people were still homophobic. This would've really surprised me maybe 5 years ago but I now live in a very white religious geographic area where I hear homophobic things said all the time. It's quite depressing so even though I am cis and straight, I could see all the homophobia in this novel happening in the real world.

The witchy paranormal elements were eery but also just seemed...normal somehow? Maybe I just think Ireland is some magical fairyland with lepricons or something.

On a positive note, the ending is a hopeful one. I think that was so important for the topic. That we be positive. That we fight for change. That we keep being loud and pushing and advocating for victims of sexual assaults, for feminism, for safe access to abortions, and to support for single and low income parents.

Rep: the main character is lesbian and her best (male) friend is bisexual