Irish Adoption House, The: A completely heartbreaking and emotional fiction novel

Ireland, 1920. ‘Please. Don’t take her from me. Have some mercy, Sister. Just a moment longer.’ She clutched the bundle to her chest even tighter. But she couldn’t stop them. Hearing her baby’s cries echo in the hallway, she swore that one day they would be together again…

When the man she thought she’d marry suddenly disappears Maudie O’Connor is heartbroken. Then she finds out she’s pregnant. Refusing her pleas to keep the baby, her family send her to St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home in disgrace.

Lying in bed after a harrowing birth, it’s all worth it as she cradles her precious little girl. But the nuns tear the newborn from her grasp. Maudie’s only solace is that she is able to spend a few minutes a day feeding her. Then, one morning, her baby is nowhere to be seen.

Determined to find out what happened to her daughter, Maudie sneaks out after curfew, past the nuns guarding the record room. And when she finds her entry, her breath catches. Not only has her little girl been given up for adoption, she’s been sent several thousand miles away: to Savannah, Georgia, USA.

With her family disowning her, and not a penny to her name, how will Maudie even start the vast and lonely journey across the ocean? With no one to help her and so little information to go on, how can she hope to find the family who adopted her precious baby? And even if she does – will her little girl ever be given back to Maudie, where she truly belongs?

Have the tissues ready for this emotional and page-turning historical novel set in Ireland, perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

What readers are saying about Michelle Vernal:

‘LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOVVVEEE, LOVED IT!!!… Absolutely stunning!!!… I was completely swept away!!… DO NOT START THIS UNTIL YOU CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!!… Perfect… Absolutely gorgeous… Will keep you up late at night.’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heart-warming and utterly addictive… Definitely ticked all the boxes for me!… Right from the very beginning I found myself turning the pages very quickly… Wonderful… Magical.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Couldn't put this down! LOVED it from start to finish… Loved this! Read it in 2 sittings – I just had to finish it… Kept me hooked.’ Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Outstanding! I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down… Had me on the edge of my seat.’ Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I am seriously in love with the whole story!… Amazing… Who could not fall in love… Fantastic… I highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A page-turner… Stunning… I adored it beyond words… Beautiful, warm, romantic… So full of heart you can almost hear it pulsing on every page.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

© 2025 Hachette UK - Bookouture (Lydbog): 9781805501855

Release date

Lydbog: 7. august 2025