All the Bad Apples
Unflinching and gorgeously written, this feminist novel is important, timely, and a compulsive read. From the highly acclaimed author of the beloved The Accident Season comes an epic breakout novel examining the very topical and controversial issue of women's sexual and reproductive rights, which has never been higher on the public's radar.
When Deena's wild older sister Mandy goes missing, presumed dead, Deena refuses to believe it's true. Especially when letters start arriving--letters from Mandy--which proclaim that their family's blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions but a curse, handed down to women from generation to generation. Mandy's gone to find the root of the curse before it's too late for Deena. But is the curse even real? And is Mandy still alive? Deena's desperate, cross-country search for her beloved sister--guided only by the notes that mysteriously appear at each destination, leading her to former Magdalene laundry sites and more--is a love letter to women and a heartbreaking cathartic journey.
When Deena's wild older sister Mandy goes missing, presumed dead, Deena refuses to believe it's true. Especially when letters start arriving--letters from Mandy--which proclaim that their family's blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions but a curse, handed down to women from generation to generation. Mandy's gone to find the root of the curse before it's too late for Deena. But is the curse even real? And is Mandy still alive? Deena's desperate, cross-country search for her beloved sister--guided only by the notes that mysteriously appear at each destination, leading her to former Magdalene laundry sites and more--is a love letter to women and a heartbreaking cathartic journey.
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Community Reviews
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Abortion, Violence against women/LGBTQA+
This book was so powerful and heartbreaking at the same time. I enjoyed the incorporation of the Banshee's found in Irish Folklore and the intertwining storylines between past and present. There is a lot of mystery found in both timelines and I thought Fowley-Doyle did an amazing job of weaving the two together.
"You speak your truth. You shatter the stigma. You hold your head up to the world and speak so that everyone else who was ever like you can recognize themselves. Can see that they aren't alone. Can see how the past will only keep repeating itself as long as we're kept powerless by our silence."
I did not realize how recent things have changed in Ireland when it comes to Women's and LGBTQA+ rights. I can't imagine living in a constant state of fear and shame. I can't imagine how scared the women in the Mother and Baby homes must have been. It is heartbreaking to learn that women have still been subjected to the shame of having children out of wedlock even if it was due to a violent act upon them.
I think this book is extremely important in sheading light on how even in 2022 women are still fighting for their rights. We see it a lot in America still, even me being in a very conservative state, but I don't have to live with even a sliver of the pressure women in Ireland are still faced with today.
In Moira's words "All the Bad Apples is built on equal parts hope and fury - it's about feminism and history, family and identity, and what happens when hidden truths are told."
This is a difficult read but a very important one and I definitely recommend it.
This book was so powerful and heartbreaking at the same time. I enjoyed the incorporation of the Banshee's found in Irish Folklore and the intertwining storylines between past and present. There is a lot of mystery found in both timelines and I thought Fowley-Doyle did an amazing job of weaving the two together.
"You speak your truth. You shatter the stigma. You hold your head up to the world and speak so that everyone else who was ever like you can recognize themselves. Can see that they aren't alone. Can see how the past will only keep repeating itself as long as we're kept powerless by our silence."
I did not realize how recent things have changed in Ireland when it comes to Women's and LGBTQA+ rights. I can't imagine living in a constant state of fear and shame. I can't imagine how scared the women in the Mother and Baby homes must have been. It is heartbreaking to learn that women have still been subjected to the shame of having children out of wedlock even if it was due to a violent act upon them.
I think this book is extremely important in sheading light on how even in 2022 women are still fighting for their rights. We see it a lot in America still, even me being in a very conservative state, but I don't have to live with even a sliver of the pressure women in Ireland are still faced with today.
In Moira's words "All the Bad Apples is built on equal parts hope and fury - it's about feminism and history, family and identity, and what happens when hidden truths are told."
This is a difficult read but a very important one and I definitely recommend it.
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