The Crooked Branch Audiobook By Jeanine Cummins cover art

The Crooked Branch

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The Crooked Branch

By: Jeanine Cummins
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon, Patricia Rodriguez
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From Jeanine Cummins, the national best-selling author of American Dirt and A Rip in Heaven, comes The Crooked Branch - the deeply moving story of two mothers from two very different times.

After the birth of her daughter, Emma, the usually resilient Majella finds herself feeling isolated and exhausted. Then, at her childhood home in Queens, Majella discovers the diary of her maternal ancestor Ginny - and is shocked to read a story of murder in her family history.

With the famine upon her, Ginny Doyle fled from Ireland to America, but not all of her family made it. What happened during those harrowing years, and why does Ginny call herself a killer? Is Majella genetically fated to be a bad mother, despite the fierce tenderness she feels for her baby?

Determined to uncover the truth of her heritage and her own identity, Majella sets out to explore Ginny's past - and discovers surprising truths about her family and ultimately, herself.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

©2013 Jeanine Cummins (P)2020 Macmillan Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature
Compelling Historical Fiction • Beautiful Motherhood Portrayal • Irish Narrator Excellence • Intriguing Irish Storyline
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I loved the Ireland storyline but I found Magella to be extremely annoying and whiney.

Meh

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I didn't think I was going to like this book because I was irritated by Majella: too young, crying baby, whining new mother, yadayadayada. But I loved Majella's Irish great-grandmother and couldn't get enough of her story and the torture endured during the worse time of her life. However, as Ms. Cummins always does, she weaves the lives together, so that, while I didn't love Majella, I grew to understand her plight. And, as in her previous works, especially Outside Boy (God, I didn't want that book to end) I was sorry for this story to also end. I'm now listening to her own personal story (a work of non-fiction) "A Rip in Heaven" and my heart is breaking over the anguish that her family has been through. I'm not done yet, but I literally have started crying listening to the details of a horrific, tragic crime.

Genius Work by Ms. Cummins

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narration was great. Half of the story was very intriguing and entertaining (the Ireland half) the NY now half was way over descriptive, over dramatic boring and way too melodramatic.

Half great!

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Loved how the 2 story lines wove together so well!! A very nice way to combine historical fiction with today.

Gripping!!!

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Well told with just the right amount of detail for picturing the people places and events. Good story.

Love the book and the author

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One of the best researched novels I’ve read based on An Gorta Mór. Compelling plot, great sensitivity to the relationships between tenant farmers, big house staff, and absentee landlords. Took a while to pick up pace but definitely worth it.

Great research

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I agree with Kelly’s review as well.
Skip the NY present day portion and you’ll enjoy it.

Half the book is good

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I really enjoyed this book, both the story and the narration. Lot of people didn’t like one of the narrators, because she sounded whiny, but her character is that way, so it would’ve sounded strange if she didn’t sound that way... I thought she did a great job along with the other narrator. This is the fourth book I’ve read from this author, and I really enjoy her writing style. I thought the characters were interesting and if you’re a new mom, or an older mom, you can probably relate to a lot of this. I recommend.

If you’re a mom, you can totally relate

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I liked listening to this historical fiction of Ireland during the famine and then the modern story of new mother, Magella. Magella finds one of her ancestor's diaries and wants to know if she too is destined to have a difficult time being a mother because Ginny Doyle did. I liked the Ginny Doyle parts better, but I could also relate to being a new mom, even though it was a long time ago. Magella sometimes sounded whiny by this narrator, but I also laughed out loud at some of her sections.

Interesting historical fiction

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I love the parallels of 2 mothers in completely different eras. Def a must read

Such a good story

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