The Guinness Girls, A Hint of Scandal

by Emily Hourican

Genres: Biographical; Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Set at the beginning of the 1930s, this stunning new novel from Emily Hourican, the top ten bestselling author of The Glorious Guinness Girls, follows the three enigmatic Guinness sisters as they out on their married life.

It's the dawn of the 1930s and the three privileged Guinness sisters, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh, settle into becoming wives and mothers: Aileen in Luttrellstown Castle outside Dublin, Maureen in Clandeboye in Northern Ireland, and Oonagh in Rutland Place in London.

But while Britain becomes increasingly politically polarised, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh discover conflict within their own marriages.

Oonagh's dream of romantic love is countered by her husband's lies; the intense nature of Maureen's marriage means passion, but also rows; while Aileen begins to discover that, for her, being married offers far less than she had expected.

Meanwhile, Kathleen, a housemaid from their childhood home in Glenmaroon, travels between the three sisters, helping, listening, watching - even as her own life brings her into conflict with the clash between fascism and communism.

As affairs are uncovered and secrets exposed, the three women begin to realise that their guiled upbringing could not have prepared them for the realities of married life, nor for the scandals that seem to follow them around.

Praise for The Glorious Guinness Girls:

'If, like me, you have binge-watched Bridgerton then this book is bound to be your cup of tea' Scribbles by Kat

'Fans of Downton Abbey will adore this, and it would be surprising if the book weren't made into a luscious mini-series' The Sunday Times

'A captivating and page-turning novel about a fascinating family. Fantastic' Sinéad Moriarty

'The Glorious Guinness Girls has already been compared, and rightly so, to Downton Abbey. The two share a delicious comfort-blanket quality, only in the book's case, you do not need to wait until Sunday evenings before availing of its escapist properties. The story combines the intimacy of a family drama, set against the most opulent of backdrops, with sweeping historical themes. The tragic fragility of so many of the Guinness Girls' set - that ability to burn bright, but burn fast, is perfectly captured here' Irish Independent

'A must for all Downton Abbey fans, The Glorious Guinness Girls is a gorgeous book, a captivating tale about a young girl caught up in the lifestyle of a family that continues to fascinate - the Guinness Family. A joy to read' Swirl and Thread

(P)2021 Headline Publishing Group Limited

Release date: September 16, 2021

Publisher: Hachette Ireland

Print pages: 400