A Dance in Donegal

A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel has Moira Doherty traveling to Ballymann, Ireland to teach. Her mother had made the arrangements before she passed. Some of the townspeople welcome Moira to her mother's hometown, while others shun her and eye her suspiciously. Moira has a feeling that there is something about her mother's past that she failed to disclose. Soon Moira has a group of close friends and Sean McFadden, the handsome thatcher, has caught her eye. Will her mother's secrets, though, mess up Moira's new life? A Dance in Donegal captures the beauty of Ireland. You can tell Jennifer Deibel loves Ireland from her beautiful word imagery. The Gaelic words and Irish customs helped to capture the locale. Moira Doherty was a naïve young woman when she began her journey. I liked the growth she experienced. I also enjoyed the cast of colorful characters. I like how the author described Moira's emotions (very realistic). God, faith, scripture, and prayer are incorporated into the story. Moira brought her troubles to the Lord through prayer. She relied on Him for comfort and guidance. The romance was sweet and heartwarming. I was glad that the author added the mystery into the story because it gave it additional depth. A Dance in Donegal is a charming debut novel.