This House Will Feed - by Maria Tureaud (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

County Clare, 1848 In the scant few years since the potato blight first cast its foul shadow over Ireland, Maggie O'Shaughnessy has lost everything--her entire family and the man she trusted with her heart. Toiling in the Ennis Workhouse for paltry rations, she can see no future either within or outside its walls--until the mysterious Lady Catherine arrives to whisk her away to an old mansion in the stark limestone landscape of the Burren.

Lady Catherine wants Maggie to impersonate her late daughter, Wilhelmina, and hoodwink solicitors into releasing Wilhelmina's widow pension so that Lady Catherine can continue to provide for the villagers in her care. In exchange, Maggie will receive freedom from the workhouse, land of her own, and the one thing she wants more than either: a chance to fulfill the promise she made to her brother on his deathbed--to live to spite them all.

Launching herself into the daunting task, Maggie plays the role of Wilhelmina as best she can while ignoring the villagers' tales of ghostly figures and curses. But more worrying are the whispers that come from within. Something in Lady Catherine's house is reawakening long-buried memories in Maggie--of a foe more terrifying than hunger or greed, of a power that calls for blood and vengeance, and of her own role in a nightmare that demands the darkest sacrifice . . .

Review Quotes

"This House Will Feed is both a luscious Gothic, as well a poignant examination of the nature of loss and collective memory in a time of unspeakable horrors. I absolutely adored it and look forward to what Tureaud has in store for us next." --Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library on This House Will Feed

"A gripping, multilayered tale of vengeance set against the backdrop of one of the worst genocides in human history. Tureaud's lyrical, gritty prose is a well-honed blade as she lays bare the crimes of colonialism with distinctive gothic flare. Folklore, history, and Irish culture intertwine seamlessly, to form a story with profound contemporary relevance. Powerful and unforgettable." --Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain on This House Will Feed

"Through the eyes of fierce and hungry heroine Maggie O'Shaughnessy, Maria Tureaud delivers a haunting and bone-chilling story of survival and vengeance. This House Will Feed is a gothic testament to the life-giving bonds of love and family that reverberate through the centuries...and the lengths that we will go to in order to survive." --Jenny Adams, author of A Deadly Endeavor on This House Will Feed

"Tureaud's high-concept debut offers an extended metaphor exploring how the past informs the present, touching on corporate protections, government surveillance, model minority dynamics, and personal rights via vibrantly rendered characters." --Publisher's Weekly on The Last Hope in Hopetown

"Tureaud's action-packed page-turner keeps family and community at the heart of the story, ultimately revealing what makes a true monster." --Booklist on The Last Hope in Hopetown

"This energetic, action-filled story is rounded out with an exploration of what makes a family and Sophie's realistic emotions about being adopted...A suspenseful supernatural story about belonging and inclusion." --Kirkus on The Last Hope in Hopetown

"An engrossing and visceral journey into the little-known horrors of Ireland's past, Tureaud's adult debut is as much historical fiction as it is folklore, a ghost story of the ages that will leave its readers haunted in the best way." --Kathleen Kaufman, author of The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey on This House Will Feed

About the Author