It is 1846, famine is gripping Ireland and nowhere is it crueller than in Mayo on the west coast. Owen FitzDeane of Ballyford Castle is a good landlord, but even he is powerless to save all his tenants. When he comes upon a half-dead girl beside the road, he insists on taking her back to the castle, to see if they can save her. But Eilinora is no ordinary girl and soon superstition and fear begin to swirl around her, while Lord FitzDeane of Ballyford falls deeper under her spell.This is the story which sets in motion the events of Nadine Dorries s brilliant new novel Ruby Flynn.Nadine Dorries was born in Liverpool in the 1950s and raised on a council estate, the daughter of a bus driver. Her first novel, The Four Streets , was inspired by memories of her childhood, particularly her Irish grandmother who she was very close to.
