The beautiful Guinness girls live a life of great privilege and money. They are joined by a friend Fliss and we get to see the inside of their world through her eyes. This book is a delight but also wanders seamlessly through many historical events, especially Ireland during the civil war. We see how removed these girls are from the real world but also how it affects them as they grow up, meet and lose friends and get married.
I loved this book and cant wait to follow the Guinness girls on their adventures.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy.

This is a charming historical fiction looking at the lives of three women.
The writing is very good and it had been researched so well
The middle of the book dragged a bit.

This book is a work of historical fiction based on the real-life Guinness girls, Maureen, Oonagh & Aileen, the daughters of Ernest & Cloé Guinness.
This story starts in 1978 when Fliss (Felicity) is requested by the girls to retrieve papers from their old house, Glenmaroon. Fliss recalls her life from the time she left her mother, who was all consumed by grief, to become a companion for the Guinness girls and then their mother.
Interspersed with fact and fiction, and characters inspired by real-life people from the time, The Glorious Guinness Girls is a compelling read.
Written beautifully, it depicts life in Ireland in the 1920s and its stark contrast to the roaring '20s of London with ease. It's very clear that the book has been well researched.
As a fan of historical fiction, I really enjoyed it.

The time between the First and Second World Wars is one of my absolute favourite periods of history, especially anything about the Roaring Twenties, and I absolutely love the kind of book that mixes fact and fiction in the way Emily Hourican does to perfection in The Glorious Guinness Girls.

Hourican tells her story from the point of view of the fictional Felicity (Fliss) Burke, who is sent to live with the Guinness family in their Dublin house Glenmaroon, to be a companion to the three Guinness daughters Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh.

We begin in 1978, when Fliss is sent on an errand to the faded, crumbling Glenmaroon to retrieve some old documents which have been found in an attic, at the behest of the long grown Guinness girls who are desperate to prevent any chance of something accidentally coming into the possession of the media. As she sifts through the old papers, Fliss finds herself dragged back in time, and the story then spins out from the moment she arrived here as a ten year old child, with the present occasionally breaking through her reminiscences.

In 1918, Fliss leaves a home where her mother is overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her husband in the First World War. She is used to being overlooked and held at arms length by all, except her beloved brother Hughie, and is is unsure of her new position in the Guinness household. But Fliss soon becomes used to living in a world of luxury and ease as the beloved friend of the three girls she finds herself being raised with; adept at gauging their capricious moods, calming troubled waters, and complying dutifully with the requests of the family.

As the political landscape of Ireland changes beyond the walls of Glenmaroon, troubled times intrude upon the genteel calm of the Guinness family, culminating in an incident in connection with Fliss' brother that rocks them to the core. The time comes for the family to move on, travel the world, and leave the dangers of Ireland behind, but can Fliss do the same?

After a break, the Guinness family relocate to London and recall Fliss from her exile in the strangling atmosphere of her mother's rotting home, but something has changed in the interim. Fliss finds herself looking at the rarified lives of her childhood companions differently, and reassessing what lies in her own future.

The Glorious Guinness Girls is a fabulous, sweeping tale that takes us deep into the world of the upper-classes in the 1920s, whilst incorporating oodles of detail about the political and social changes on both sides of the Irish Sea. The Guinness girls live in an environment protected from the grime and poverty outside the walls of their splendid homes and gardens, but Hourican cleverly crosses the gulf between these very different worlds by telling her story through the eyes of Fliss, who will always be an outsider, despite being brought up with Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh.

My favourite parts of this tale take place in the heady atmosphere of 1920's London, as the Guinness girls become enveloped in the frenzied atmosphere of a privileged set of young people desperate to push against the strictures of their staid parents, and the shadow of the lost generation who died on the battlefields of the Great War - the bright young people with aristocratic credentials, rubbing shoulders with famous figures from the worlds of entertainment, literature and fashion, that we associate so much with this period in time. The glitz and glamour, the decadence and debauchery of this set is laid out beautifully in these pages, but we get to see how fragile this atmosphere of forced jollity is too, and the emptiness that often lies underneath the veneer of elegance and fun - and as this endless party plays out against the reality of ordinary mortals, we know that social change is on the way that will bring all this dissipation to an end.

I was struck by how successfully Hourican manages to show that however degenerate these bright you people may seem, there is a sadness behind the mask that many of these characters show to the world: the glimpses of hopelessness, frustration at a lack of purpose, and the weariness that comes with the effort to always having to put on a show was quite intriguing. Although it was hard to like the Guinness girls themselves, their desperate need to act in the way expected of them as the toast of society, make good matches, and become dutiful wives was compelling.

This is an engaging book, blending fact seamlessly into a fictional coming of age tale, with a little gentle romance, and a dollop of vice. It's sure to set you on a path of discovering more about many of the fascinating characters mentioned here alongside the Guinness girls too!

I requested this book as I was watching Downton Abbey at the time and absolutely loving it so I thought it would be right up my street. Sadly, this wasn't the case and I found it very slow and difficult to read.

I loved the fact that this book once again introduced me to a place/time in history that I don’t know much about – the Irish Civil War and 1920s London. The writer effortlessly weaves clear factual history with a rather developed and intriguing family saga.

At first, I definitely found the number of different characters and roles a little overwhelming and confusing. However, as the book developed and the character of Fliss was introduced, it was easier to get into the flow of it and I liked following her journey overall.

I also think it was quite original for us to see much of the story through the young adult’s eyes as it brings a new perspective to things and allows the narrative to balance between their personal priorities and the social context around them.

Glorious Guinness Girls by Emily Hourican.
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres to read and I don’t know much about Ireland’s history so I was very intrigued by this book.
The book is about the lives of Ernest Guinness’s beautiful and glamorous 3 daughters and told from the point of view of Felicity (Fliss) who is sent to live in their grand home when she is just 10 years old. Without her mum or brother with her full time she struggles to find her place in society in an ever changing Ireland.
The sisters and Fliss are kept away from all of the trouble going on in Ireland with the war on independence. Behind the walls of their estate they have picnics, plan parties and ride their horses whilst outside there is chaos.
Unfortunately Fliss’s brother Hughie is caught up in the War and trouble is on the horizon.
The book is well written. Fliss is a good narrator although I got quite frustrated with her at times as I felt like she could have stuck up for herself more. The Guinness sisters aren’t likeable although I did laugh at their naivety and their actions. They were vain and selfish but that’s due to their privilege and their lack of knowledge and understanding of the World. I would like to have seen more of Hughie’s point of you as he was very important to the story and the other characters.
Overall, I enjoyed this novelisation of the family, especially learning more about Ireland during that time.

This is a novel which introduces us to Fliss. She us sent to live with the Guinness family where she is included in many of the activities that take place. However, it is clear that Fliss misses her family- as a reader it is easy to share these emotions.

This is set during the Irish civil war and is completely unique to anything I have read previously. The author has painted a picture of 1920's London. I have definitely felt pulled into the pages and engaged by this novel. 

Many of the characters in this one are based on real historical figures which has been an interesting concept. I have found that this is a well written novel and I am eagerly anticipating more from this author.

Prepare to get swept up in the glamour.

Granddaughters of the first Earl of Iveagh, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh are the three daughters of Ernest Guinness, the second son of brewing magnate Edward Guinness. Inspired by real events, The Glorious Guinness Girls is historical fiction following the lives of these three sisters and their family as told through the eyes of Felicity ‘Fliss’ Burke.

As an Irish person, and someone who lives in Dublin, I have always been intrigued by the Guinness family and the stories I’ve heard throughout the years about various family members so I was intrigued by this latest book from Emily Hourican.

As the book begins, we are introduced to Fliss (a completely fictional character) who joins the Guinness household at a young age as a companion to the girls but also to their mother. He life revolves around the Guinness girls but over time, she starts to question her role in their family long-term and investigate how to forge her own way in the world.

Hourican does well to capture the bustle of a big household especially in the scenes set in the family’s Dublin home, Glenmaroon House. The book also explores the pressure and expectation on women to behave a certain way in society – the Guinness women can see the men in their lives being treated differently and become frustrated by that. I’ve read others compare the book to Downton Abbey, which is an accurate comparison I think.

But what I wasn’t expecting with this novel, was the inclusion of Irish politics, in particular the Irish Civil War. The author illustrates well the gap between the lives of the Guinness’s and those in their circle in comparison to those living outside the big gates of their manor in Dublin. The author uses the young women’s lack of awareness as to what is happening in the country to illustrate a lack of understanding from those in these big houses as to why their presence was not wanted.

The highlight for me though was how the author captures the thrill of discovering new people and places – especially the parties that the young women attend – the clothes, the glamour. You instinctively dislike some of the characters that cross their paths during this time but also love to dislike them. And from the way it’s written, you can tell that Hourican enjoyed writing those scenes too.

The Glorious Guinness Girls is an enjoyable book and explores an interesting time in history. It definitely made me want to learn more about the Guinness girls and to find out what happened next. Please let there be more parties!

(The Glorious Guinness Girls by Emily Hourican will be released in paperback in the UK on the 13th of May – my thanks to Headline and Net Galley UK for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review).

Before I was asked to be part of the blog tour for this book I’d never really thought about the Guinness family. Guinness is just a drink I don’t like, not a dynasty. Based partly on truth and partly fictionalised – Hourican confirms this at the end of the book. The book flicks between the 1920’s to 1970’s. It’s not overly distracting, as it is in some novels, but is the authors clever way of showing how the life Fliss led has created her present.

Hourican has obviously heavily researched the family and it shows in how well-rounded the characters are. After just a few chapters you feel like you really know them. I personally enjoyed that the book isn’t told from their point of view, but the point of view of Fliss. She’s an outsider who’s been brought up on the inside and it gives her a unique view into 1920’s society and the girls lives.

“I know these Guinness girls can seem absurd but to me they are glorious.”

I felt the pace was a little slow at times and Hourican seems to skip over the girls later lives. Over this doesn’t take away from the book or the characters. That really is the only negative thing I have to say about this book. If you are a lover of historical fiction, a tale infused with truth and good characters; you’ll love it.

#BookTour

This story is inspired by on the real Guinness girls - a family dynasty filled with glamour and fascinating stories. The Glorious Guinness Girls are the toast of 1920's London and Dublin society - stunning tabloid darlings. But privilege always has its price.

Fliss constantly questions whether she fits. Her brother Hughie was a great addition to the story bringing conflict and speaking of the struggles, class divide and growing tensions in Ireland. His story was one of adventure and passion which is something that's missing in Felicity's life. It doesn't get heavily political because the story is told from her perspective and just like the Guinness Girls, she is ignorant to the issues of the poor, failing to see anything outside of their world.

The story has a very slow and steady pace. You find yourself waiting for the story to take off and it never really does. However, the story is good. There are a lot of characters that feature in the book and you are thrown into the lifestyle of the upper class - being surrounded by a lot of people but never really getting to know any of them. Very reflective of the lives of the guinness girls. Because the story is from Felicity's perspective, we miss out on the juicy bits of the story - much like she does.

Emily Hourican's ability to set the scene with such decadent and rich detail is stunning. It captures the luxury of their lives perfectly. The imagery is evocative, vivid and atmospheric. This is what you stay for.

A societal change is in the air and Fliss knows it. The story is all about her finding her identity and living alongside The Bright Young People as they own the world. Overall I think this is a nice story for anyone interested in the 1920's - echoes of the glitz and glamour, hints of luxury and decadence.

The main draw for this book was the period of history it covers - primarily the 1920s. Throw in some glitz and glamour, some high society sisters from the famous brewing dynasty, lots of Bright Young Things and raucous parties and I was absolutely sold!

This book fictionalises the story of the Glorious Guinness Girls - three sisters from Ireland who were celebrated in the contemporary media for being beautiful, privileged and eminently newsworthy. They were the daughters of Ernest and Cloe Guinness and raised in wealth and luxury in Glenmaroon until the events of the Irish Civil War became a little too close to home. They then embarked on a round the world yacht trip before settling in London where the girls were 'brought out' as debutantes and attended some pretty wild-sounding parties.

The story is told from the point of view of a fictional cousin of the Guinness Girls, Fliss, who is invited to live with the family and so is witness to the girls' lives in the twelve year period that the book covers. Although she lives alongside the family, it is clear that she isn't one of them - she is not invited on the yacht trip and instead becomes a kind of companion to Cloe and chaperone figure for the girls, even though she is a similar age to them. Fliss' narrative covers mainly her time with the family in the 1920s, although we also see her as an older woman revisiting the former Guinness estate that has now been turned over to a religious order.

I'll admit to being unsure how this book would work - particularly how the mixture of fact and fiction would work. In fact, the story is beautifully presented and engaging, although it is slightly ironic that the character we get the most vivid sense of is Fliss, the fictional one. This isn't really surprising though, as her personal story - including her relationship with her brother, Hughie, who is caught up in the Irish Civil War - is really the heart of this book.

Of the three Guinness Girls (Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh), the one developed the most as a fully rounded character is Maureen, so it came as no surprise to me to read the author's note at the end of the book which explained that one of her main sources was someone who knew Maureen best. Indeed, Maureen is vividly rendered as someone who is quite spiky and willing to test the boundaries of her sheltered life - it is a clever device to place Fliss as being a similar age to her and so sharing her experiences most closely. Aileen, the eldest, is probably the most mysterious of the three, while Oonagh (the baby of the family) is mostly sweet and spends most of her time on childish pursuits.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the Guinness Girls as I followed them from the volatility of the Irish situation to the glamour of the Roaring 20s in London. It was really interesting to see the ways that their wealth protected them from the political situation up until the point they could no longer ignore the reality of what was happening on their doorstep. I also loved how the author presented the fact that the traditions of the aristocracy were slowly dying in the youth revolution of the 1920s - to be young and free and living life to the full was the most important thing and Maureen embodies this.

Obviously, this presents a narrow view of what life in the 1920s was like, but it is an exhilarating experience to be carried along with the beautiful people as they partied like it was 1929 (pre-Wall Street crash, of course!) The blending of historical figures with the fictional ones was also engaging - it was lovely to 'see' Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh and Brian Howard among others.

This book left me desperate to learn more about the Guinness Girls - all of whom had absolutely fascinating lives after the period of this book. In many ways, I really wanted this book to be more fact and less fiction - the historical figures are interesting in their own right and Fliss' story is perhaps less compelling than the other elements of the novel. However, as a piece of historical fiction based in fact, it does work and is engaging.

I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction - fans looking for heavy-duty non-fiction will not find the detail they want here as this isn't the intention of the book. As a fictional insight into the lives of the wealthy and fortunate in an interesting period of Anglo-Irish history, it absolutely hits the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As the title suggests, this book is about the Glorious Guinness Girls and whilst this is a fictional story featuring real life people, it is very much a story which shows you the life that the privileged were leading both in Ireland and England in the nineteen twenties and thirties.

Fliss is the narrator of this story, a fictional character used as a vehicle to tell the story of Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh Guinness, the three daughters of Ernest Guinness of the famous brewing family. Fliss is sent to live with the three sisters in Ireland in the early nineteen twenties. Whilst she is educated along with the girls, she is stuck in this void of being not quite one of the family and not quite a servant. It takes a long time for Fliss to find her right purpose in life because for all it seems she will be indebted to this family forever.

Cosseted away from real life in Ireland during the civil unrest of the twenties it seems faintly ridiculous that three women simply cared about parties, practical jokes and frocks when all around them life was changing. They are briefly touched by this when Fliss brother, Hughie comes to visit and brings with him talk of a new life. It is only Fliss that can see the change, the three sisters are kept in their precious bubble.

As the family decamp to London, society again is very much at the forefront of this story. Think darling debutantes, balls, high jinxes and excesses of champagne, laughter and life this is the society that Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh are immersed in and with Fliss very much on the side-lines we see a very different perspective.

Whilst for me Maureen was the more dominant of sisters of the story, her actions towards others were not pleasant and with the additional thread of the story shows Fliss returning to the house in Ireland to make sure a secret is kept – a secret that involves Maureen.

This is a book which only touches on the surface of the history of the Guinness girls, I implore you to do more of your own reading about them, I certainly did after I had finished. If you want to look at the book as a piece of historical fiction about the life of those “Bright Young Things” and a small part of Irish history then this book will fascinate you.

The Glorious Guinness Girls of the title are Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh Guinness - the Granddaughters of the first Earl of Iveagh. And this heart-breaking saga tells of their lives over a twelve year period through the eyes of their fictional cousin, Felicity (Fliss) Burke. The story commences in 1918, when Fliss is sent to live with her rich and famous relatives after her father dies during WWI. The story is narrated by Fliss initially telling of her introduction to the Guinness family and their lives together, along with the ‘present day’, (1978) when she revisits their former home to retrieve a number of their documents are discovered in the attic.
Once she arrives at the North House/Glenmarron (one of several homes owned by the Guinness family in Dublin), Fliss begins to miss her mother and in particular her brother Hughie. She will be educated with the daughters and raised with them but will remain a step apart. Fliss soon realises that in order to survive, she will need to forgot her old self and forge a new identity.
The character of Fliss performs several functions in the storyline - not only the narrator but also she helps the reader to negotiates the alien world of the upper classes in the 1920's and 30's of Dublin and London. Indeed, looking back now, it seems shocking that the 3 daughters remained so unaware of the feelings of dissention and civil war brewing on their doorstep. Only Fliss appeared to have any semblance of the world outside and this is largely due to her relationship with her brother Hughie and concern for his welfare. Of course, these attitudes were typical of the time when young girls were expected to keep collections of flowers, learn to sing and certainly not to question politics.
Now, in 2021, I cannot but feel a great sense of relief that women have progressed so far – undoubtedly we have a long road yet to travel – but certainly in comparison to 10921, the rights of women have improved hugely.
One favourite aspect of the book was the appearance of historical figures such as which helped to bring an element of reality to the story. I did often feel that while enjoyable, the factual aspects were somewhat lost as Fliss was the narrator and also a fictional character.