Brennan crafts an intricate, emotionally-charged narrative, masterfully weaving themes of guilt, loss, and identity. […] Brennan’s prose is rich with atmosphere, seamlessly balancing the gut-wrenching moments of Finn’s past with the stark reality of his present. […] With a striking blend of historical depth, raw emotion, and unforgettable characters, The Boy From Dublin is a powerful debut that lingers long after the final chapter. Fans of immersive storytelling and deeply human narratives will be enthralled by Brennan’s ability to bring history to life with unflinching honesty and poetic nuance. — CANReads Book review

For fans of Melanie Maure’s SISTERS OF BELFAST, a story of resilience, family, and eternal optimism, following a teenage boy’s emigration to working-class London in the mid-1950s

Finn O’Byrne’s life changes the moment his father leaves the family behind to fight in the Second World War. His mother, incapable of managing her large brood in his absence, does the unthinkable and Finn is forced into the austere care of Catholic priests.

Smart, ambitious and beset by tragedy, Finn finds a way to survive. When he ages out of the orphanage, He starts as a coal man, barely a teenager, and scrapes just enough money together to try for a better life in London. When he begins to see success selling Hoover vacuums, he meets someone who will change his life forever–if only he can convince her to leave everything–and everyone–they know and love behind.

As an Irishman navigating working class London in the ‘50s, Finn fights against class imbalances, as well as the haunting family history he can’t outrun. He eventually finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into London’s underbelly, becoming a front runner for East London’s most notorious gangster brothers, George and Gerry Faustus. He works hard to keep his growing relationship with Margaret Baumann, a posh English girl far beyond his reach, separate from his criminal ties, but as the lines between his two worlds begin to blur, keeping them apart becomes impossible—and the consequences may be devastating.

With his future on the line, careening against the pull of a darker life that promises everything he once had, he must decide where home truly lies, in the arms of the girl he loves, or in the shadow of a past that refuses to let him go.