OF IRISH BLOOD is Mary Pat Kelly's continuation of GALWAY BAY. Both books are historical fiction based on the lives of her ancestors. While GALWAY BAY took place mostly in Ireland during the 19th century and concentrated on her great great grandmother Honora Kelly, OF IRISH BLOOD's main character is Mary Pat Kelly's great aunt, also Honora Kelly but called Nora. This book takes place in the early 20th century and begins in Chicago but moves to Europe, Paris mostly. There Nora takes up residence after her life is threatened (fiction) in Chicago and works with many (real historical) people for Ireland's independence. Mary Pat Kelly does know that her Great Aunt Honora moved to Paris, but the rest is fiction.

This book, like GALWAY BAY, deserves highest ratings for its historical detail. Fans of historical fiction will love reading about all the historical characters that Nora comes in contact with and the accurate descriptions of Ireland's struggle/fight with England before, during, and after World War I.

The rating for OF IRISH BLOOD is downgraded, though, because it does not have a story that grabs the reader and keeps her engaged. Sometimes after a few paragraphs I was happy to put this book down. Too much struggle, too much fight, not enough drama. Although the struggle and fight were real, since the book is fictionalized, why not add enough story to make the book unputdownable? Instead, Nora and the fiction seemed nothing more than vehicles to present history. Although that is enough for many historical fiction fans, I want the characters as well as the history to grab me.