Never Call It Loving

By Dorothy Eden

Book Overview

From the moment they met, Charles Parnell, the Irish patriot, and Kitty O'Shea, the wife of his colleague, were swept forward in a sense of adventure. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0340029277
• ISBN13: 9780340029275
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

WHAT ELSE WOULD ONE CALL IT?...

This work of romantic historical fiction is a worthy effort by its noted author. With its title, taken from a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, setting the stage, the book, based upon a true story, regales the reader with the nineteenth century love affair between Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell and Katherine O'Shea, wife of one of his political colleagues. Often referred to as the "uncrowned King of Ireland" for his passionate partisanship and his advocacy for home rule, Charles Parnell was a man dedicated to the betterment of the lot of the Irish under British rule. He was a fairly single-minded individual, until the day that his path crossed that of beautiful Katherine O'Shea. From the moment that they met, it was love at first sight, and never would they waver from that path of true love, despite the scandal that their affair would one day cause. Locked into a loveless marriage with the dissolute and impecunious Captain William O'Shea, Katherine was the mother of three children when she first met Charles Parnell. These two star-crossed lovers of the prim and proper Victorian age would eventually risk everything to be together. Their private passion would become a public scandal that would make Katherine O'Shea a notorious woman and cause the "uncrowned King of Ireland" to lose his "crown" and be deposed from his position of power. This is a well-told story of romantic historical fiction by this notable author. Known for her historical fiction, the author manages to capture the essence of the period, as well as the passion that would cause these two individuals to flout the social mores of their time. Those readers who enjoy romantic historical fiction will enjoy reading about the love affair between Katherine O'Shea and Charles Stewart Parnell that would one day rock the very halls of Parliament.

His love for Lady Ireland won out in the end...

Katharine O'Shea is the trophy wife of Captain William O'Shea. For years there has been no love between the 2 of them, for Willie has thought only of bettering himself, leaving Kate & their 3 children to be supported by her elderly aunt. Now has come a time when Willie has decided that he wants to go into politics and Kate is to help him by holding a dinner in honor of Charles Stewart Parnell, considered the laymen's King of Ireland. Kate, who has never known true love- sees something is this new face that is exciting, caring, and dedicated to his family and the people of Ireland. Charles sees a beauty of love that has never been unleashed. It is a story of a love affair between 2 people that went thru hell for each other- Kate with her family, friends & neighbors against her, and Charles with the politicians and people of Ireland pulling him. But Kate finally won only to give Charles back to Ireland through sudden death.This is a reprint from the original back in 1966. I pulled this one off the library shelf remembering it being a dear book I had read in the early 70's during high school. The story is taken from a diary that was kept by Katharine (Kitty) O'Shea Parnell that DE discovered and then based her fictional biography on to tell Kitty and Charles' "sides of the story." I realized while reading it how romance writing has changed- for the passion wasn't boldly described, but I could still feel it. Dorothy Eden was a precious author during her time and this would have been a good story for rewrite- to some it will be dry but the story there is good.