Shannon's Daughter

By: Karen Welch

Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies

The last thing he expected to find in Ireland that summer was the inspiration to go on with his life, and certainly not in the form of an adolescent heiress.

New York socialite Peg Shannon has everything - wealth, position, beauty, and limitless prospects for happiness. Or so the world believes.

Aspiring London violinist Kendall Gregg is talented, handsome, and charming. While hardly well-to-do, he has connections and ambition which should take him far. Or so it appears.

Thrown together briefly by a twist of fate, Kendall quickly becomes young Peg's hero, while Peg proves to be Kendall's unlikely salvation. Through the decades, their deepening passion and shared secrets forge an enduring bond, destining them for a love affair that comes but once in a lifetime.

Set in the mid-20th century, Shannon's Daughter chronicles the complex relationship between two people constrained by family responsibility and a tragic secret, while delving into the history of one of the most intriguing characters in the Miracle at Valley Rise series.

©2013 Karen Welch (P)2014 Karen Welch

A surprisingly interesting love story.

This was a surprisingly good love story. I'm glad I purchased it. You won't be disappointed.

Money Does Not Mend Everything

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A most touching love story, poignant and riveting in the telling .

Have you listened to any of Matthew Lloyd Davies’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't, but intend to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It pulled lots of emotion from me. Here are two people very much in love, yet not completely capable of making it work. It saddened me at the same time, real life does this, too.

Any additional comments?

This book was a bit out of the normal time period in history I read, but I found it fascinating and oh so well narrated.

The story begins in 1949 so it’s historical in nature. However, I was born at that time and frankly I hate to think of it as historical. I don't feel that old!!

Women didn’t have the same desire for a career path with greater responsibility as they do currently, but Peg did. Peg was an unusual girl, when Kendall met her at fifteen. An heiress, she grew up with the knowledge she would someday take over her father’s work. She was so grown up and mature, even Kendall had a hard time remembering she was so young.

Their friendship spanned over ten years with many years of separation between--Peg in the states and Kendall in England. Eventually, their friendship became more intimate. Kendall had his life in England, a talented violinist with great potential to become more. Peg pursued her father’s work keeping her busy—both separated by an ocean. Can their love for each other surmount all the obstacles in their paths and in their characters? Ah, that’s the rub…

I loved this story even without the happy-ever-after ending with everything tied up in a pretty little bow. It depicted life as it comes to all of us—happy times, tragic times, sad times, wounded times and healing times. We make decisions and must live with them. Life goes on and we find our happiness when least expected and when not looking.

Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies truly helped make the book special to me. His voice was one easily listened to, expressive with inflections deepening the meaning of a mere sentence. He had the opportunity to use three different accents within the telling, holding me captive to its telling. His portrayal of Kendall’s voice with its perfect inflection in dialog had me envisioning the sort of person he was. He was so British!

Author Karen Welch characterized both Peg and Kendall easily letting me identify with both of them, and with the conflicts each struggled. My emotions ran high as it became evident the two wanted very different lives yet were equally ensnared in love and understanding for the other. A poignant, sensuous and compelling story, unique in its story line, I will long remember.