Bittersweet Tapestry: A Novel of Eighteenth Century Europe by Kevin O'Connell is the story of resilience and determination as a family tries to make do with the cards they are dealt with while trying to survive the testing waters of time. It all began when young 16 year old Eileen was married off to a much, much older and richer man in Ireland, only to have him die and making her a young widow. Returned to her small town of Derrynane, she and her sister Abigail are sent to Vienna where things take a different turn for her. While her sister becomes principal lady-in-waiting for the Empress, Eileen was the governess to Maria Antonia who loved her very much. So when her little charge became Marie Antoinette, she comes back to Ireland along with her husband Captain Arthur O’Leary, their little son and her dear friend. This is when she is tested truly and fully as she tries to settle back in a land that she has been away for many years. Her family is being tested just as much, but there seems to be a special brand of danger after her and her husband. The Protestant Ascendancy is hovering over them like a dark cloud, ready to rain down on them hard at the slightest of vulnerability. They want something from them and they want it all costs. What are Eileen and her family going to do?

This is an epic tale that took me on a journey in the late 1700s where I was lost in the thrilling sage of these two families. I thought I would be confused by the many characters that I won’t be able to form any connection with any of them, but I was so wrong. Each character is special and adds to the story. Eileen stood out the most to me, but Arthur (Art) and Hugh were stronger characters. I enjoyed reading how intelligently they handled the situations. Hugh, especially, was the star for me. He had to grow up a little too quickly; he had to look past the glitz and glamour of the French court. There is action, drama, powerful narrative, perfect flow and incredible development in this novel. I didn’t want this novel to end and I genuinely hope that there is more to come from these incredible characters.

Bittersweet Tapestry: A Novel of Eighteenth Century Europe by Kevin O'Connell is an engaging narrative with a strong historical setting and a lot of drama. Eileen O’Connell has had a rather trying experience from the time she turned sixteen and leaves home to marry a man who dies a few months later. But this ushers Eileen and her sister Abigail into a new adventure as they move to Vienna at a time when the Hapsburg Empire was at its highest glory. For nine years, Eileen serves as governess to the Empress’s youngest daughter. The reader is introduced to the fond relationship between Eileen and the woman who became known in history as the Queen of France — Marie Antoinette. But when tragedy strikes, can things ever be the same?

This is a well-written novel with a strong setting starting in the summer of 1770 in Ireland. The international setting explores the political climate at the time. Themes of politics, family, and colonialism are expertly woven into the fabric of this tale and readers get vivid and compelling images of an Ireland that is under English rule. Kevin O'Connell writes beautifully and the culture against which the narrative evolves is clearly depicted, with dialogues that reflect the milieu and characters that are elaborately developed. Bittersweet Tapestry: A Novel of Eighteenth Century Europe reinvents a Europe that readers will find delight in exploring and characters that they will want to follow. It is a bittersweet story that explores the tragedies in individual lives while capturing the political tensions and winds blowing across Europe.