Interview With Award-Winning Irish Historical Novelist Lacy Fewer

Literary Titan says: “Yankeeland is a sweeping tale of hope, resilience, and transformation that weaves through decades and continents. Centered on Brigid Kelly's journey from a stifling Irish village to the promise-filled shores of America, the novel explores family dynamics, societal expectations, and personal ambition. Brigid's dreams clash with her father's traditions and her stepmother's rigid control, culminating in her determined escape to the New World with her husband, Ben. What unfolds is a compelling narrative of immigrants grappling with love, identity, and survival in a land where opportunities are as abundant as the challenges.”

  

1.      What is your debut novel, Yankeeland, about? Yankeeland is a historical fiction novel following Brigid Kelly, an Irish immigrant seeking a new life in America in the early 20^th century. Leaving behind a restrictive life in Ireland, Brigid hopes for freedom and opportunity, but she soon faces harsh realities. As she navigates an unforgiving new world, she confronts the limits imposed on women and the sacrifices required to survive. Exploring themes of resilience, identity and the generational struggles of women in a society that often seeks to silence them. Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, Yankeeland is a compelling tale of hope, endurance, and the unbreakable spirit of a woman determined to define her own destiny.

 

2. What was life in America like, circa 1908, for a young female? Women were deeply constrained by a patriarchal system endemic in all aspects of society. Yankeeland gives a deep insight into the challenges faced by women in their roles and in the expectations that came with that. Not least the emphasis placed upon marriage and childbirth. Education for females was purposefully overlooked, if not forbidden, clearly to keep women docile and in the roles that society assigned to them. History shows us how damaging this societal belief has been for women and whilst respecting that it was of its time, it was an accepted and rarely challenged way of society. My objective in researching these stories is to bring into focus the importance of learning from our shared history.

 

3. Brigid, your main character, is married and fails to conceive a child. Why was her sense of self so wrapped up in the concept of being a mother? Brigid’s sense of self is deeply tied to motherhood because, in her time and culture, a woman’s worth was often measured by her ability to bear and raise children. Coming from a traditional Irish background she was raised with this expectation that marriage and motherhood were central to a woman’s identity. Beyond the societal pressures Brigid also longed for motherhood as a way to create a loving family of her own, something she had lost at a young age. Her inability to conceive is not just a personal heartbreak but also a challenge to her identity and purpose. When this role is taken from her it forces her to redefine herself, adding to her journey of resilience.

4.  It is also about mental unwellness. What message are you seeking to convey here? Lives marked by mental instability quite often do not allow for awareness. For the sufferer, mere existence can become an all-consuming struggle. It was important for me to explore this journey staying as close as I could to the truth of the experiences I was writing about. I had the ability to draw on lived experiences, which proved invaluable in detailing some of the more profound moments in this story, offering a thought-provoking insight into the perception and treatment of mental health and how not enough has changed in the intervening period. In my experience, few have been untouched by mental instability, either directly or indirectly. Yankeeland tells a story that I hope will resonate and spark honest public debate.

 

5. Your story centers around the keeping of family secrets. Do some secrets destroy people? Truth is fragile. Reading Brigid’s letters forever changed how I view secrets. I have no doubt that the secrets in this story were kept out of love—but isn’t truth the greatest act of love? Information is power and confronting secrets offers liberation from the shackles of the past, allowing humanity to move forward. Stigma, a mark of shame or discredit, has been wrongly attached to mental health for far too long. Yankeeland reveals how this unfolded through the hidden truths in the letters. Yet, I find myself asking—why have the letters endured? Why had those who knew held onto the darkest correspondence, with innermost thoughts laid bare? I believe that, on some level, the letters were cared for—preserved as if waiting for their destiny, waiting for me to tell this story and illuminate a dark time in our history.

6. What did you think — and how did you feel — when some 30 years ago you read some 200 letters and postcards sent across an ocean that were penned a century ago? When I first read those letters, sent across an ocean and penned a century ago, I was both humbled and ecstatic. It felt like an honor to be the first to read them in decades and some for the first time since then had been penned. I can still remember sitting on the floor, piecing together their journey with the excitement of an avid sentimentalist—until I began to uncover the depth of the tragedy and the secrets within. I realized how many lives had been affected, never to understand the truth in their lifetimes, and the agony of it consumed me.

7. Yankeeland is a remarkable fictionalization of some key points in your family’s history. How challenging — or cathartic — was it for you to write this book? Yankeeland stems from a place of deep respect for those who suffer—directly or indirectly—from mental instability. As the youngest of six children, I grew up witnessing the impact of mental illness firsthand, with three of my siblings affected. When I read those letters that inspired this book, I realized our family’s struggles were not new; they stretched back generations. That discovery shaped my understanding of illness—not as something that defines a person, but as an intrinsic part of the human experience. How we manage it defines us. We must embrace our differences, for it is our shadows that cause the greatest of our conflicts—and our deepest truths reside.

8. Your book is heavily character driven. How did you go about drawing them? I wanted the characters in Yankeeland to feel authentic, so I approached them with deep emotional and historical grounding. Brigid, in particular is shaped by the real struggles of women of her time—resilience in the face of oppression. I drew from historical research, personal letters, and oral histories to ensure their experiences reflected the realities of the time. Each character carries a unique emotional arc shaped by their personal desires and societal limitations. By focusing on their inner lives—I aimed to create characters that feel as vivid and complex as real people.  Their voices lingered with me, guiding the narrative’s emotional depth and authenticity.

9. Why do you think many people are drawn to intergenerational stories like Yankeeland? It is important to understand the impact and the power of intergenerational stories, if we look closely enough quite often there is repetition. My words are lived, they are experiential in the ways of family trauma that is passed down through the generations. The debate rages on if mental health is genetic, environmental or a defect from birth. I believe it is all of those things and I believe that trauma is generational, carried through the lineage until it is healed. We cannot change the past, but we can influence future generations. I believe at some level as human beings we have an inherent knowing and by taking the time to connect into this sense of knowing we can bring light and healing.

10. One testimonial for your book said it “reflected the quiet strength of women who refuse to be erased.” Do you agree? Why? I loved this quote, it captures the essence of Brigid who faced systemic challenges, including societal expectations, patriarchal oppression and the rigid constraints placed on women of her time. Despite these hardships, she persists asserting her independence and resilience. Brigid’s journey highlights the struggles of many women in history who were often overlooked or dismissed, yet found ways to carve their own identities and destinies. Brigid’s ability to navigate these difficulties, maintain hope and push forward against adversity embodies the quiet strength the testimonial refers to. Her story, along with the novel’s exploration of generational struggles, underscores the lasting impact of women’s choices.  Through Brigid, Yankeeland captures the strength, sacrifice and determination of women who despite adversity, refused to disappear.

 “With a deft and delicate touch, floating on prose that rings as clearly as a morning church bell, Lacy Fewer traces bloodlines and heartlines that reach back generations, and, as she does so, shines a light on the commonalities that bind us. Her characters embody who we are through their aspirations and dreams, loss and resiliency, and that most precious of qualities, hope. This is a book of layers, part history, part exultation, and a quiet examination of the sorrows of the lost who cannot find help. As such, Yankeeland merits multiple readings. A brilliant first novel, and one that speaks of glories to come.” —Greg Fields, Author of The Bright Freight of Memory, PEN/Faulkner Award Nominee

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum