A Novel — Her Mother's Daughter:

Young Clare is an innocent child who meticulously navigates her mother’s "dark moods" and alcohol use. A summer trip to Ireland to visit a dying grandmother forces hidden family secrets to the surface, threatening to shatter their family forever. Key Themes and Perspectives

Clare represents pure innocence—modeled after William Blake’s The Lamb —while Josephine reflects the hardened "Tyger" of experience. Why It Resonates Her Mother's Daughter: A Novel

Alice Fitzgerald’s debut novel, Her Mother’s Daughter , is a raw and vivid exploration of the lasting impact of childhood trauma and the complex bonds between mothers and daughters. Set across two decades in London and Ireland, the story follows Josephine, a woman fleeing a dark past in 1980s Ireland, and her ten-year-old daughter, Clare, who is living with the consequences of that past in 1997 London. Young Clare is an innocent child who meticulously

Reviewers from Goodreads and Writing.ie highlight several poignant themes: Why It Resonates Alice Fitzgerald’s debut novel, Her

What makes this book stand out is its "pitch-perfect" character voices. Clare’s sweet, innocent narrative provides a necessary balance to the darker, more disturbing elements of the plot, such as self-image struggles and mental health battles. Despite its heavy subjects, the author describes the ending as one of hope, suggesting that the cycle of trauma can ultimately be broken.

Josephine leaves Ireland to start fresh in London, but the trauma of her childhood remains an unshakeable burden.