This story of a love between brother and sister and their love for an English actress was not just unique given the setting in 19th century New York, it was excellent. The writing was stunning, it was one of the best historical novels I have read lately. Told from a different perspective and not just the sexuality of the protagonists, it is the racism of a class of people in that era that sets it apart. So well written, highly recommended.

Well, it isn’t Sarah Waters. But then again any historical fiction with Sapphric undertones is probably going to draw those comparisons, which frankly just isn’t fair to the books themselves. For me there’s nothing quite like Sarah Waters books, but then again even some of Sarah Waters books aren’t Sarah Waters, which is to say her work is uneven, but when it’s good it’s sublime. But then again, this is a review of an entirely different book and a very good one in its own right. Parting Glass is essentially a love triangle (or two love triangles if you want to be technical) set in 1827 New York. Irish twins (actual twins not the saying) come to the city to improve their circumstances, get work as servants for a wealthy family (him as a stables groom, her as a lady’s maid) and both fall madly in love with the young lady Charlotte, who reciprocates one directionally causing much strife between the siblings. So it’s essentially Sarah Waters meets Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New York, since there’s a lot of upstairs/downstairs goings on and there are a lot of politics of the time involves, the Irish weren’t especially welcome or valued at the time in America (the attitude that’s now extended to more or less all immigrants), so they had to fight their way to respect as it were and, you know lesbians. The historical fiction aspect of the novel is very well done, there’s a certain grimy realism to the servant and working class characters and a glitz to the upper crust. And Long Island is a barely cultivated barely populated place, which is, all things considered, quite possibly the best version of it. The characters are well developed and possess their varied charms, my favorite was the stargazer to use the lovely colloquialism of the times. There was something ever so slightly lacking, but honestly I can’t put a finger on it. Something about Mary/Maire’s character and something about the last scene, but that’s as close as I can get to figuring it out. But really it was a very enjoyable reading experience, if not completely immersive, than at the very least very engaging. For a debut it’s certainly most auspicious. And it admirably stayed away from veering off into women’s fiction, bodice ripper territory or any such inanity. This was the book I was really looking forward to reading ever since finding it on Netgalley and mostly it lived up to my expectations. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I struggle to review this because I enjoyed the author's writing style, historical accuracy, and descriptive language. However, be forewarned that the sex scenes are graphic and in my opinion, gratuitous.

Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New York is an apt description of this historical fiction novel. An interesting twist on the classic love triangle, this vivid story will transport you to a burgeoning New York City and those who helped create it: the Irish, the working classes, the domestics.

A beautifully written literary novel Fiction at its best it’s most immersive characters that jump off the pages,Characters that stay with you long after you finish the book. Highly highly recommend,#netgalley#touchstone.

It says this book is perfect for fans of Fingersmith & Slammerkin but The Parting Glass is a pale imitation of those great novels. I genuinely wanted to like it, but the more I think about it, the more disappointed I am in it. It was such a seemingly long book for absolutely nothing to happen. And when something finally does happen that could have real consequences, the book ends. There were no real consequences at any point in it-- Charlotte's pregnancy was forgotten and the political aspect had no stakes at all.

No one can imitate Sarah Waters & fans of Fingersmith should just reread that instead.

I find historical fiction stories fascinating when they are well written and researched. The Parting Glass was such a book.
This was a story of love...between an Irish brother and sister…and a shared love of an English heiress. But this was also a story where social class and racism were a part of everyday life…where Nativists and the Know Nothing party spread hatred and incited violence against immigrants and Catholics. It was not a time for a forbidden love to flourish, especially those harboring life altering secrets.

Gina Marie Guadagnino effectively captured this NYC time period of diversity, politics, violence, corruption…and made it into a very captivating read.

Wow. So lush and immersive, so intelligently written. I loved this. Found myself thinking of the characters hours after I finished reading, as if they were friends I cared for and worried about. Sharp, vivid, excellent

Just finished reading THE PARTING GLASS. Stunning writing paired with incredible research make for a lush, immersive read that's impossible to put down. Think Edith Wharton by way of Emma Donoghue—yup, it's that good! Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the advance e-galley!