The Belfast Express

In *The Belfast Express* by Dublin-based author Brianna Robinson, a spirited eighteen-year-old refuses to be boxed in by family expectations or parish judgement, choosing nursing over a “nice” local life in 1971 Dublin.

Kept from leaving for London, Brianna falls in with fellow trainee nurses Muriel, Iris and Shauna. Together they’re sent into midwifery placements in Corporation Place, where overcrowded rooms, poverty and domestic violence sit beside everyday resilience. The work quickly dismantles the easy labels pinned on pregnant women, and forces the friends to confront how little choice many Irish women are given.

After a traumatic betrayal by a trusted figure, Brianna is driven to seek an abortion and, in doing so, finds a fierce voice against the Catholic Church’s control of women’s bodies. The Belfast Express train becomes a lifeline—north for contraception, back to Dublin with resolve.

Perfect for readers of historical fiction, feminist fiction and Irish women’s stories set in 1970s Ireland. Add it to your cart and travel with Brianna towards courage, friendship and change.