The Donoghue Girl is the story of Lizzie Donoghue, the spirited daughter of Irish immigrants who desperately wants to not only escape Creighton-the Northern Ontario mining town where her family runs a general store-but also the oppressive confines of twentieth century patriarchy. She believes her escape can be found in Michael Power, the handsome young mine manager recently arrived in Creighton from the Ottawa Valley. Caught up in a complex familial love triangle, Michael first courts Lizzie's older sister, Ann, but then finds himself more and more drawn to Lizzie. Their lives twist and turn as they are all forced to face the harsh reality of the broken expectations of marriage and family just before the onset of WWII in Europe.

This is Lizzie's story, from beginning to end, and readers will fall in love with her bright spirit as she comes to realize her true strength.