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  • Published: 15 March 2022
  • ISBN: 9781496740182
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 432
  • RRP: $32.99

The Irishman's Daughter




Ireland, 1845. To Briana Walsh, no place on earth is more beautiful than Carrowteige, County Mayo, with its sloping fields and rocky cliffs perched above the wild Atlantic. The small farms that surround the centuries-old Lear House are managed by her father, agent to the wealthy, reckless Sir Thomas Blakely. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. But when the potato crop falls prey to a devastating blight, families Briana has known all her life are left with no food, no resources, and no mercy from the English landowner, who seems indifferent to everything except profit.   
 
Rory Caulfield, the hard-working young farmer Briana hopes to marry, shares the locals’ despair—and their anger. There’s talk of violent reprisals against the callous gentry and their agents. Briana’s studious older sister, Lucinda, dreams of a future far beyond Mayo. But even as hunger and disease settle over the country, killing and displacing millions, Briana knows she must find a way to guide her family through one of Ireland’s darkest hours—toward hope, love, and a new beginning.
 

Set in the wild, romantic, northwest coast of Ireland during the mid-19th century, The Irishman’s Daughter pits Briana, her father, and sister, against a reckless English landlord and a plague that will kill and displace millions of Irish people.
 

Ireland, 1845. To Briana Walsh, no place on earth is more beautiful than Carrowteige, County Mayo, with its sloping fields and rocky cliffs perched above the wild Atlantic. The small farms that surround the centuries-old Lear House are managed by her father, agent to the wealthy, reckless Sir Thomas Blakely. Tenant farmers sell the oats and rye they grow to pay rent to Sir Thomas, surviving on the potatoes that flourish in the remaining scraps of land. But when the potato crop falls prey to a devastating blight, families Briana has known all her life are left with no food, no resources, and no mercy from the English landowner, who seems indifferent to everything except profit.   
 
Rory Caulfield, the hard-working young farmer Briana hopes to marry, shares the locals’ despair—and their anger. There’s talk of violent reprisals against the callous gentry and their agents. Briana’s studious older sister, Lucinda, dreams of a future far beyond Mayo. But even as hunger and disease settle over the country, killing and displacing millions, Briana knows she must find a way to guide her family through one of Ireland’s darkest hours—toward hope, love, and a new beginning.
 

  • Published: 15 March 2022
  • ISBN: 9781496740182
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 432
  • RRP: $32.99

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Praise for The Irishman's Daughter

Praise for the novels of V.S. Alexander
  
“In this powerful historical saga, Alexander explores how Ireland’s Great Potato Famine of 1845 changes lives forever, and how love can blossom against even the greatest of odds…Alexander’s research lends unquestionable weight to the story…Accompanied by an expertly rendered plot, bold and empathetic characters, and prose the jumps off the page, this tale will particularly satisfy fans of historicals and those looking for stories about the redeeming grace of faith and hard work.” Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW on The Irishman's Daughter
  
“Alexander immerses readers in 1840s Ireland with characteristic expertise, blending fact with fiction in this compelling and engrossing novel. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Paulette Jiles will appreciate Alexander's eye for detail and keen sense of place, which allow the blighted fields and family homestead to loom large. The Irishman's Daughter skillfully blends family ties with the horrors of a starving country and the hopefulness of young love.” Booklist
 
“The Irishman’s Daughter lets readers peer through a historical telescope to better understand the impact of class divisions in 19th century Ireland and the resulting desperate fight for survival…This gripping story thrusts us into the hearts of a family who risks everything to help their fellow Irishmen survive the devastation of The Great Hunger. Written with hope for a better tomorrow, V. S. Alexander gives readers an intimate heart-wrenching account of the unimaginable suffering of those who clawed their way through Ireland’s darkest years.” —Booktrib
 
“Alexander brings his signature commitment to historical accuracy to The Traitor, immersing readers in the intrigue of the resistance.” —Booklist
 
"An unusual novel… this author has a magnificent eye for detail.” Florida Weekly on The Magdalen Girls
  
“Filled with authentic details…As the girls' friendship progresses and their desperation to escape grows, the story quickens, racing toward an ending that is both incredibly sad and hopeful.” —ShelfAwareness on The Magdalen Girls
  
“Alexander tells the thrilling stories of Magda’s rise through the upper echelon of Nazi loyalists, the intrigue and rumors swirling around the German war effort, and the downfall of the party, in 1945. He does not glorify Hitler and the horrors of the Nazis but marries history and fiction in an attempt to humanize the citizens swept up in the turbulence of the times. This haunting and engrossing novel will appeal to fans of Anthony Doerr and Kristin Hannah.” Booklist on The Taster
  
"Alexander accurately and skillfully captures the conflicting desires of this young woman while realistically depicting the artistic milieu of Boston in the early 1900s and showing us a world much more modern than we might have supposed. But the real heart and power of the story lie in the descriptions of Emma’s work making masks for wounded soldiers. Here Alexander uncovers a little-known facet of World War I, one which is sure to fascinate readers." Historical Novels Review on The Sculptress
 
“Alexander’s intimate writing style gives readers openings to wonder about what tough decisions they would have made in Magda’s situation. The ‘taster’s’ story adds to a body of nuanced World War II fiction such as Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key. Book clubs and historical fiction fans will love discussing this and will eagerly await more from Alexander.” Library Journal on The Taster


“Using the pen name Alexander, author Michael Meeske has clearly done his homework. Chilling in its realism, his work depicts the improprieties long abandoned by the Catholic Church and only recently acknowledged. Fans of the book and film Philomena will want to read this.” Library Journal on The Magdalen Girls