The Sculptress

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'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