Songs of the Shenandoah (An Heirs of Ireland Novel) by Michael K. Reynolds

At the onset of the Civil War, Seamus heeds his wife’s wishes to return to her beloved family farm in the South, where he takes a post as chaplain for General Stonewall Jackson’s brigade. As Seamus ministers to the troops, his sister Clare ministers in a different way—by being a powerful voice in the Northern cause toward freeing the slaves.

All this while their youngest brother Davin, who became wealthy during the Gold Rush, struggles to find love and identity in a fallen world.

It’s a clash of loyalties and beliefs that threaten the entire family, each of them trying to hear God’s encouragement in the midst of the tragedy of war. The dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed Heirs of Ireland Series.

My Review:
It took awhile for this third book in the series to grab me; perhaps I had too many interruptions. (I read it during the Christmas holidays.) Nonetheless, I pressed on and read to the final page. I'm so glad that I did. The author has the ability to place the reader dead center in the middle of the action in the war against the states. We see the torn bodies, we hear the groans, and we smell the blood. In addition, he shows us the conflict that families on both sides face.

A great question is considered: "Is there a right side to this war? If soldiers on both sides are praying before going into battle, "who will God choose? (233) On what side does God stand?"

Love, loyalty, and forgiveness are themes. Despite depicting the horrors of war, the author brings the Hanley family to a satisfying conclusion. Although this novel could be read as a stand alone novel, the trilogy would be best enjoyed when read in order.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and B&H Books for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.

Flight of the Earls: An Heirs of Ireland Novel by Michael K. Reynolds

It’s 1846 in Ireland. When her family’s small farm is struck by famine, Clare Hanley and her younger brother, Seamus, set out across the ocean to the Promised Land of America.

Five years prior, Clare’s older sister Margaret and her Uncle Tomas emigrated in similar fashion and were not to be heard from again. But Clare must face her fears as she lands in the coming-of-age city of New York. There she discovers love, adventure, tragedy, and a terrible secret which threatens to destroy her family and all she believes.

Flight of the Earls is the first book in a historical novel trilogy based on Irish immigration in the 1840s.

My Review:
The rough life during Ireland's potato famine is the setting of this historical novel. The plot moves at a steady pace, and although at times dreary, the reader has hope. A good bit of both Ireland's and American's history are woven into the story line.

Characters are believable. Clare Hanley,  a responsible, determined young lady manages to avoid terrible happenings--some, while the reader holds his breath. It's interesting to watch Clare weave in and out of life's struggles. Her father insists that Clare take her troublesome brother, Seamus, with her to America and Seamus stumbles toward trouble. Clare has her hands full.

I look forward to the second in this series, which will be about Seamus.

Discussion questions are included.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and B&H Books for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.