In the Shadow of the Manor: Historical Fiction: An Irish Family Saga: Book 1: The Rent Man's Coming

by Helen Cassidy Page

Previously The Equal of God A cheating rent collector. A struggling farmer. A headstrong child who changes everything. It’s rent day. The Baron’s man is coming to collect his due. Connor has hidden all the repairs that keep his family warm and sheltered. But they can also get them pitched into the bogs if Spikes discovers them. Spikes, the rent man, has an eagle eye for such shenanigans. And so begins the battle of wits that will change the trajectory of Connor’s family for years to come, long after the famine, which is not even on the horizon as yet, lays waste to the Manor and cottage, and changes the fortunes of Ireland itself. Who will survive? Who will perish? In the Shadow of the Manor braids strands of wealth and greed with threads of family loyalty and rich Irish history into a timeless story of love and survival set against the power of the Crown and the forces of nature. Download this riveting historical fiction now and fall in love with a narrative with the breadth and depth of their English counterparts in Downton Abbey. Available in Kindle Unlimited. This is an ongoing series. Here’s what readers “ . . . will grab you by the throat -- and the heart -- from page one, where the tragedy to come is forecast in the chilling wail of the Ban Shi and the image of County Mayo as a crushed heart on the coast of Ireland.” “You don't have to be Irish to appreciate this wonderful book. I can't wait for the next installment. Powerful writing and a beautiful read, poetic and evocative, and a mesmerizing story.” “If you are a historical fiction fan, this is a must. It gives you such great insight into the Irish/English disputes and has a cast of characters that will leave you anxiously awaiting for the next chapter in the series.” Interview with the How did you come to write about historical fiction 19th century Ireland? It’s my cultural heritage. My father was born in a village very similar to the one I describe as were my my mother’s parents. I was raised in a neighborhood peopled with many Irish and we socialized mainly with my father’s family. I fell backwards into this story, and kept going backwards until I landed in the famine. I actually knew very little about the Irish famine or Irish history until I began my research. How did you manage to recreate the place and voices so vividly? I made many trips to Ireland, falling in love with it on my first visit in 1976 when I made a car trip with my mother and uncle. He had bicycled over all Ireland in 1922 right after the Irish civil war, making a trip there to visit his Irish relatives. He was a wonderful storyteller and made it come alive. The voices in the book belong to my father, and my aunts and uncles. They lived in Ireland in the late 19th century and early 20th century and at that time there was little travel and I doubt the brogue or voices had changed much. At any rate, it’s the Irish voice I knew, and what I heard when I visited. It’s in my blood. Of all of Irish history, why did you pick the famine? I bought Cecil Woodham-Smith’s book, The Great Hunger, in Ireland and read it while on my first trip. It made a powerful impression on me. It was my introduction to the famine. I happened to visit hotels and restaurants that had been hunger hospitals. I knew nothing about them at the time and I think that book and that moving experience sowed the seed. At that time there were also many cottages with caved in thatched roofs that had been abandoned, no doubt some of them from those days.

Genres: Historical

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2015

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began reading this book, I had trouble figuring out who the characters were and what their relationship was to each other. I also was taking the script literally, not realizing the author was giving her readers verbal expressions the Irish people of that place used at that time.

As I continued reading, I enjoyed the Irish brogue and the points of view of the various members of the family.

I decided to read the book because I had Irish ancestors who came to the United States during the potato famine, and I would like to know more about their life in Ireland.

The title of this first volume of the series has been changed to In the Shadow of the Manor.

[Mary Kerwin Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved seeing the world through the eyes of a six year old.... hopefully the next parts will continue as Agnes grows.

At the end, explanations of the regional accent were a big help, to me, as I leave for Cork in a week.

[Cheryl Clancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

Ms. Page has a harmonious writing style that prevents you from putting down this book. She details one of many Irish families suffering under
English rule. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[GAYNOR OBRIEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for My Rating

I love the Irish; the history; the mystery embedded in their ways;their language expresses every nuance of feeling, not like any other people.

[Chris Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of my own family history - it certainly gives the right feel for the times. However this book is only the beginning, with no particular ending, and therefore would be more complete with the subsequent books. Nevertheless, it is well written and realistic.

[Janet K. Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Start, but not a Book

The author does a good job of painting a picture of rural Ireland but then stops be cut before anything really happens. I didn't read the description carefully enough to notice that it's not really a novel just a short story.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of telling history through the story of a family, but it seemed to assume some background knowledge of Irish history so parts of the story were unclear. I don't know that I will seek out the next book.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this far more than I did.
I think the book ended too soon running on assumptions that the reader these days know what goes on / went on in Ireland and any place really in which a Hilton does not stay permanently.
Nice idea though.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only book one therefore a quick read. Good intro to main characters. Good insight into poor catholic families post union. No surprises in this book! Will continue reading the sequence

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like a short story.

[Kathy]

not for me - only so many "Holy Mother of God"s I can take - this is just a novella or short story?