After the Voyage: An Irish American Story

by Brenda Murphy

At the heart of After the Voyage is an American immigrant family making its way forward on a road that is sometimes rocky and steep. From different counties in Ireland, Maggie Qualter and Richard Terrett both sail to America as young adults in 1870 after surviving Ireland’s Great Hunger as children. Maggie works as a maid for a wealthy family. Richard finds work in a tannery. After the death of the young wife he loves passionately, Richard marries Maggie with the help of a deceptive go-between who brews trouble in their marriage that never goes away. They raise three children in the midst of Irish American culture, the Catholic Church, and Richard’s battles for the workingman in the Knights of Labor. Their daughter Mary dreams of being a nun, while Josie seeks the freedom of big-city life in Boston. Neither reckons on the future she will face, Mary as a wife and mother of nine children and Josie as a single working woman. Son Tom escapes factory life by joining the Navy, manages to see the world in the midst of two wars, and comes home to marry his sweetheart and start a new life. Their stories are both remarkable and familiar to everyone whose ancestors made their way to and in America.The events in the Terretts’ lives are as they emerge from the public record. But their inner lives, their thoughts, their relationships, their words are imagined as a route to understanding these five complicated and fascinating people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

310 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2016

About the author

Brenda Murphy is the author of more than twenty books, mostly about American drama and theater. Recently she has been writing biography, memoir, and biographical fiction. Her latest books include When Light Breaks Through: A Salem Witch Trials Story (2023), Becoming Carlotta: A Biographical Novel (2018), based on the life of the actress Carlotta Monterey, Eugene O’Neill Remembered (2017, with George Monteiro), a biography in documents, and After the Voyage: An Irish American Story (2016), historical fiction based on the experience of her immigrant family in the Boston area from 1870 until the 1930s. After teaching at universities in New York and Connecticut, Brenda now lives in Maryland where she enjoys writing full time surrounded by deer and horse farms.

Reviews

[R.E. E. Derouin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Voyage-An Irish American Story by Bridget Murphy 3/18/2022

I began this book as an easy read, thinking I’d read a fictional tale of the life of immigrants in nineteenth century America. I soon learned story was much more. While no world shaking events took place, the reader gained detailed knowledge of the day to day struggles, and strong resiliency of people fixed on a gaining a better life. Thank heaven for unbending family ties and the help of those who came before them. Moreover, we saw the results of actions taken, both positive and sometimes devastating.

It was amazing to be reminded what America offered to those willing to work. A man with little or no higher skills or education could earn enough with hard factory work to own his home and free his wife to stay at home and raise, provide food, and educate a large family. Picture that being possible today.

I chose this book because one side of my own family was second generation immigrants from Ireland while the other side had recent ancestors from Quebec. I soon learned of more connections; the author’s family settled in Woburn and Beverly, Massachusetts; mine in Lynn, Mass. We were strong Catholics, and taught by nuns. My mother was the first in her family to go beyond high school as she attended Salem Normal School during World War One.

My only complaint is; where’s the fish? Catholic Friday’s and no mention of the East Coast family staple! I would highly recommend this book, especially to those interested in our past.

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Novel About Family of Irish Immigrants

This book begins in the late 1800's and is based on some truth,as well as fiction,but does contain a lot of actual History.

Maggie is the main character and the story tells about her marriage of convenience and the raising of two-step children and the birth of her only child,a daughter Mary.

The story continues with her husband's death and What happened to each of Maggie's children and her children's children.

They all had dreams,some foolish,some realistic and the story is filled with all of life's little hiccups along the way.

I had not read this author,but once I started the book was totally intrigued and read for hours to finish it.

[Michael Malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the biography of a family and of a particular American ethnic culture at a particular time in its development as much as the account of a real individual. Good social history here as it turNs out that the notorious Magdalene Laundries of Irish nightmare made it to Irish America too. The unmarried Josie is locked up for being pregnant and unmarried. The whole chapter composed of letters didn’t work for me, but otherwise an intriguing read and an intriguing mix of genres: family memoir, fiction and social history meld here.

[Peggy Rispo-berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being of Irish heritage (my grandparents being first generation here from Ireland). I can relate to incidents and stories in this book. Really loved the history, a good read fore.

[Brenda L Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent multi-generational story of a family whose roots started in Ireland and their immigration to America. Enjoyed it greatly.

[Dennis Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great but a bit amateur

Tells a great family history that covers multiple generations of Irish Americans. My only complaint is it feels not the best written dialogue or organized.

[Lita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually disappointed in this story. To me could have been so much better if there had been more dialog and interaction between the characters. But it seemed to be mainly narrative that I found rather boring on the whole. More like a textbook than a novel.

[Deanna Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story itself but not the letters chapter. While a few would work I found myself skimming them after a while. More day-to-day detail would have been interesting.

[Kathleen A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of an Irish family making a life in America. As a catholic and member of a large family I could really relate to the characters and the stories.