In the Shadow of the Manor: Historical Fiction: An Irish Family Saga: Box Set Books 1-4

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.

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2017

Reviews

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irish family saga

Historical fiction highlights the Irish famine, and Irish families survival. Strong characters, a few dangling
characters that needed to have their loose ends tied up or be more interwoven into the book so it doesn't leave you wondering what is thier purpose. But still interesting characters too.
Intertaining read. Glad I read books 1-4 all at the same time.