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O'Neill Series #1
The Tide Between Us: An Irish-Caribbean Story of Slavery & Emancipation
1821: Among the thousands of Irish deportees to the Caribbean British Colonies is a 10-year-old Irish boy, Art O’Neill. As an Indentured Servant on a sugar plantation in Jamaica, Art gradually acclimatises to the exotic country and the unfamiliar customs of the African slaves. When the new heirs to the plantation arrive from Ireland they resurrect the ghosts of brutal injustices against Art. He bides his time and hides his abhorrence from his new master by channelling his energy into his work. During those years he prospers, he acquires land, he sees his coloured children freed after emancipation as he takes us on a multi-generational historical saga.
Eventually Art is promised seven gold coins for seven decades of service. He doubts his master will part with the coins. The morning Art sets out to claim his gratuity, he ignores his sense of foreboding that he may not return home alive.
Ireland 1991: One hundred years later a skeleton is discovered beneath a fallen tree on the grounds of Lugdale Estate. By its side is a gold coin minted in 1870. Yseult, the owner of the estate, watches as events unfold, fearful of the long-buried truths that may emerge about her family’s past and its links to the slave trade. As the skeleton gives up its secrets, Yseult realises she too can no longer hide.
Inspired by the real story of 2,000 Irish children deported to Jamaica and the statistics that 25 percent of Jamaican citizens claim Irish ancestry. The Tide Between Us is a powerful novel documenting true historical events and the resilience of the human spirit.
Eventually Art is promised seven gold coins for seven decades of service. He doubts his master will part with the coins. The morning Art sets out to claim his gratuity, he ignores his sense of foreboding that he may not return home alive.
Ireland 1991: One hundred years later a skeleton is discovered beneath a fallen tree on the grounds of Lugdale Estate. By its side is a gold coin minted in 1870. Yseult, the owner of the estate, watches as events unfold, fearful of the long-buried truths that may emerge about her family’s past and its links to the slave trade. As the skeleton gives up its secrets, Yseult realises she too can no longer hide.
Inspired by the real story of 2,000 Irish children deported to Jamaica and the statistics that 25 percent of Jamaican citizens claim Irish ancestry. The Tide Between Us is a powerful novel documenting true historical events and the resilience of the human spirit.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2018
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November 17, 2021
"I come from a time when this little island (Jamaica) annihilated the meagre men, persecuted the brave and defiled the pretty."
The "tide between us" is a moving fictional story and a sweeping family saga interwoven with real historical events and set against the backdrop of people exiled or fleeing Irelands troubles, and the emancipation and enslavement of people in the Caribbean. The plantations were sites of oppression where the exiles from Ireland were sent, Irish people who dared oppose British rule and the black people who offered a “compliant” labour force for wealthy landowners who made slavery possible.
The book is narrated by Art O’Neil and told in two timelines. As a boy Art is exiled after the execution of his father and many other men from his village in Ireland, and finds himself barely a child and working the lands of the “big house” in Jamaica. Industrious, clever, and hardworking Art finds himself in favour and noticed by the owners and overseers of the plantation, which allows him to generate money and dream of a future away from the troubled lands he left behind but still holds dear.
At twenty-one years of age, Art O’Neill is made head overseer and is set to manage the estate for the next ten years at which point he will receive his promised gold coins and settle his debt levied on all prisoners from the slave ships. With freedom, plummeting property value, Art is able to buy land and with the abolition of the slave trade free villages are springing up everywhere with a society needing to learn a new type of civilisation. However, a new society learning to live without slavery, brought its own set of horrors, betrayals, crime, and greed as people were forced to think and live in a free world they were not accustomed to.
The book charts the course of Art’s life and those of his many children which makes a fascinating read. We also have the present that I must admit I cared less about, which involves the discovery of a skeleton and a gold coin that ties the unknown person back to the plantations. I don’t think this part of the storyline added much to the book.
Any book involving slavery and the plantations and books that depict Ireland’s struggles through famine and the struggle for independence against an equally brutal landlord always tugs at my heart strings. This was a wonderful account and fictional novel that was well researched. What I particularly loved about this book and this particular story of repression is that the author also focused on a society trying to rebuild, not after war or famine but having been given freedom after a life where all the thinking had been suppressed. Now they needed new laws, structures, industry, trade, and a new culture and identity. I also loved the new historical setting of Jamaica, which I was not familiar with.
I loved the book, but it didn’t get the five stars because of the present-day story, which I felt didn’t add much, I also wasn’t particularly keen on the writing style and narrating through one person when we had so many intriguing characters at play. However, well worth reading because everything else was outstanding.
The "tide between us" is a moving fictional story and a sweeping family saga interwoven with real historical events and set against the backdrop of people exiled or fleeing Irelands troubles, and the emancipation and enslavement of people in the Caribbean. The plantations were sites of oppression where the exiles from Ireland were sent, Irish people who dared oppose British rule and the black people who offered a “compliant” labour force for wealthy landowners who made slavery possible.
The book is narrated by Art O’Neil and told in two timelines. As a boy Art is exiled after the execution of his father and many other men from his village in Ireland, and finds himself barely a child and working the lands of the “big house” in Jamaica. Industrious, clever, and hardworking Art finds himself in favour and noticed by the owners and overseers of the plantation, which allows him to generate money and dream of a future away from the troubled lands he left behind but still holds dear.
At twenty-one years of age, Art O’Neill is made head overseer and is set to manage the estate for the next ten years at which point he will receive his promised gold coins and settle his debt levied on all prisoners from the slave ships. With freedom, plummeting property value, Art is able to buy land and with the abolition of the slave trade free villages are springing up everywhere with a society needing to learn a new type of civilisation. However, a new society learning to live without slavery, brought its own set of horrors, betrayals, crime, and greed as people were forced to think and live in a free world they were not accustomed to.
The book charts the course of Art’s life and those of his many children which makes a fascinating read. We also have the present that I must admit I cared less about, which involves the discovery of a skeleton and a gold coin that ties the unknown person back to the plantations. I don’t think this part of the storyline added much to the book.
Any book involving slavery and the plantations and books that depict Ireland’s struggles through famine and the struggle for independence against an equally brutal landlord always tugs at my heart strings. This was a wonderful account and fictional novel that was well researched. What I particularly loved about this book and this particular story of repression is that the author also focused on a society trying to rebuild, not after war or famine but having been given freedom after a life where all the thinking had been suppressed. Now they needed new laws, structures, industry, trade, and a new culture and identity. I also loved the new historical setting of Jamaica, which I was not familiar with.
I loved the book, but it didn’t get the five stars because of the present-day story, which I felt didn’t add much, I also wasn’t particularly keen on the writing style and narrating through one person when we had so many intriguing characters at play. However, well worth reading because everything else was outstanding.
November 16, 2019
In the first and, for me, the most powerful part of the book Art O’Neill sets out to record, for the benefit of his children, the story of his life from the time he was transported to Jamaica from Ireland and forced to work as an indentured servant on the Mangrove Plantation. The author vividly depicts the cruelties and privations of the voyage and Art’s sense of unfamiliarity with his new environment. The book also exposes the harsh conditions and savage treatment meted out to slaves on the plantation.
Over the next decades Art experiences love, marriage and the birth of children but also the loss of loved ones. He is witness to turbulent events on the island, including slave rebellions and outbreaks of disease. Rising to the position of overseer, he faces moral dilemmas over the treatment of slaves under his control. And, underlying it all, is the ever present hatred he bears towards the Stratford-Rice family that at times seems to provide the only meaning in his life.
In the second part of the book, the reader sees events from the point of view of Yseult and, briefly, from the point of view of her daughter, Rachel. Yseult and Rachel have a rather strained relationship with Yseult dismissive of Rachel’s ideas for developing the Lugdale Estate. I’ll confess I found Yseult an unsympathetic character and difficult to warm to. Interspersed with events following the discovery of the skeleton are Yseult’s memories of her childhood including her friendship with Mary O’Neill whose family owned land adjoining Lugdale.
Eventually the unfinished stories of the characters from the first part of the book are brought to completion, revealing a tale of secrets, revenge and feuds continuing down through the generations.
Over the next decades Art experiences love, marriage and the birth of children but also the loss of loved ones. He is witness to turbulent events on the island, including slave rebellions and outbreaks of disease. Rising to the position of overseer, he faces moral dilemmas over the treatment of slaves under his control. And, underlying it all, is the ever present hatred he bears towards the Stratford-Rice family that at times seems to provide the only meaning in his life.
In the second part of the book, the reader sees events from the point of view of Yseult and, briefly, from the point of view of her daughter, Rachel. Yseult and Rachel have a rather strained relationship with Yseult dismissive of Rachel’s ideas for developing the Lugdale Estate. I’ll confess I found Yseult an unsympathetic character and difficult to warm to. Interspersed with events following the discovery of the skeleton are Yseult’s memories of her childhood including her friendship with Mary O’Neill whose family owned land adjoining Lugdale.
Eventually the unfinished stories of the characters from the first part of the book are brought to completion, revealing a tale of secrets, revenge and feuds continuing down through the generations.
July 30, 2021
This book taught me something about history - about the English act of shipping Irish children off to Jamaica to work as slaves. I knew nothing of this chapter of history and that the book covers some of these historic events added value for me.
The story is split in two parts. The first part talks about how Art O'Neill ends up in Jamaica to work as a slave. Art narrates his experiences of working in the plantations, navigating the new terrain and life, learning to live and love among people who look nothing like he does and yet start to feel like home. It talks on equal measure of his struggles, the unjust treatment of slaves and eventually their emancipation. The second part of the book is set in modern Ireland where a skeleton is found buried in the Lugdale estate - an estate belonging to Art's former master through his wife. The current owner of this estate knows more than she lets on. Through her memories and recollections of the past, we learn of what happened to Art and his family. The story builds up towards the links connecting the past to the present with the revelation of who the skeleton belonged to.
The plus points of this book are the historic relevance, the descriptions of Jamaica and its culture. However, in some parts the narrative drags on slightly and I found it hard to keep up with every word in print for that took away from the crux of the story. The second part especially has more of a drag and it takes away from the narrative that was built up well in the first half of the book.
To the author's credit, I found it near impossible to guess who it was that lay buried for over 70 years without anyone's knowledge. The book is about 370 pages and it is only around page 300 that the two timelines slowly start to connect. The book is well written and even though the accounts span a century in time and cover the lives of several characters, it is coherent and tight.
The story is split in two parts. The first part talks about how Art O'Neill ends up in Jamaica to work as a slave. Art narrates his experiences of working in the plantations, navigating the new terrain and life, learning to live and love among people who look nothing like he does and yet start to feel like home. It talks on equal measure of his struggles, the unjust treatment of slaves and eventually their emancipation. The second part of the book is set in modern Ireland where a skeleton is found buried in the Lugdale estate - an estate belonging to Art's former master through his wife. The current owner of this estate knows more than she lets on. Through her memories and recollections of the past, we learn of what happened to Art and his family. The story builds up towards the links connecting the past to the present with the revelation of who the skeleton belonged to.
The plus points of this book are the historic relevance, the descriptions of Jamaica and its culture. However, in some parts the narrative drags on slightly and I found it hard to keep up with every word in print for that took away from the crux of the story. The second part especially has more of a drag and it takes away from the narrative that was built up well in the first half of the book.
To the author's credit, I found it near impossible to guess who it was that lay buried for over 70 years without anyone's knowledge. The book is about 370 pages and it is only around page 300 that the two timelines slowly start to connect. The book is well written and even though the accounts span a century in time and cover the lives of several characters, it is coherent and tight.
November 24, 2017
My Rating 4.5*
'Long ago I learned to stop questioning my beginnings…until my youngest son was born. A slave, who spends fourteen hours a day working on a sugar plantation, has little time for anything apart from servitude’
The opening lines to Chapter One from a book that could not but have an impact on you. The Tide Between Us is a novel by Irish Writer Olive Collins and is another incredible publication just released by Poolbeg Press.
Today I bring you my review of this heartbreaking tale of a young Irish boy, who was taken away from his home and family in Co. Kerry,and forced to become an indentured slave/servant on an island in the Caribbean.
This is Art O’ Neill’s story…
There are some novels that give you goosebumps as you read, those novels that really hit home with you. The Tide Between Us is one such novel for me.
Maybe it’s because I am married to a Kerryman. Maybe it’s because I spent many a Summer in the seaside village of Ballyheigue, not too far from the Stack Mountains that are mentioned in this novel. Whatever the reasons I have become completely enthralled by the story of these children that were taken to the other side of the world as forced servants.
Art O’ Neill was deported to the sugar plantations of Jamaica in 1821 as an ‘indentured servant’, taken from his home in the townland of Mein, Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry. His father is wrongly hanged for a murder he did not commit, leaving Art angry, upset and an easy captive for the slave ships. With 200 other boys and girls, they set sail off the coast of Cork, from Kinsale, to a new and hard life in the sweltering heat of the Jamaican fields.
Art carries revenge in his soul, a revenge so poisonous, he carries it with him every day of his life. With the advice of an older Irish man, Art learns to survive through the hardships and struggles of life on this island far away from home.
Art’s story and those of all those poor Irish children, the majority who never set foot on Irish soil again, just broke my heart. It’s not that long ago, a part of our history I was truly unaware of…
Olive Collins wraps a wonderful mystery around Art’s story, as the reader is taken forward to 1991. A skeleton is discovered on the grounds of Lugdale Estate, in the shadows of the Kerry Mountains in North Kerry. Art O’ Neill was born in the vicinity of this estate, where the present owner Yseult, now in her eighties, lives.
Yseult carries secrets from the past that she hoped never to see surface again, but with the Garda presence now on her lands, it’s not long before Yseult has to make some decisions and face up to her family’s tragic story.
Olive Collins has written an absorbing tale that combines both fact and fiction in this beautifully told story. The Tide Between Us is a must read for all who have a passion for historical fiction. For me it is the story of Art O’ Neill and what he endured that completely stirred up my emotions, my feelings of pride for those Irish boys and girls who were taken from our land.
Jamaica is an island that now claims 25% of it’s population to be of Irish descent. Through Olive’s research she discovered that ‘There are words spoken in remote parts of Jamaica with a clear Irish lilt and there are songs sung reminiscent of the struggles that continued in their homeland while they laid roots in their exotic new home, Jamaica.’
The Tide Between Us is an emotional and truly poignant story that you will get swept up in, as you imagine the traumas and horrors of our past. With vivid descriptions that will melt your heart and bring tears to your eyes, this is a quite a disturbing tale, but also a tale of homecomings and atonement.
'Long ago I learned to stop questioning my beginnings…until my youngest son was born. A slave, who spends fourteen hours a day working on a sugar plantation, has little time for anything apart from servitude’
The opening lines to Chapter One from a book that could not but have an impact on you. The Tide Between Us is a novel by Irish Writer Olive Collins and is another incredible publication just released by Poolbeg Press.
Today I bring you my review of this heartbreaking tale of a young Irish boy, who was taken away from his home and family in Co. Kerry,and forced to become an indentured slave/servant on an island in the Caribbean.
This is Art O’ Neill’s story…
There are some novels that give you goosebumps as you read, those novels that really hit home with you. The Tide Between Us is one such novel for me.
Maybe it’s because I am married to a Kerryman. Maybe it’s because I spent many a Summer in the seaside village of Ballyheigue, not too far from the Stack Mountains that are mentioned in this novel. Whatever the reasons I have become completely enthralled by the story of these children that were taken to the other side of the world as forced servants.
Art O’ Neill was deported to the sugar plantations of Jamaica in 1821 as an ‘indentured servant’, taken from his home in the townland of Mein, Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry. His father is wrongly hanged for a murder he did not commit, leaving Art angry, upset and an easy captive for the slave ships. With 200 other boys and girls, they set sail off the coast of Cork, from Kinsale, to a new and hard life in the sweltering heat of the Jamaican fields.
Art carries revenge in his soul, a revenge so poisonous, he carries it with him every day of his life. With the advice of an older Irish man, Art learns to survive through the hardships and struggles of life on this island far away from home.
Art’s story and those of all those poor Irish children, the majority who never set foot on Irish soil again, just broke my heart. It’s not that long ago, a part of our history I was truly unaware of…
Olive Collins wraps a wonderful mystery around Art’s story, as the reader is taken forward to 1991. A skeleton is discovered on the grounds of Lugdale Estate, in the shadows of the Kerry Mountains in North Kerry. Art O’ Neill was born in the vicinity of this estate, where the present owner Yseult, now in her eighties, lives.
Yseult carries secrets from the past that she hoped never to see surface again, but with the Garda presence now on her lands, it’s not long before Yseult has to make some decisions and face up to her family’s tragic story.
Olive Collins has written an absorbing tale that combines both fact and fiction in this beautifully told story. The Tide Between Us is a must read for all who have a passion for historical fiction. For me it is the story of Art O’ Neill and what he endured that completely stirred up my emotions, my feelings of pride for those Irish boys and girls who were taken from our land.
Jamaica is an island that now claims 25% of it’s population to be of Irish descent. Through Olive’s research she discovered that ‘There are words spoken in remote parts of Jamaica with a clear Irish lilt and there are songs sung reminiscent of the struggles that continued in their homeland while they laid roots in their exotic new home, Jamaica.’
The Tide Between Us is an emotional and truly poignant story that you will get swept up in, as you imagine the traumas and horrors of our past. With vivid descriptions that will melt your heart and bring tears to your eyes, this is a quite a disturbing tale, but also a tale of homecomings and atonement.
February 3, 2021
This was an interesting story about Jamaican and Irish slavery. A part of history I did not know about.
A book of 2 parts which started off as a really good read, but I felt lost its focus and pace in the 2nd part.
A book of 2 parts which started off as a really good read, but I felt lost its focus and pace in the 2nd part.
November 10, 2019
This was a great book and story, and I would have given it five stars if not for all of the typos! I assume this is self-published, which is fine, but one more once-over of editing could have made this book perfect. It’s frustrating because once you notice one or two little things (an apostrophe designated ownership, not plurals, for instance; there were also places where the story repeated almost verbatim) you end up looking for them. Takes away from the stories and all the rich characters. But, it was a good read regardless, and I would recommend it.
June 18, 2020
I have rated this a 3 as although it starts with a seemingly powerful and gripping narrative from the young O’Neil, in part 2 the plot loses focus and is unsatisfactory.
The story starts with a young boy in Ireland who, like so many others is at the mercy of the ruling classes. It starts in 1991 with a descendant of Art O’Neil who in 1821 was transported as an Indentured Servant to a sugar plantation in Jamaica at the age of 10 to work off the penalty for his “crime” and the tale follows his story and that of his offspring, his desire for retribution and the lives of the slaves and plantation wives.
His children are born into slavery, and one of his children sells a family member into slavery for his own gain. (you’ll have to read it to find out more). As a consequence, some of the family end up back in Ireland, with two branches of the children living close by.
We learn very little about the boy (a grandson named Akeem) who was sold by another grandson, Okeke, although he does turn up in the end, and there are so many questions that lack answers. Why did Okeke seemingly have a change of heart and reveal Akeem’s whereabouts?
So many gaps. Instead of detail we are shifted to the story from the perspective of a vindictive and obnoxious Yseult who, it seems only wants to bury and burn the past. There is far too much time spent with her whining and nastiness.
Could have been so much better but the middle did not lead to a satisfactory end. The third part seems rushed, as though the author felt the need to address some of the issues but couldn’t quite be bothered. Shame, as it started out as book that moved at a good pace, was intriguing, educational, and pulled at the emotions. Ended as a damp squib.
The story starts with a young boy in Ireland who, like so many others is at the mercy of the ruling classes. It starts in 1991 with a descendant of Art O’Neil who in 1821 was transported as an Indentured Servant to a sugar plantation in Jamaica at the age of 10 to work off the penalty for his “crime” and the tale follows his story and that of his offspring, his desire for retribution and the lives of the slaves and plantation wives.
His children are born into slavery, and one of his children sells a family member into slavery for his own gain. (you’ll have to read it to find out more). As a consequence, some of the family end up back in Ireland, with two branches of the children living close by.
We learn very little about the boy (a grandson named Akeem) who was sold by another grandson, Okeke, although he does turn up in the end, and there are so many questions that lack answers. Why did Okeke seemingly have a change of heart and reveal Akeem’s whereabouts?
So many gaps. Instead of detail we are shifted to the story from the perspective of a vindictive and obnoxious Yseult who, it seems only wants to bury and burn the past. There is far too much time spent with her whining and nastiness.
Could have been so much better but the middle did not lead to a satisfactory end. The third part seems rushed, as though the author felt the need to address some of the issues but couldn’t quite be bothered. Shame, as it started out as book that moved at a good pace, was intriguing, educational, and pulled at the emotions. Ended as a damp squib.
June 10, 2025
This book didn't do it for me. While it had interesting parts, it just droned on forever with infinite detail. Hated the ending.
March 19, 2021
I spent the first half of this book not enjoying it, because the writing is pretty terrible. The grammar isn't great, she misuses a lot of small words like "albeit", and there are more than a few typos. Towards the end of part 1, I became invested in the story, and was disappointed to be pulled out of it and into part 2. I don't enjoy how part 2 was written, the author jumps around a lot. I eventually, towards the very end, became interested in the story again, and got over my issues with the writing, but then the ending was just very disappointing. It wasn't left open enough that I think there's any plot left for the future, but there were a lot of loose ends with characters. There was an interesting story in there, but it was a bit lost in the bad story telling.
February 20, 2023
A fascinating story! From the expanse of the 1890’s Jamaica to the 1990’s in Ireland. How the life of one little boy forced into slavery manifests itself into an estranged, dysfunctional and cruel 100 years. How hatred can be the motivating factor in every breath you take. Along the way, there is intense love, friendships, secrecy and deep attachments but little hope. Many of the roots of bigotry, classism and discrimination began with the slave trade that we see unfold in the story.
It’s not a “who done it” but a “who was it” and it’s a real page turner till the very end! I highly recommend!
It’s not a “who done it” but a “who was it” and it’s a real page turner till the very end! I highly recommend!
June 20, 2022
Love love loved this book, not only the story but the way it was written was awesome ❤️
September 2, 2025
Book Club September 2025
I would rather read historical documents than historical fiction. But, if I'm going to read historical fiction, then I prefer this type - all fictional characters set in a certain time period rather than fictionalized versions of real people. I have to give Collins credit that this led me on a historical journey into Irish indentured servitude in Jamaica, including transported children, and to learn about slavery in places like Morocco and Mauritania which didn't end until the 1920's-1950's.
While the idea of the book was great, I couldn't get past the execution/writing to like it more. This was hard to read. Tough subject matter? Sure, but this was primarily just so poorly written. Irrelevant characters and descriptions often given long details while important plot points and characters received almost no depth. The jumbled timeline, lack of resolution with some plot points and characters, inconsistent character actions, stilted, clunky dialog (including some interesting written speech patterns I'll look forward to discussing in my book club), and maybe just overly ambitious plot - covering about 170 years in just 400 pages - just made this hard to follow and finish. I'm almost positive everyone else in my book club will like this more than me. It should make for a good discussion though.
I would rather read historical documents than historical fiction. But, if I'm going to read historical fiction, then I prefer this type - all fictional characters set in a certain time period rather than fictionalized versions of real people. I have to give Collins credit that this led me on a historical journey into Irish indentured servitude in Jamaica, including transported children, and to learn about slavery in places like Morocco and Mauritania which didn't end until the 1920's-1950's.
While the idea of the book was great, I couldn't get past the execution/writing to like it more. This was hard to read. Tough subject matter? Sure, but this was primarily just so poorly written. Irrelevant characters and descriptions often given long details while important plot points and characters received almost no depth. The jumbled timeline, lack of resolution with some plot points and characters, inconsistent character actions, stilted, clunky dialog (including some interesting written speech patterns I'll look forward to discussing in my book club), and maybe just overly ambitious plot - covering about 170 years in just 400 pages - just made this hard to follow and finish. I'm almost positive everyone else in my book club will like this more than me. It should make for a good discussion though.
March 3, 2020
This story and the characters will stay with me for a long time. Collins has woven an amazing tale of the best and worst of human nature with a Jamaican backdrop, and a part of slavery we don't often hear about. Read it.
February 6, 2023
Interesting concept. Certainly enjoyed part 1 more than part 2. Felt a little jumbled at times though.
December 8, 2017
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
This is an excellent book with a story that is guaranteed to tug on your heartstrings and stay with you long after the book has finished.
The research undertaken for this book is very evident as you read through the book and the story develops. The writing style was spot on for the book and I loved the characters and the pace. The book hovers between two times periods and I really enjoyed this aspect it brought the story to life and it is a really tough and heart-breaking subject that has been handled very, very well.
I have given the book 5 stars and it is definitely a book I would recommend.
This is an excellent book with a story that is guaranteed to tug on your heartstrings and stay with you long after the book has finished.
The research undertaken for this book is very evident as you read through the book and the story develops. The writing style was spot on for the book and I loved the characters and the pace. The book hovers between two times periods and I really enjoyed this aspect it brought the story to life and it is a really tough and heart-breaking subject that has been handled very, very well.
I have given the book 5 stars and it is definitely a book I would recommend.
July 19, 2020
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend this book about an Irish boy forcibly sent to Jamaica in the early 1800s along with many other Irish children to work for decades as an indentured servant on a plantation, living and laboring together with African slaves. The book spans several generations taking us to modern day Ireland. I wasn’t aware of the history of the tens of thousands of Irish who populated Jamaica, indentured servants, sailors, criminals, etc, making them the second-largest reported ethnic group in Jamaica, after Jamaicans of African ancestry.
June 25, 2021
While I learned about a time in history I wasn't aware of, this book just had too many characters which made it difficult to follow at times. Especially since some of the characters went by 2 names. It would have benefited with more editing. There were too many times that the same thing was said just with different words. We already know that one character hates another we don't need to have to pounded in our heads every other chapter. This would probably be more of a 2 1/2 star review than a 2 star review.
September 15, 2022
I had no idea about this period of history. It was a n absolutely heartbreaking read.
The story reminded me slightly of empty cradles, how England have shipped off children without their parents to other countries to a very bleak ending.
I haven’t read such an intriguing beginning of a book for a while. Unfortunately I found part two too drawn out, I understand it was character building the new characters and their relationship dynamics but it lacked the pace that the first part had - which was the reason it wasn’t a 5*.
I highly recommend this book, brilliant historical fiction novel.
The story reminded me slightly of empty cradles, how England have shipped off children without their parents to other countries to a very bleak ending.
I haven’t read such an intriguing beginning of a book for a while. Unfortunately I found part two too drawn out, I understand it was character building the new characters and their relationship dynamics but it lacked the pace that the first part had - which was the reason it wasn’t a 5*.
I highly recommend this book, brilliant historical fiction novel.
February 4, 2021
So interesting!! My neighbor told me about the connection between the Irish and Jamaica, so I looked it up and found this novel. As a novel it's honestly mediocre and there were some weird mistakes, such as calling Atlanta the most populous "state" in America. But overall, it was a good story and such an interesting and mostly unknown aspect of history.
July 24, 2020
Okay, I have some advice for you.
1. Keep the family trees introduced at the front of the novel forefront at all times. You will need them for reference, I promise you.
2. As you are reading the first half of the book keep in mind that
a) you are reading backstory. For this you will need to pay close attention to the opening pages. There are clues you won't want to miss.
b) you are reading it in Art's voice as he recalls it from his memory. This accounts for all the use of the passive voice which I found trying after just a short while. But as Art telling it, okay, it makes sense. But persevere! The best is yet to come.
3. When you get to the second half, Part 2, pull out those family trees, and enjoy. The story is told in an active voice. The characters are lively. The clues from the opening pages are relevant. And that never-ending backstory all makes sense.
Enjoy!
1. Keep the family trees introduced at the front of the novel forefront at all times. You will need them for reference, I promise you.
2. As you are reading the first half of the book keep in mind that
a) you are reading backstory. For this you will need to pay close attention to the opening pages. There are clues you won't want to miss.
b) you are reading it in Art's voice as he recalls it from his memory. This accounts for all the use of the passive voice which I found trying after just a short while. But as Art telling it, okay, it makes sense. But persevere! The best is yet to come.
3. When you get to the second half, Part 2, pull out those family trees, and enjoy. The story is told in an active voice. The characters are lively. The clues from the opening pages are relevant. And that never-ending backstory all makes sense.
Enjoy!
October 10, 2020
A tale that will twist your imagination
I wasn't sure I would like this story, but it was listed in an email from Bookbub and I have kindle unlimited so I got it.
It starts in Ireland, an 11 year old child watches his father hang and he is sent to Jamaica as an indentured servant. There he starts his life as a slave, no better than the black slaves.
It really made me think about what happened to the children that were mistreated and abused in history. I really liked this book and will read more from this author.
I wasn't sure I would like this story, but it was listed in an email from Bookbub and I have kindle unlimited so I got it.
It starts in Ireland, an 11 year old child watches his father hang and he is sent to Jamaica as an indentured servant. There he starts his life as a slave, no better than the black slaves.
It really made me think about what happened to the children that were mistreated and abused in history. I really liked this book and will read more from this author.
March 5, 2021
I had high hopes for this book, but I was dismayed early on when Art, the main character, who was transported from Ireland to Jamaica at age 11, grew from plantation worker to overseer who whips slaves and even hangs them. We are asked to believe that he hates the plantation owner, but protects him during an uprising because he needs him around to further his ambitions. This is the hero of the story. No thanks. I stopped reading about a quarter of the way in. Life is too short to read bad books.
December 8, 2019
This historical novel is fascinating and gave me goosebumps. I knew very little about the forced Irish emigration to Jamaica and the lives of Irish slaves. Collins has embedded her research skillfully into a tale that includes two Irish families that emigrated to Jamaica (one a wealthy landowner, the other a slave) and descendants make their way back to Kerry where their lives intertwine once more. It's a fascinating history bound up in a tremendous plot. Really recommend it.
May 2, 2021
Depressing and miserable. The characters and storytelling is so poor in the first half that you have to dig deep to finish the second half, which is at least written better. The family stories are probably accurate historically but make for endless confusion. Unsatisfactory ending.
February 10, 2021
It's not very often I don't finish a book, even one I am finding I don't like, but I decided to let this one go and never finished it.
May 10, 2021
I picked this book up by accident and was pleasantly surprised. The author did a very good job of portraying the struggle to accept personal identity as in the case of Art, the protagonist in the first part of the story. He is removed from his native Ireland, as a child to serve as an indentured servant in Jamaica. As he grows and matures, he finds peace in knowing who he is and his own weaknesses. This is contrasted with his descendant, Yseult in the second part. Yseult is moved from her native England to Ireland as a child of the upper class but doesn't discover herself until just before her death.
There is a brokenness in her that cannot be resolved because of family secrets, that draws the reader into her emotional pain. As the author begins to unravel the secrets that keep the family bound in the dance of survival without love, Yseult's pain becomes real.
There is a brokenness in her that cannot be resolved because of family secrets, that draws the reader into her emotional pain. As the author begins to unravel the secrets that keep the family bound in the dance of survival without love, Yseult's pain becomes real.
June 30, 2025
This historical novel starts with a discovery of skeletal remains and then takes the reader to 19th century Jamaica, where a ten-year-old boy has arrived as an indentured servant from Ireland. Part I is about Art working for a master he didn't know but once he passed, his Jamaican estate belonged to the Colonel who had Art's father executed. Art O'Niell wants revenge, but things get complicated. Part II follows Yseult, a woman in her early 80s, whose estate in Ireland had a tree uprooted in a storm, revealing skeletal remains and a gold coin... And she is forced to remember several things that reveal who her ancestry is.
February 13, 2022
Before finding this book, I had no idea about the indentured Irish workers in Jamaica. The first part of this book was well done. I found myself getting sucked into the storyline and loving the characters. However, the second part of the book is where I was lost. Olive Collins, ropes multiple generations of the two main families together. Or at least tries to. I was often lost within the storyline trying to remember who certain individuals were. Or what their storyline was. At the end of the book, it also felt like Collins was tying up loose ends rather quickly, by listing the individual's fate. Overall, I was intrigued by this book, but I did not love it the way I had hoped.
December 27, 2024
This was POWERFUL. A solid 10/10. Beautifully written, masterfully planned, plotted and crafted. This novel, it's plot, the characters, the harrowing real life aspects struck me full force. I will be thinking about this novel for a long, long time to come. Highly recommend, even if Historical fiction is not your gig. This novel is for all. This novel was simply beautiful. Heart wrenching. Amazing. Perfect.
September 8, 2024
4.0 stars. The story is interesting and held my attention. It starts with an Irish boy being sent to Jamaica as an indentured servant. He lived with slaves and shared their lifestyle for awhile. The history of Irish people as indentured servants in Jamaica is not an area of history that I am familiar with so I learned some things. The characters were well developed and all details of the story integrated nicely at the end. There was also an over arching theme that evil does not go unpunished and generations will feel the effects of evil whether they realize it or not. This gave me a lot to think about and I’m glad I read it, although I doubt I’ll continue with the trilogy.
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