The Girl Who was me is Gone

by Michael Brown

Ireland 1649 Nora, a young Irish heiress and her friend, Anne, lose family and friends through plague and Oliver Cromwell's cruel invading forces. Escaping with a valuable family document, Nora and Anne leave Ireland amidst a firefight that disfigures an English Captain--a man who swears eternal vengeance! Upon arrival in the American colonies, Nora and Anne experience humanity at its worst. Nora calls upon her inner strength to fight for her virtue and freedom--only to have her efforts turn to ash. The disfigured English Captain is assigned to a post in Jamestown. He begins to stalk Nora with plans for revenge. Billy, who has loved Nora since they were children, arrives in the settlement with a price on his head. He risks all in an attempt to free his friends. By turns heartbreaking, suspenseful, and romantic, The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone, is a stunning story of loss and retribution, of friendship and love, and of white slavery in America's past.

Genres: Historical Fiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Brown, Michael, 1931-
from Library of Congress website

Reviews

[Michael Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Holiday gift! The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone, is a stunning story of loss and retribution, of friendship and love, and of white slavery in America’s past. Nora O’Lalor, a young Irish heiress, loses family and friends through the plague and Oliver Cromwell’s cruel invading forces. Escaping with a valuable family document, Nora and her best friend, Anne, leave Ireland amidst a firefight that horribly disfigures an English Captain. Upon arrival in the American colonies, Nora and Anne experienced humanity at its worst. Nora calls upon her inner strength to fight for her virtue and freedom—only to have her efforts turn to ash. The disfigured English Captain is assigned to a post in Jamestown. He begins to stalk Nora with plans for revenge. Billy, who has loved Nora since they were children, arrives in the settlement with a price on his head. He risks all in an attempt to free his friends. By turns heartbreaking, suspenseful, and romantic. (5-stars). Amazon link: https://amzn.to/38srAND
5-Star Reviews for ‘The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone’ by Michael Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars The Readers' Favorite Review
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2020
The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone 5-stars
by Michael Brown

Fiction - Historical - Personage
386 Pages
Reviewed on 05/04/2020

BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite
In The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone by Michael Brown, the year is 1649 and Oliver Cromwell's merciless army has descended on Ireland, massacring people along their way. Meanwhile, in Dublin, young heiress Nora dreams of a future full of adventure. As the army arrives in Dublin, Nora and her family plan their escape but the arrival of the plague and a savage fight with an army captain results in Nora and her friend Anne running for their lives. With the army captain left physically scarred, he swears revenge. As the two girls manage to escape from Ireland on a frigate called the Good Hope headed for Virginia, Nora plans to claim her inheritance. Onboard the frigate they discover the ship holds a cruel secret and they experience their worst fears. When they arrive in Virginia, they discover their nightmare is only just beginning and are soon separated. As Nora's future looks bleak and hopeless, her childhood sweetheart risks everything to save her, just as the army captain arrives in Virginia.

It is not often that the subject matter of a novel touches your heart and soul but the heartbreaking story of Nora does. Each one of the characters has been carefully created, with the utmost consideration given to their unique personalities. The descriptive narrative sparked my imagination and I found myself walking in Nora's shoes. A young brave teenager facing the brutality of an invading army. The scenes she had witnessed and the situations she suffered were barbarous. The subject matter was clearly well researched and the fact that the Irish people suffered so much under the rule of Cromwell, and the battles with the Native Americans will surprise many. The scene in the slave market in Virginia was hard to read because the author relayed the emotions of the terrified Irish people superbly. I did not know that the first slaves in the American colonies were white and I was astounded to read this. I wonder how many people actually know this fact. The conflicts throughout and the tension were so perfectly placed, I could not put this book down until the end. Although The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone by Michael Brown is a work of fiction, it should be a testament to how people can be complacent with acts of brutality and injustice on others. The ending was flawless and the perfect closure to a nail-biting final third of the book and I look forward to more from these amazing characters.






Comment


CB

5.0 out of 5 stars Romance, action, adventure, heart break, humor. heroes and heroines, make that heroines and heros!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2020
I loved this book! If you want to escape from the problems of today and step into the adventures of the past this is the book for you. If you love history with your adventure this book is for you! Well researched without losing the narrative thread, it's a book that is hard to put down as you want to know what comes next. The writing, with its description, puts you solidly in the environment. You feel the story surround you. The only disappointment was when I ran out of pages and this magnificent saga came to its embracing conclusion.
Enjoy!


RJ

5.0 out of 5 stars History, Romance and Danger dwell in another fine novel by Michael Brown
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2020
The story of one Irish family's plight during the bloody Cromwell era of Ireland. And the story of a girl sold into slavery after her escape and arrival in the New World, and of her redemption.
Mr. Brown writes with a knowledge of Irish and early American history and sets his stage with bold characters, some evil and cunning, others strong and idealistic, all fascinating and real.
The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone is a highly entertaining novel that you will find hard to put down.


Jean

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Novel!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2020
Michael is brilliant in the way he captures your imagination. The script is always moving as it tells the plight of a young Irish girl during the Cromwell reign of terror when the Irish were killed or captured and sent into slavery to America . You are on the edge of your chair as you read about Nora, her escape from the British, and the harsh world she lived in as a single woman in the 17th century. It is full of suspense, drama, danger, horror, surprise, and romance. So satisfying, you can't stop reading until you reach the end. Well Done!
One person found this helpful



JACOB

5.0 out of 5 stars A page turner! A fictional historical novel with an enthralling story and well developed characters. Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2020

“The Girl Who Was Me is Gone” is a journey that delivers entertaining and convincing account of a young girl on the verge of adulthood. To survive the insurgence of Cromwell’s army she leaves the protection of her family in Ireland and sails to Jamestown, a town built in a marsh and full of hardships. Interesting cast of characters flow smoothly with amazing levels of detail. Mr. Michael Brown’s story is incredibly visual. It paints images that could easily be transported to the screen and developed into a series.


JUTTA NUSSBAUM

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading! Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2020

This is an awesome story! I loved reading this book.... I felt like being in the 17th century following the heroine in her adventurous and dangerous life!
Hope there will be more from this author...

Hannah

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of suspense, loss, and romance of a young Irish girl and friends sold into white slavery. Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2020

I loved this book and didn’t want it to end. Michael Brown writes that has you picturing yourself right there in the moment. Michael Brown is a very gifted writer! I look forward to his next novel.

Vickie

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting historical novel Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020

A fascinating window into the journey of a young Irish woman to a new home in Jamestown, Virginia. The journey takes you back in time with simmering suspense, realism, adventure and heartbreak. A captivating page turner. If you want a book that you can’t put down this is it!

Supergidge

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for book club! Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2020
Wow! I really enjoyed this book. If you like romance, adventure, suspense and great characters, this book is for you! A definite recommendation for any book club.




Jerome London

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Brown has done it again
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2020
As good as Downton Abbey

[Ruth Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like historical fiction, then this book is for you. The story focuses on events in European/American history not often written about, the 17th Century. The story begins in Ireland and the siege of Oliver Cromwell on the Catholics who are unmercifully slaughtered, or worse, sent to the New World to work as slave labor until such time as they can work off their indentured status.

Readers will immediately identify with the story’s protagonist, Nora O’Larlor, and her heroic reactions to the horrors that are going on around her as her idyllic life erodes under her feet at every turn. There is so much action packed into this historical novel that you will find yourself eager to turn each page to find out what happens next.

This plucky young woman rescues her best friend from a savage rape only to be pursued across the Atlantic by the disfigured rapist she tried to kill. Kidnapped and forced to lay for weeks in filth and chained to the other prisoners, Nora survives her passage on the Dutch slaver the Goode Hoepe only to be sold at auction once she arrives in Jamestown. Because she is educated, Nora is able to make the best of her circumstances in the New World and goes on to claim the family inheritance of the Running River Plantation near Jamestown.

Don’t miss this opportunity for a riveting historical adventure.

[Kate Harris]

This book was rushed and it shows. It's written by someone with little knowledge of Ireland, especially details like place names. I could forgive it if it was well-written, but anyone with any knowledge of grammar and punctuation will realise this is NOT if they just read the blurb with the crimes against commas and sentence structure. This chap - who I note has given himself five stars and a glowing review, so at least we know HE enjoyed it - obviously skipped a few steps like research, proofreading and editing.

I couldn't get through it all. We know how men write woman protagonists and that knowledge is hilarious enough. The author mainly saves his descriptive narrative for bosoms of the heaving variety. Just wait til you get to the flat-chested friend - the description pretty much ends at her being flat-chested. Breasts aside, it was uncomfortable reading and panders to the incorrect view that indentured servitude is identical to slavery. Kudos for basically writing enough words in a month to fill a book, but unfortunately it's a disappointment to anyone who knows history from the Cromwell years or seeks a female protagonist they can really respect.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The GIRL who was ME is gone by Michael Brown as reviewed by Gail M. Murray

Brown, a former film and screenwriter, has created a vivid, electric, action packed novel. He exposes a little known period of 17th century Irish history when Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland confiscating property, killing thousands and sending over 40,000 Irish to a half-life as indentured servants in Jamestown, Virginia.
Our heroine, Nora O’Lalor, escapes Dublin, the plague and British capture only to be shackled in iron manacles aboard the Dutch frigate Goede Hoop, crammed into a deplorable, filthy, rat-infested hold with feces, urine and vomit dripping on her from bunks above. Like many of the 300 white slaves aboard, her brother dies of dysentery. Sold to a wealthy plantation owner and Assemblyman, Gerald Knox, as a bookkeeper, her life starts to look up until Powhatan Indians attack, burn his mansion, kidnap and savagely rape Nora.
Through Nora we experience the horrors these indentured servants endured. Mr. Nolan the Irish driver explains to her:
I think you’d better understand this. Mr. Knox owns you - owns you -for the entire time of your indenture. You are his property. He can beat you, whip you, brand you, or even bed you. And if you fight him, he can even have you hung - all legally.” (p206)

Brown builds suspense as the disfigured Captain Brice, obsessed with revenge, Nora having shot away half his face while helping her friend Anne escape his clutches, has been assigned to man the blockade of Jamestown.
With graphic, visceral scenes of murder, whipping and several rapes; this novel is not for the faint of heart. Throughout all her trials, Nora’s courage, ingenuity and feisty spirit keep the novel from becoming too dark. Brown leaves the reader with a hopeful satisfying ending and a new beginning for our heroine, Nora.

[Carole Mondragon Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 'The Girl Who Was Me is Gone', Michael Brown uses a decisive point of shift in Ireland's history to illustrate the effect of Cromwell's desecration of Ireland and its devastation of the country and its people.

In this novel, Nora's transition is followed, from a wealthy Irish landowning family into the harsh world of white slavery in America's earlier years.

This is a well crafted story into which I fell quickly, hardly raising my head til the triumph of the final pages.

Absolutely recommend this tale for lovers of Irish history.

[Nelson Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Powerful Tale of Survival and Revenge

The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone delivers a gripping blend of heartbreak, danger, and resilience. Nora’s escape from war-torn Ireland to the harsh realities of the American colonies is both emotional and suspenseful, especially with a vengeful English captain stalking her across continents. The story’s mix of friendship, love, and historical brutality makes it a compelling and memorable read.

[Andrea Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating historical fiction, wonderfully written and well informed historically. Being so faithful to the period of Cromwell's ruling, times when Irish were killed or captured and delivered into slavery to America, the book projects all the nuances of a generation through the story of a young Irish woman and her valiant and adventurous journey to a new home in Virginia. Filled with romance and suspense, this amazing novel kept me on my toes till the very last page.

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written story and if this is based on history it's pretty shocking what the irish endured at the hands of the English. This book felt rushed at the end and needs a sequel. Worth reading however gripping story start to finish.

[mich · Rating 1 out of 5]

what is this.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic saga

I loved this novel. Written primarily from the viewpoint of an Irish slave sold in Jamestown, it highlights a lesser known part of history. The story seemed well researched and the tidbits of history were interesting. The author was never long-winded with these details, just sprinkling them in here and there. It reminded me of a Ken Follett novel with its many stories all intersecting. Would definitely recommend!

[Herbert H Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this amazing tale!

A sweeping novel that takes you from Ireland to the Commonwealth of Virginia during the days of Cromwell in England and the colonies. The days of the Irish slave trade with two incredible heroines!