Review: Flight of the Earls : Heirs of Ireland book 1 - author Michael K Reynolds

Flight of the Earls

Book 1 of the Heirs of Ireland trilogy Michael K Reynolds author B&H Books publisher  * It’s Ireland in 1846. When her family’s small farm is struck by the blight of the Great Potato Famine, 24-year-old Clare Hanley heads out along with her younger brother Seamus on a harrowing journey across the ocean to the Promised Land of America. Five years prior, Clare’s older sister Margaret and her Uncle Tomas emigrated in similar fashion and were not to be heard from again.   Once arrived in New York, Clare must face her fears as she is both overwhelmed and enraptured by this coming-of-age city of intrigue, romance, the arts, squalor, wealth, uneven freedoms and corruption.  She discovers the love for which she has believed, adventure and the tragedy of a terrible secret which threatens to destroy her family and all she believes.

Dramatic Settings: Ireland, Transatlantic Voyage, Historic New York City,  Mexico [Mexican American War]
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Flight of the Earls is the first book in a historical novel trilogy based on Irish immigration in the 1840s * My thoughts? Stunning debut novel created by a master story-teller. History came to life and included me in the telling. Authenticity of the story has obviously benefited from much research, captivating my attention throughout. 

Every emotion was impacted as I read of the grueling realities of life in 1840s Ireland and America. Characters that authentically embodied Reynolds' descriptions. Characters I cared about. Characters that roused passionate responses. The incredible hardships endured on land and at sea. The dashing of expectations time after time. The tenacity to continue. 

Flight of the Earls is a book of substance. 
A story that will live long in my memory...
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Thank you, Michael, for sharing your gift with us. I highly recommend FLight of the Earls as a Do Not Miss read!
I anticipate Book 2 of Heirs of Ireland with pleasure. In Golden Splendor is set to release July 15th

* *With appreciation to B&H Books for providing me with an ecopy to read and review without obligation.
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