This classic work of historical fiction set in pre famine Connemara re-imagines the life of Mary Letitia Martin, who grows up as the heir to one of Ireland’s most powerful and notable families, the Martins of Ballinahinch Castle. The Martins are landlords, politicians, reformers as well as targets of resentment, but for Mary, Connemara is home and its people her responsibility. Encouraged by the celebrated novelist Maria Edgeworth, Mary discovers her own gift for writing – and her capacity for love.

Torn between different futures, she must choose between duty and desire, loyalty and free will. As famine approaches and the world she knows begins to fracture, Mary’s choices will shape not only her fate, but also that of those she loves.

Meticulously researched and vividly descriptive of the Connemara region in the 1700’s, this novel will delight any readers wishing to immerse themselves in the fascinating period of history in the West of Ireland.