Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "irish"

Confederacy Of Fenians by James D. Nealon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The South’s victory at Gettysburg in 1863, brings a new ally to their side when the British invade from Canada. General John Fox Burgoyne is determined to restore family honor and stop the United States’ expansion and economic dominance. President Jefferson Davis sees the invasion as key to maintaining the Southern cause’s viability, but General Lee won’t abide taking orders from Burgoyne. Upon Lee’s resignation, Longstreet assumes command, but his strength is defense, rather than high-risk tactics.

The invasion provides George McClellan with choices, either of which will allow him to fulfill his destiny: accept command of the Union Army again, or run for president in the next election. Can he do both? He and the army head north to engage the British, leaving only a small force behind to defend Washington.

For John Patrick Lane, Britain’s entry into the war sparks a revolutionary idea. His fellow Irishmen in the Union army are soldiers gaining invaluable experience for when they return to Ireland to throw off the English yoke after the war. What if there is a way to gain freedom without firing a shot? What if the Fenian Irish abandon the Union and fight for the South? First, he must convince Burgoyne and gain the queen’s pledge of Home Rule for Ireland. Such a move goes against everything Viola fights so hard for, freedom for all Blacks. John is a stranger to her, but they form an uneasy alliance as she feeds the British army, gathers information for the Union, and helps runaway slaves.

Actions always have consequences, and sometimes these are unintended as this story deftly shows. The epilogue stretches believability in one regard: Would Viola truly stay apart from her children for nearly a year to stay with John? In spite of this weakness, the characters are well-defined and vividly drawn, and the stakes are high in this riveting tale of what-ifs based on credible possible outcomes of the Civil War.


This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review (Issue 102, November 2022) at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...



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Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm by Angela Ahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do you expect with a last name like Oh-O’Driscoll? Ridiculous, right? And it opens Stephen up to all kinds of nicknames – which he hates. Natural for someone who’s just twelve years old and half Korean half Irish. He lives with his mom, who’s more into education than fun and blames everything on his dad, especially Stephen’s fascination with pirates. The only person he trusts is Brandon, his best, and only, friend. And they share a secret. They are PIVENTURATES.

A piventurate, you ask? It’s not even in the dictionary! (Not for want of their trying.) Stephen creates the word because he is not into the stealing and violence side of piracy, which is what dictionaries focus on. What he craves is adventure and sailing. After all, isn’t a pirate “a courageous explorer and a bold adventurer who loves the sea?” (5)

And what an adventure lies in store for Stephen! It begins with a pirate ship seen from his window. Then, while practicing swordsmanship during recess, Brandon is injured and Stephen gets suspended from school. Mom is not happy! She has no intention of allowing him to waste time during his suspension, so they go to a museum. Except the expected exhibit has closed. A new one on local history is now open. The first display showcases a nineteenth-century sea captain named William J. Sapperton. Sapperton may or may not have been a pirate. Stephen is thrilled, Mom not so much, especially once he touches an artifact and sets in motion a cascade of events that takes him to The Midway – a place where living people do not belong – where he meets Sapperton’s ghost. Of course, when you go where you should not be, trouble ensues. Trouble like pirates (living and dead), ghosts, broken promises, kidnapping, and discovering family secrets.

Told from a first-person perspective, this is not your typical pirate story, but it most certainly is entertaining and daunting. Stephen is willing to take chances to help others, even when Mom wishes otherwise. (Risk may be involved, but the violence is minimal and more implied than real.) The characters come to life (even the ghostly ones). Aside from the pirates, this is also a story of not fitting in, of following your dreams, of taking responsibility and making what goes wrong right, and being who you are. It’s also about learning about family, which in Stephen’s case involves discovering Korean lore and beliefs. Written for children ages nine to twelve, Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is an awesome pirate – or should I say piventurate – tale for anyone (even an adult) who dreams of being a pirate or just wants to be true to oneself.


This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Ahn.html



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