Dreams of Freedom: An Irish woman's story of love, justice, and a young nation coming apart

by Marilyn Higgins

Millions of immigrants were entering America’s heartland. Anti-Catholic bigotry and the seething national divide over slavery were soon to erupt in mob violence. Thousands of religious zealots could be heard chanting at revival meetings in upstate New York. Native people were being forced off ancestral lands.

In this chaotic setting, twenty-year-old Irish immigrant, Aileen O’Malley, came in search of her indentured father and kidnapped younger siblings, stepping into the epicenter of a growing maelstrom of violence along the Erie Canal.

Deeply relieved to have escaped a powerful man intent on forcing her to marry him in Ireland, Aileen falls in love with a vibrant, idealistic abolitionist, Jedidiah, who helps her desperate search for her family, with the odds of finding them dwindling by the day.

They encounter violence, slave-catchers, charlatans, and tragedy. After witnessing an enslaved man and woman taking their own lives to escape re-capture, they commit their souls and energies to the abolitionist movement.

Aileen collaborates with Frederick Douglass on his trip to Ireland, works with Elizabeth Cady-Stanton on women’s rights, and becomes a cunning operative with Gerrit Smith and Stephen Meyers on the last leg of escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

When she discovers her sister living in a utopian community with unconventional sexual practices, she leads a rescue that ultimately reunites her family and presages the Civil War to come.

Aileen’s journey provides a sometimes breathtaking close-up view of the people, places, and events that shaped young America before the Civil War.

Genres: Book Club, Historical Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2024

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love most about good historical fiction is that I can see the experience people might have had in that historical context. There is quite a lot of that context (if memory serves, it takes us roughly from the late 1820's through nearly the end of the 1800's) packed in to this and I especially appreciated it being centered around a female protagonist. Those that love Erie Canal, early New York history, and historical fiction should enjoy this. I am definitely one of those people. As such, I knew most of the historical references except a small handful, so it was enjoyable for that along. Overall it's a solid story where we follow one woman, and root for her and her family despite the challenges and obstacles.

There are some weaknesses and while I may be wrong, I think there was a choice made by the author to not flesh out all the bits of plot and context -- it moves right along. Consequently, we don't get heavily invested and there are times where the main character swings wildly from angsty to strength of purpose quickly. While annoying, it served to move the story along so I went with it.

Altogether, I would recommend this to anyone interested in early New York history from the lens of historical fiction.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not enjoy this book. In an early chapter the heroine's father mentions in a letter having a photograph of the missing brother years before daguerreotypes were invented. On the ship to the US the heroine speaks of Emerson's Self Reliance also years before it was written. These are not really important to the plot but I questioned them as possibly being anachronisms when I read them and looked them up to satisfy my curiosity. From that point on I was doubting almost everything. Some things were correct in time, others not, but I could not escape the constant doubts. Many I could not be sure of because passage of time in the novel was entirely unclear so I can't really be sure.

This is disappointing because it's a historical novel and the presentation of life in Central New York 1830-1850 is potentially interesting. I would love an accurate presentation of the religious fervor and life in the Oneida Community. I liked the heroine's Catholic piety. The Abolitionist movement, underground railroad, women's right movement all figure into the plot well. It's just that there were points where any question of 'could this really have happened this way?' led me to doubt rather than accept whatever it was.

[Kathleen Oneil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a close family member. She wanted my honest review of the book. The story of upper state New York. The characters mentioned were all people we know. Frederick Douglass. President Lincoln General Grant. I think people that live in Upper State New York will know and appreciate the work that has gone into this book. To follow this courageous woman Aileen O’Malley from Ireland to America in search of her siblings that were kidnapped and taken away to be sold. I enjoyed the story of her travels and her fight for freedom for slavery to end. The right to worship as you please. Women are educated and there was hope that educated women would rule our country some day and we would have negro leaders. And it all came true.

[Marilyn Tucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was somewhat put off by the author’s ‘matter of fact’ writing style, Higgin’s research into the history of upstate New York is excellent. It’s a story of a young Irish woman who immigrates to New York, meets and marries a man who is an abolitionist. Woven into the story is history about the Erie Canal, the underground railroad, the Oneida Nation, the suffrage movement, and several religions that were prominent in the area, including the philosophy of John Noyes who was the leader of the Oneida Community. The book was self published by the author and is only available from Amazon. It’s a worthy read from anyone who has roots in update upstate New York.

[Elaine Hegland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I burned through this book in a day. It’s compelling and educational. I recommend it highly!
It has violence, (but not overly so), hope, optimism, redemption and faith. All wrapped up in the strength of a young woman named Aileen.
Grab it- you won’t be disappointed!

[Clover White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of historical events, and I enjoyed reading the names of so many communities here in Central New York. The characterization takes secondary place to the history, but it was a fast read that whetted my appetite for more stories of this era.