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Emerald Ballad #5
Dawn of the Golden Promise
Hoff, B. J.
648 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2002
24 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
B.J. Hoff
51 books148 followersBJ Hoff’s writing is known for her historical settings, her unforgettable characters, and her lyrical prose. She is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction series, including the Riverhaven Years, the Mountain Song Legacy, the Song of Erin saga, the American Anthem series, An Emerald Ballad series, and her newest book Harp on the Willow.
Her five-volume Emerald Ballad series was the first major work of fiction to bring the Irish immigration experience to the CBA marketplace, and the work that first brought BJ an international reading audience.
Her readers know they can expect to meet some memorable people in her novels and also know that many of those people will be immigrants; Irish immigrants particularly but not exclusively.
BJ admits to a passion for building worlds. Whether her characters move about in small country towns or metropolitan areas, reside in Amish settlements, secluded mansions, or coal company houses, she creates communities where people can form relationships, raise families, pursue their faith, and experience the mountains and valleys of life.
She’s intent on making her historical novels relevant to the present by developing characters and settings that, while staying true to the history and culture of their times, reflect many of the spiritual trials and social problems faced by contemporary readers. Her novels are meant to be stories that build a bridge from the past to the present.
Her literary awards include the Christianity Today’s Critics Choice Book Award for fiction; a Gold Medallion Award finalist; and a number of Excellence in Media Silver Angel awards. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, and she frequently hears from her international readers in countries such as Ireland, England, Norway, and Germany.
A former church music director and music teacher, BJ writes from her home in a small town in east central Ohio. She and her husband share a love of music, books, and time spent with their family: two daughters and three lively young grandsons.
Her five-volume Emerald Ballad series was the first major work of fiction to bring the Irish immigration experience to the CBA marketplace, and the work that first brought BJ an international reading audience.
Her readers know they can expect to meet some memorable people in her novels and also know that many of those people will be immigrants; Irish immigrants particularly but not exclusively.
BJ admits to a passion for building worlds. Whether her characters move about in small country towns or metropolitan areas, reside in Amish settlements, secluded mansions, or coal company houses, she creates communities where people can form relationships, raise families, pursue their faith, and experience the mountains and valleys of life.
She’s intent on making her historical novels relevant to the present by developing characters and settings that, while staying true to the history and culture of their times, reflect many of the spiritual trials and social problems faced by contemporary readers. Her novels are meant to be stories that build a bridge from the past to the present.
Her literary awards include the Christianity Today’s Critics Choice Book Award for fiction; a Gold Medallion Award finalist; and a number of Excellence in Media Silver Angel awards. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, and she frequently hears from her international readers in countries such as Ireland, England, Norway, and Germany.
A former church music director and music teacher, BJ writes from her home in a small town in east central Ohio. She and her husband share a love of music, books, and time spent with their family: two daughters and three lively young grandsons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 24, 2013
Finally finished the last of the series. I enjoyed the ongoing story until the end, especially the Christian faith underlying theme that for me held the story together. What I grew tired of after about the third book was the retelling of details that were previously described and sometimes too wordy descriptions through out her writings. Even though this was a sort of generational story, it could have possibly been shortened to three, at the most four books instead of five. Still, a great story of good and evil and how our faith determines how we deal with it.
March 21, 2013
Loved this Emerald Ballad series.
April 13, 2021
It is a sad state of affairs that I am now finished with this series. These characters have gone through so much, and I've been with them all--and it truly seemed, as I read the last pages of this book, that I actually knew them, just like they all know each other--but now it's over. But at the same time, it's really not. They still have their lives to live, choices to make, and lost souls to reach. See? It's like they are real people.
Setting: Dublin, Ireland, (also Drogheda), New York City, United States, and the ocean in between; June to Christmas 1850, and the epilogue is set in March 1851. As always, it's masterfully written: the grandness of Nelson Hall in Dublin and the upper class homes in New York; the poverty-stricken slums of Five Points; the crowded ships and port at Castle Garden and the desperation of immigrants, combined with the diabolical evil of those looking to take advantage; and etc. This book focuses less on the desperate poverty, though, since the main characters have generally established themselves. We've come a long way since the first book ...
The 1850 date is also well-represented. Besides the large numbers of immigrants (mainly Irish), the issue of slavery is also mentioned, and the general divisiveness and oppression in America as well as Ireland. The medical advances (or lack thereof) are also indicated, but not in detail.
Characters: After writing four reviews about the previous books, I don't think I need to continue my gushing about the characters. (Still I love Michael Burke) Also, mentioning anything would likely include spoilers. So, I'll just suffice it to say that every good character deserved the good things that happened, and every bad character deserved the bad things. And Michael Burke is a precious darling (and I actually felt a bit slighted at one of the ending wrap-ups, but it was open-ended enough that I can imagine my own ending. So there). And though I could talk about Michael all day, Morgan was really the main main character. And still his classic self. But I'll stop here before I mention every one of the myriad of characters.
Plot: The plot is kind of all over the place, and doesn't seem cohesive in a few areas; but I give the author 100% leeway, because she built an incredible series with a million characters who have extensive lives. So of course it was going to be difficult to conclude the series in a satisfactory way, and remember all of the different little storylines. And everything is concluded, generally (that needs to be concluded). Some aspects are left open-ended, some just end on a promise, and some aren't addressed at all, mainly because they are introduced quite late, and therefore aren't related to this series. (Now, if we could have an entire series devoted to Tierney, Annie, and Jan ...) The storyline with Quinn O'Shea, who also appears late in the series, is wrapped up, but unfortunately a bit hastily. Still, I was generally satisfied.
Faith content: Still and again quite heavy. Sandemon is the perfect model of how Christians should be, and I love his interactions wither everyone (but here I go gushing about the characters ...). Morgan, likewise, is a spiritual giant as well as a physical one, and his speech is definitely one that people should really hear in the 21st century. The portrayal of and writing in relation to the different ethnicities and backgrounds and circumstances--and the resulting oppression and prejudices--is written so excellently, and we could learn from it. The spiritual perspective regarding Jakob Gunther is also magnificent (but maybe I should stop dropping random names--but a tiny portion of the total characters--in this book).
Recommended for those who have adored all the previous books. (and people who like policemen)
"For the first time in a very long time, Michael felt good about being a policeman." (chapter 33)
Setting: Dublin, Ireland, (also Drogheda), New York City, United States, and the ocean in between; June to Christmas 1850, and the epilogue is set in March 1851. As always, it's masterfully written: the grandness of Nelson Hall in Dublin and the upper class homes in New York; the poverty-stricken slums of Five Points; the crowded ships and port at Castle Garden and the desperation of immigrants, combined with the diabolical evil of those looking to take advantage; and etc. This book focuses less on the desperate poverty, though, since the main characters have generally established themselves. We've come a long way since the first book ...
The 1850 date is also well-represented. Besides the large numbers of immigrants (mainly Irish), the issue of slavery is also mentioned, and the general divisiveness and oppression in America as well as Ireland. The medical advances (or lack thereof) are also indicated, but not in detail.
Characters: After writing four reviews about the previous books, I don't think I need to continue my gushing about the characters. (Still I love Michael Burke) Also, mentioning anything would likely include spoilers. So, I'll just suffice it to say that every good character deserved the good things that happened, and every bad character deserved the bad things. And Michael Burke is a precious darling (and I actually felt a bit slighted at one of the ending wrap-ups, but it was open-ended enough that I can imagine my own ending. So there). And though I could talk about Michael all day, Morgan was really the main main character. And still his classic self. But I'll stop here before I mention every one of the myriad of characters.
Plot: The plot is kind of all over the place, and doesn't seem cohesive in a few areas; but I give the author 100% leeway, because she built an incredible series with a million characters who have extensive lives. So of course it was going to be difficult to conclude the series in a satisfactory way, and remember all of the different little storylines. And everything is concluded, generally (that needs to be concluded). Some aspects are left open-ended, some just end on a promise, and some aren't addressed at all, mainly because they are introduced quite late, and therefore aren't related to this series. (Now, if we could have an entire series devoted to Tierney, Annie, and Jan ...) The storyline with Quinn O'Shea, who also appears late in the series, is wrapped up, but unfortunately a bit hastily. Still, I was generally satisfied.
Faith content: Still and again quite heavy. Sandemon is the perfect model of how Christians should be, and I love his interactions wither everyone (but here I go gushing about the characters ...). Morgan, likewise, is a spiritual giant as well as a physical one, and his speech is definitely one that people should really hear in the 21st century. The portrayal of and writing in relation to the different ethnicities and backgrounds and circumstances--and the resulting oppression and prejudices--is written so excellently, and we could learn from it. The spiritual perspective regarding Jakob Gunther is also magnificent (but maybe I should stop dropping random names--but a tiny portion of the total characters--in this book).
Recommended for those who have adored all the previous books. (and people who like policemen)
"For the first time in a very long time, Michael felt good about being a policeman." (chapter 33)
October 13, 2017
This is the final book in the Emerald Ballad series by B.J. Hoff and I enjoyed it as much as the other 4 books before this one. Getting to read about the lives of the people I got to "know" in the first books of the series was a big thing for me. I like series books where you can see the character's lives play out.
B.J. Hoff must have done a lot of research for this series, because these books held a lot of information and descriptions that made it all unfold in my mind. It's like watching a movie. I could see everything that went on in these books. The love, heartache, intrigue, history, misery and happiness was in abundance in all of these books.
If you like to read clean, historical novels, this one is a very good one. I hope you will get as much from this series as I did. I even tried reading with an Irish brogue, if I did it correctly that is. LOL Pick up a copy and get to know the lives of Nora Kavanaugh, Evan Whittaker, Michael and Sara and Michael Burke, and Finola and Morgan Fitzgerald and their families and friends. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy
I borrowed this book from the library to review.
B.J. Hoff must have done a lot of research for this series, because these books held a lot of information and descriptions that made it all unfold in my mind. It's like watching a movie. I could see everything that went on in these books. The love, heartache, intrigue, history, misery and happiness was in abundance in all of these books.
If you like to read clean, historical novels, this one is a very good one. I hope you will get as much from this series as I did. I even tried reading with an Irish brogue, if I did it correctly that is. LOL Pick up a copy and get to know the lives of Nora Kavanaugh, Evan Whittaker, Michael and Sara and Michael Burke, and Finola and Morgan Fitzgerald and their families and friends. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy
I borrowed this book from the library to review.
March 25, 2020
This was great! Even though there was great sadness in this story, there was also happiness.
First off, we have Morgan Fitzgerald and his wife, struggling as Morgan in confined to a wheelchair. I found Morgan to be a bit grouchy at some parts of the book, but, I can understand his pradicament.
We also have the stiuation of Michael Burks, who has a goal to bring Patrick Walsh to justice. To be honest, I think that Michael should have just forgiven and forgotten, not hold such a grudge.
The ending of the book was so amazing. We have Morgan trying to walk again and forgivness given to all.
Really loved this and would highly recomend!
First off, we have Morgan Fitzgerald and his wife, struggling as Morgan in confined to a wheelchair. I found Morgan to be a bit grouchy at some parts of the book, but, I can understand his pradicament.
We also have the stiuation of Michael Burks, who has a goal to bring Patrick Walsh to justice. To be honest, I think that Michael should have just forgiven and forgotten, not hold such a grudge.
The ending of the book was so amazing. We have Morgan trying to walk again and forgivness given to all.
Really loved this and would highly recomend!
April 18, 2023
Totally enjoyed this series. It had tragedy mixed with good times all the way through. Loved that it was almost like two books with part of the story taking place in Ireland and the other part in New York. Very descriptive when it came to the slums and Five Points of New York. Those that immigrated sure had it bad once they got to New York. It wasn't the land of promise they expected. Sad how New York treated those that immigrated. It wasn't just the Irish - it was all immigrants. Series had a very happy ending on many accounts. Good author.
August 31, 2019
An Experience
And what an experience it has been! Famine, poverty, love, hate, crime, justice, patriotism, adventure, mystery life, death, reality, characters you can love, characters you love to hate, it's all there. Then, after each sorrow, hope is found in God and the peace and joy He alone can give is poured out. Stir it all together and you have a wonderful series of books. Best to read them in order.
And what an experience it has been! Famine, poverty, love, hate, crime, justice, patriotism, adventure, mystery life, death, reality, characters you can love, characters you love to hate, it's all there. Then, after each sorrow, hope is found in God and the peace and joy He alone can give is poured out. Stir it all together and you have a wonderful series of books. Best to read them in order.
January 20, 2020
What a wonderful series of books! I will miss all the characters , which were extremely diverse & interesting, now that I have finished the series. I learned a great deal about Ireland, the Hunger, & the terrible prejudice the Irish endured after reaching America. The spiritual strength of some of the characters was such that it left me inspired. Highly recommended the entire series!
June 27, 2020
The EMERALD BALLAD novels are a delight to read. This novel is the fifth and final in the series. I have enjoyed reading such excellent storytelling with relatable characters excellent history and fascinating setting of Ireland in New York City during the Irish immigration in the mid and late 19th century. Highly recommended.
February 12, 2017
I have finally finished this series. Lots of neat twists in this one.
April 6, 2019
Good ending to a great series.
March 25, 2021
I enjoyed the series, especially the historical background of both Ireland and the lives of the Irish immigrants in New York City.
August 14, 2021
Wow! What a finish to a great series. Taking me only about 24 hours to finish, I kept sneaking in time to read this book. 5 stars and going to look into more from this author.
July 29, 2022
Wonderful saga series that ended just as I hoped it would. Love the story and characters that were as bold as the Irish can be!
January 26, 2025
Like the previous four volumes in this series, the story and characters move quickly and the end brings more questions and hope.
Glad to have read this book.
Glad to have read this book.
February 14, 2025
Great ending
I abolished this series!! I didn't want it to end. I laughed and cried for the characters! In would definitely reccommened this book
I abolished this series!! I didn't want it to end. I laughed and cried for the characters! In would definitely reccommened this book
October 14, 2018
To quote the movie The Return of the King, "IT'S OVER! IT'S DONE!" That is pretty much how I feel about this series. It started off as "just okay" and progressively went downhill from there. There are so many issues with this series that I don't even know where to start. Yes, this could turn into a rant very quickly I apologize.
One of the biggest issues that I have about this book is all of the vanilla characters. You have just about every stock character you can think of in this book. The poor mute innocent who is savagely deprived of everything, the passionate hero, the naive "nerd" who everyone roots for, the stern teacher with a secret heart of gold, the strong mother. All of them are overdone to the point that I pretty much knew how each book in this series was going to end about five pages in. She also seems to be juggling too many characters. Adding Quinn was probably the worst decision she could have made. That character pretty much usurped the story from the characters who have been there from book 1. What's worse is that the more developed characters (Nora, Evan, Sara, Alice) are constantly shoved aside to focus on the stock characters (Finola, Annie, Quinn). Nora and Daniel John, the main characters of the first book, are little more than footnotes by this book but all of the focus remains on Quinn. Plus, I really don't think Hoff knows how to write decent chemistry. So many of the couples that wind up together make no sense to me Mainly, Finola and Morgan. And yes I'm aware that many people love their relationship but honestly I just didn't get it especially when compared to his feelings for Nora which made so much sense and I could sense some real chemistry between the two (often more than between Nora and Evan).
Next issue that I have with this book (and the series) is that BJ Hoff has four different plot devices for this series. Happy: Someone is married or pregnant and Sad: Someone is/was raped or dies. There are soo many different issues that the Irish immigrants had to face that I feel as though she could have found SOMETHING else to traumatize her female characters with other than rape. It reaches the point where rape of all things becomes predictable.
This one did have more action which was greatly appreciated but it didn't seem enough to save the series for me. The historical detail was impressive as per usual and probably the main thing that kept me reading. I also liked the addition of Morgan's surgeon, the friendly atheist just because he was something different from all of the goody-two shoes of the series. I feel like I just wasted a lot of time reading this series and I'm sincerely glad that it's finished.
One of the biggest issues that I have about this book is all of the vanilla characters. You have just about every stock character you can think of in this book. The poor mute innocent who is savagely deprived of everything, the passionate hero, the naive "nerd" who everyone roots for, the stern teacher with a secret heart of gold, the strong mother. All of them are overdone to the point that I pretty much knew how each book in this series was going to end about five pages in. She also seems to be juggling too many characters. Adding Quinn was probably the worst decision she could have made. That character pretty much usurped the story from the characters who have been there from book 1. What's worse is that the more developed characters (Nora, Evan, Sara, Alice) are constantly shoved aside to focus on the stock characters (Finola, Annie, Quinn). Nora and Daniel John, the main characters of the first book, are little more than footnotes by this book but all of the focus remains on Quinn. Plus, I really don't think Hoff knows how to write decent chemistry. So many of the couples that wind up together make no sense to me Mainly, Finola and Morgan. And yes I'm aware that many people love their relationship but honestly I just didn't get it especially when compared to his feelings for Nora which made so much sense and I could sense some real chemistry between the two (often more than between Nora and Evan).
Next issue that I have with this book (and the series) is that BJ Hoff has four different plot devices for this series. Happy: Someone is married or pregnant and Sad: Someone is/was raped or dies. There are soo many different issues that the Irish immigrants had to face that I feel as though she could have found SOMETHING else to traumatize her female characters with other than rape. It reaches the point where rape of all things becomes predictable.
This one did have more action which was greatly appreciated but it didn't seem enough to save the series for me. The historical detail was impressive as per usual and probably the main thing that kept me reading. I also liked the addition of Morgan's surgeon, the friendly atheist just because he was something different from all of the goody-two shoes of the series. I feel like I just wasted a lot of time reading this series and I'm sincerely glad that it's finished.
March 16, 2014
Still better than most Christian fiction, I can't help but wonder if my expectations were set too high. The series moves slowly--when I started it, I thought we'd be focusing mostly on Annie, Daniel, and Tierney by now. But alas, they are barely present while the same old cast of characters encounters more drama, evil, racial prejudice, and performs more social justice than any other group in history. This book though, was probably the best since the first since she had to move faster to wrap things up. However: there were several things she introduced then never addressed. I almost feel like she wanted to start a new series with the younger generations. I even double checked there wasn't a sixth book. As a whole--well researched and mostly well written but a bit too slow and too dramatic. Five books covering a 2 year time span is quite a bit.
September 14, 2011
So... when I was a teenager I felt gypped that there was Never Going to Be Another Book in this series. I was like, "That's it? It's barely beginning!"
Just this afternoon, I felt nothing but relief that It Was Finally Over.
It's kind of a... I dunno. If they'd knocked Quinn out of the previous book, a lot of the really important things needing to be wrapped up in this one could have almost been in the last book instead and saved a lot of time and paper. It's almost like she had a few things she had to finish out, so she used a lot of not-so-important filler to make it book-length.
Really, not all that thrilling.
That's all.
Moving on.
Just this afternoon, I felt nothing but relief that It Was Finally Over.
It's kind of a... I dunno. If they'd knocked Quinn out of the previous book, a lot of the really important things needing to be wrapped up in this one could have almost been in the last book instead and saved a lot of time and paper. It's almost like she had a few things she had to finish out, so she used a lot of not-so-important filler to make it book-length.
Really, not all that thrilling.
That's all.
Moving on.
August 18, 2011
This is the end book in this Saga...and wow! It will have your heart beating fast! Love how things are changing and ending....and I need a Wolfhound!
You will find out what motivates some of the characters, and others the horrible abuse they have suffered. I don't know if I would not have gone mad, make sure you have a box of tissues available.
You see the Characters choosing God and forgiveness.
What a great enjoyable read, and really highly recommend this book!
You will find out what motivates some of the characters, and others the horrible abuse they have suffered. I don't know if I would not have gone mad, make sure you have a box of tissues available.
You see the Characters choosing God and forgiveness.
What a great enjoyable read, and really highly recommend this book!
August 28, 2011
Wow. What a fantastic ending to a fabulous series. I have loved the roller coaster that is the Emerald Ballad series. As these characters find answers, they also discover strengths previously unknown. More importantly, as they each recognize the path God has chosen for them, they discover that he will not leave them alone as they travel it.
With drama and sorrow, with faith and hope, and with Christmas miracles, everyone's stories come together at the end.
With drama and sorrow, with faith and hope, and with Christmas miracles, everyone's stories come together at the end.
December 11, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed this Emerald Ballad series...the characters were so well protrayed, I learned some Irish history, and I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter with the author's names and years of life.
September 12, 2012
Few books or series are so well researched, carefully drawn, and skillfully and beautifully written. Finishing this series feels like saying goodbye to old friends. I'm sure I will return to it again in the future.
October 6, 2014
I loved this serious, this last book ended with an extraordinary finish. I would recommend this series to anyone who wants to read them. It was something for everyone, love, hate, revenge, mystery, action, adventure, victory, defeat, war...Seriously everything!
October 3, 2010
I loved this whole series. Why is it that people have to dislike those who are different from them? It makes me so sad.
July 9, 2016
EXCELLENT! Hope there's a sequel good tying together of characters
Want to read
July 27, 2011Tour Date: Tuesday, August 30
January 9, 2012
So the story ends, and what a terrific ending it is.
May 17, 2013
The conclusion to a series of five. Also my favorite in this series. Hoff pulls everything and everyone together and ties it off with a miracle.
July 20, 2013
interesting storyline was a bit hard at the beginning but got better after a few chapters
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews