This novel is difficult for me to describe. There are two sides to it--a historical one exploring centuries of the story of the Lanark family, a family with Scottish origins residing in Ireland and a modern one telling the story of Mary an American girl who wants to live happily ever after with her fiancee in an Irish cottage but finds herself in the midst of the Irish Republican Army unrest. Like most novels with a historical and modern thread, I much prefer the historic and wish the modern had been omitted. In this case, I felt it was unnecessary since the saga could have moved forward another generation or two to include that element. Crow is a cut above most Christian novelists, and her research into the time period shows. Those interested in the history of Ireland will enjoy this work. ( )

I had this book sitting around for years and even read a 100 pages at one time. This time I started from the beginning and read it all. Some parts were page turners and others were hard to get through. Each section of history had one or two main characters. I think I enjoyed reading of the earlier ones more than the later ones. The author wrote well and did her homework. I am thankful for the family tree and maps in the front. ( )