Star of the Sea - A Novel

Joseph O'Connor

Summary

A New York Times Notable Book and “thoroughly gripping” historical mystery: On a ship packed with Irish immigrants, one passenger is a killer (People).   In the bitter winter of 1847, leaving an Ireland torn by famine and injustice, the Star of the Sea sets sail for New York. On board are hundreds of refugees, some of them optimistic, many more of them desperate. Among them are a maid with a devastating secret, the bankrupt Lord Merridith accompanied by his wife and children—and a killer stalking the decks, hungry for the vengeance that will bring absolution.   This journey will see many lives end, while others begin anew. Passionate loves are tenderly recalled, shirked responsibilities regretted too late, and profound relationships shockingly revealed. In this spellbinding tale of tragedy and mercy, love and healing, the farther the ship sails toward the Promised Land, the more her passengers seem moored to a past that will never let them go.   “O’Connor’s luscious book brews the suspense of a thriller with the scope and passion of a Victorian novel—seasoned in authentic historical detail and served up in language that is equal parts lyrical and gritty.” —Booklist   “Engrossing . . . will hold historical fiction fans rapt.” —Publishers Weekly

Available since: 03/08/2004.

Print length: 416 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Foundation Stones To Happiness...

James Allen

This is one of the last books written by James Allen. Like all his works it is eminently practical. He never wrote theories, or for the sake of writing, or to add another to his many books; but he wrote when he had a message, and it became a message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew that it was good. Thus he wrote facts, which he had proven by practice. To live out the teaching of this book faithfully in every detail of life will lead one to more than happiness and success—even to blessedness, satisfaction and peace.

Show book

Sea Poems: An Idiosyncratic...

Various Various

Seventeen poems about the sea or in which the sea plays an important role. - Summary by david wales

Show book

The Wise Woman

George MacDonald

Two girls born to very different families become spoiled and rotten, though in very different ways.  A wise and powerful woman visits each of them and offers them a look at their true self, at how others live, and at how to grow and change. This powerful story dissects parenting, privilege, self-awareness, and the ability versus the choice to change one’s life. This series, published by ONE audiobooks, seeks to produce Classic Christian titles read by well known and loved audiobook narrators.  ONE takes great care to cast these titles with readers who will provide an unmatched listening experience for these important works. Simon Bubb brings his passion to every performance and is considered to be one of the top audiobook narrators in the industry.

Show book

Captain in Calico

George MacDonald Fraser

“Piracy’s tried-and-true hallmarks—treasure, treachery, intermittent romance and high-seas mutiny” from the Scottish author of the Flashman Papers series (The Wall Street Journal). George MacDonald Fraser was famed for his legendary series, featuring the incorrigible knave Harry Flashman. In the colorful standalone novel Captain in Calico, a never-before-published literary find, Fraser introduces another real-life anti-hero: Captain John Rackham, called “Calico Jack,” an illustrious eighteenth-century pirate who marauded the Caribbean seas. On a tranquil evening in the Bahamas, Calico Jack, long wanted on counts of piracy, makes a surprise appearance at the Governor’s residence and asks for a pardon. A deal is brokered after Jack reveals the motive for turning himself in: love. When he last set sail from the Bahamas two years ago, Jack left behind a beautiful fiancée, and he hopes to win her back. But while Jack was off pirating, his beloved has become betrothed to a new man—the governor himself. It doesn’t take long for this truth to come to light, and after embarking on a new romance with famous Irish pirate Anne Bonney, Jack is quickly transformed back into a thieving captain in calico. With his trademark picaresque style, Fraser draws readers into the wild west of the British empire, where black sails prowl the waters and redemption can be found in the most unexpected places. “[An] energetic tale of piracy and peril . . . Suspenseful.” —Publishers Weekly

Show book

Mercury

D H Lawrence

Lawrence uses the  story of a storm and the deaths it causes to revive the feelings for (if not an actual belief in) the old gods, in this case Mercury whose shrine is ignored by the tourists but who takes his revenge.

Show book

Australian Christmas Yarns -...

Mary Grant Bruce, Ian Bruce

This collection of short stories by notable Australian author, Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958), reflects on Australian experiences of summertime. Infused with the smells, sounds and textures of Australian life during the Christmas season, these stories also highlight the strengths and yearnings of their characters. This unique collection includes a foreword by Ian Bruce, grandson of Mary Grant Bruce, and includes the following six stories: 
  
* A Gentleman by Accident 
* An Australian Christmas 
* Home for Christmas 
* Our Christmas Eve 
* Christmas at Henderson's 
* The Valley of Forgetfulness 
Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958) was an Australian author, many of whose writings focused on iconic Australian life. As well as publishing thirty-seven books, Mary Grant Bruce wrote regularly for Australian newspapers, often for children. Her most well known works are the books in the Billabong series. See www.marygrantbruce.com.au

Show book