Land of Promise: The McKenna Family Chronicles
Journey with the McKennas again as the saga continues with Melody and her marriage to Ian O'Donnal.
Melody has gone to Dublin with her new husband, Ian. As she tries to fit into life in the busy seaport city, Melody meets the members of the O'Donnal house. From the stern-faced Miss McGreeley to the impish house maid, Rachel, you'll grow to adore these folks as they weave the tapestry that is the "O'Donnal Household".
Ian disappears from Dublin and Melody has to re-evaluate her life as the wife of a wealthy shipping company owner. A series of circumstances brings Melody and her brother, Andrew, to America in 1858. With the country in turmoil and on the brink of war, Melody meets Pastor Jon, who runs a small orphanage in the city of Boston. What is God's plan for her there?
Andrew McKenna has completed his apprenticeship with Doctor Pagnum and is afforded the opportunity to go to America to complete his studies in medicine. When the Civil War finally erupts, Dr. McKenna decides to join his fellow Irishmen of Boston and take a stand to insure freedom for future Irish immigrants. A fierce battle at Gettysburg and a life-threatening injury cause him to re-evaluate his purpose on earth.
Melody has gone to Dublin with her new husband, Ian. As she tries to fit into life in the busy seaport city, Melody meets the members of the O'Donnal house. From the stern-faced Miss McGreeley to the impish house maid, Rachel, you'll grow to adore these folks as they weave the tapestry that is the "O'Donnal Household".
Ian disappears from Dublin and Melody has to re-evaluate her life as the wife of a wealthy shipping company owner. A series of circumstances brings Melody and her brother, Andrew, to America in 1858. With the country in turmoil and on the brink of war, Melody meets Pastor Jon, who runs a small orphanage in the city of Boston. What is God's plan for her there?
Andrew McKenna has completed his apprenticeship with Doctor Pagnum and is afforded the opportunity to go to America to complete his studies in medicine. When the Civil War finally erupts, Dr. McKenna decides to join his fellow Irishmen of Boston and take a stand to insure freedom for future Irish immigrants. A fierce battle at Gettysburg and a life-threatening injury cause him to re-evaluate his purpose on earth.
Sneak Peak..
Prologue
Melody sat on the edge of the park bench and watched as her son happily chased unsuspecting birds. He seemed to draw great delight in the massive display of fluttering wings and staccato coos that told of their annoyance in being displaced while they searched for morsels of food.
She watched as he ran along on the unsteady steps of nearly two year old feet, sometimes falling, other times only staggering. He was a happy child, and she was blessed to have him.
Melody leaned back, as far as the constraints of her corset would let her, and breathed in deeply, the smell of the city around her. Although she was raised in the open country in a city far from Dublin, she had come to accept here as "home". She had grown to love the sights and sounds of the busy seaport just as Ian had said she would. She winced as she thought of him. Ian. Where was he?
She remembered the last time that she saw him: almost two years ago; on the night of the birth of their son. It had been a difficult birth and Ian had been wrought with fear and anxiety about it. While she was laboring with the birth of Collin, Ian had dispatched her brother Fagan, to fetch her sister, Macy, to help. She later learned that after Collin had been born, and Ian was told of the birth of his son, he went mad. When she had awakened the following morning, Ian was gone, and she hadn't seen him since.
Word had filtered back to her from Dublin that Ian had gone back there and managed his shipping business for some time until his strange behavior had many of his employees, and business partners, concerned.
Ian had inherited O'Donnal Shipping Company from his parents after they had died, and seemed to have made it a very prosperous business. The past few years had seen a sharp rise in shipping both people and goods to the land to the west; America. Ian had a good business mind and seemed to know just when and where to invest his company's money. The board of directors had always trusted his judgment. That is, until the beginning of his strange behavior, and his mysterious disappearance from Dublin.
Melody sat on the edge of the park bench and watched as her son happily chased unsuspecting birds. He seemed to draw great delight in the massive display of fluttering wings and staccato coos that told of their annoyance in being displaced while they searched for morsels of food.
She watched as he ran along on the unsteady steps of nearly two year old feet, sometimes falling, other times only staggering. He was a happy child, and she was blessed to have him.
Melody leaned back, as far as the constraints of her corset would let her, and breathed in deeply, the smell of the city around her. Although she was raised in the open country in a city far from Dublin, she had come to accept here as "home". She had grown to love the sights and sounds of the busy seaport just as Ian had said she would. She winced as she thought of him. Ian. Where was he?
She remembered the last time that she saw him: almost two years ago; on the night of the birth of their son. It had been a difficult birth and Ian had been wrought with fear and anxiety about it. While she was laboring with the birth of Collin, Ian had dispatched her brother Fagan, to fetch her sister, Macy, to help. She later learned that after Collin had been born, and Ian was told of the birth of his son, he went mad. When she had awakened the following morning, Ian was gone, and she hadn't seen him since.
Word had filtered back to her from Dublin that Ian had gone back there and managed his shipping business for some time until his strange behavior had many of his employees, and business partners, concerned.
Ian had inherited O'Donnal Shipping Company from his parents after they had died, and seemed to have made it a very prosperous business. The past few years had seen a sharp rise in shipping both people and goods to the land to the west; America. Ian had a good business mind and seemed to know just when and where to invest his company's money. The board of directors had always trusted his judgment. That is, until the beginning of his strange behavior, and his mysterious disappearance from Dublin.
