When Starlings Fly As One
By Nancy Blanton
Merel is serving maid to Lady Carey in Ireland, as tensions erupt between the Irish and the English in 1642. Leaders on both sides do all they can to inspire and appeal to followers in this fight. Both countries have so much to gain, and potentially everything to lose. Within the castle of Rathbarry, Merel has made a few dear friendships, and one first love. She's sketched the beauty outside the castle walls, including the massive groups of starlings. Some say the birds represent the devil's desire, some say they represent courage. When Rathbarry feels the affects of war, Merel will discover whether desire or courage can prevail. In a moment of truth Merel will have to decide whether she can wait for someone to rescue her, or if she needs to act for herself and for those she cares about.
Merel is no stranger to tragic events. She lost both her beloved parents ina terrible drowning when the boat the family traveled on sank. Merel was fortunate to be saved, yet her life was changed forever. Now she lived the life of a lady's maid. She did like the lady, until another lady stole her away to Castle Rathbarry. Surrounded by the enemy, cut off from any help, hope is hard to come by. Merel is resilient, but can she find the strength to serve her lady and carve out a life of her own choice? At risk are also her dear new friend Jayne, who also serves the English lady as she keeps quiet about her Irish roots, and her love David who is one of the English fighting men. Merel also strikes up a friendship with Elinor the hardworking castle cook. The castle is led by Sir Arthur Freke, but is he up to the challenge?
Closest to Merel's heart is Tynan, who cares for the animals in the castle stable. Their love for each other is intense, but during these tumultuous times they are torn apart by duty, by orders, and by the enemy. They have so much in common, yet there are also incidents that divide them.
Award winning author Nancy Blanton's intense historical research creates a forceful drama, shedding light on aspects of human nature that transcend any period of time. The author highlights events, military strategies, and the emotions of those caught up in this lifetime. Other books in the series of historical novels are also set in 17th century Ireland. Nancy Blanton's vision is for a literate world that values, shares and learns from the stories of generations that went before, and honors them by living with respect and compassion, refusing to repeat the mistakes of the past so that things like human brutality, greed-driven wars and preventable famines no longer exist. Check out the the website nancyblanton.com for more information about the author. Hear more from the author herself on the YouTube podcast A Novel Talk with Nancy Blanton.
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