Hope — John Godwin

It is 1757 and a beautiful Irish spring blooms. Patrick Hope awaits the woman he loves, Elizabeth Beckham. Little can he know what the seasons of this year will bring. Theirs is a timeless love story of two people struggling against fate and circumstance, and sometimes outright evil, to be happy and to be together. It is a story of anger and hatred, of prejudice and bloody battle. It is a story of lost opportunities and desperation, of the things which men and women are capable of when faced with hopelessness. Ultimately, it is a story of innocent, unspoken love, and outrageous hope. Yet because of its historical setting, Hope is not just a good story but also good history, putting much of today's Irish "Troubles" into clearer perspective. Finally, Hope is simply a good read. It is a murder mystery, a family history, a love story, a fine yarn in which hope and injustice do battle. In the end, it draws its cast of characters to the heart and soul of the reader through the love, adventure, and challenges of each.