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  BOOK 1 SONG OF THE SILENT HARP…

  “All the color and imagery of a film enliven this story…Rarely has a novel captured so authentically the enduring faith of the Irish peasant…”

  EOIN MCKIERNAN, FOUNDER, IRISH AMERICAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE

  BOOK 2 HEART OF THE LONELY EXILE…

  “A brilliant picture of the excitement and drama of life in New York City a century ago.”

  IRISH BOOKS AND MEDIA

  “These are people to admire and care about, people who have struggled with the demons of sickness, death, and despair, and have survived because of their strong faith and trust in God.”

  OHIOANA QUARTERLY

  “A captivating, faith-filled saga as exuberant, lyrical, and spirited as the Irish themselves…A historical saga so rich, so vivid, and so riveting you’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time.”

  GUIDEPOSTS BOOK CLUB

  BOOK 3 LAND OF A THOUSAND DREAMS…

  “A big, colorful novel, full of the type of upbeat Christian values to be found in much of Hoff’s fiction.”

  IRISH ECHO

  “…captures the melodic vernacular of the Irish world through a myriad of complex characters in a sweeping story of the battle to survive, on both the peasant lands of the Emerald Isle and on the uncertain streets of New York.”

  WEST COAST REVIEW OF BOOKS

  BOOK 4 SONS OF AN ANCIENT GLORY…

  “Hoff tells a number of striking stories, all involving characters we come to care about immediately. She clearly knows her history, her religion, and her audience, and does a fine job of presenting the first two to the third. This is a series that deserves a lengthy run.”

  WEST COAST REVIEW OF BOOKS

  RECIPIENT OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY’S CRITIC’S CHOICE BOOK AWARD, FICTION

  BOOK 5 DAWN OF THE GOLDEN PROMISE …

  “These unforgettable characters will capture your heart. Set in the midnineteenth century, many customs and social issues in New York City, America, and Ireland are illuminated as characters both rich and poor, selfish and selfless play their parts in this exciting, romantic, inspiring novel.”

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  Land of a

  Thousand

  Dreams

  THE EMERALD BALLAD

  BJ HOFF

  HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

  EUGENE, OREGON

  Cover by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota

  BJ Hoff: Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.biz.

  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  With the exception of recognized historical figures, the characters in this novel are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  The suffering that took place throughout Ireland during the Great Hunger of the 1840s was all too real, and has been documented in numerous journals. Nevertheless, it is depicted herein by fictional characters.

  Previously published in 1992 by Bethany House Publishers.

  LAND OF A THOUSAND DREAMS

  Copyright © 1992 by BJ Hoff

  Published by Harvest House Publishers

  Eugene, Oregon 97402

  www.harvesthousepublishers.com

  ISBN 978-0-7369-2790-1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Hoff, B. J.

  Land of a thousand dreams / B.J. Hoff.

  p. cm.—(An emerald ballad; 3)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-2790-1 (pbk.)

  1. Irish Americans—Fiction. 2. Ireland—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3558.034395L36 1992b

  813'.54—dc22

  2010022835

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Printed in the United States of America

  11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 / LB-NI / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

  ABOUT BJ HOFF

  BJ Hoff’s bestselling historical novels continue to cross the boundaries of religion, language, and culture to capture a worldwide reading audience. In addition to The Emerald Ballad series, her books include such popular titles as Song of Erin and American Anthem and bestselling series such as The Riverhaven Years and The Mountain Song Legacy. Her stories, although set in the past, are always relevant to the present. Whether her characters move about in Ireland or America, in small country towns or metropolitan areas, reside in Amish settlements or in coal company houses, she creates communities where people can form relationships, raise families, pursue their faith, and experience the mountains and valleys of life.

  A direct descendant of Irish ancestors who came to this country before the Revolutionary War, BJ brings a decade of historical research and strong personal involvement to The Emerald Ballad series. Her understanding of the Irish people—their history, their struggles, their music, their indomitable spirit—lends to her writing all the passion and power of her own Irish heritage. BJ and her husband make their home in Ohio.

  For a complete listing of BJ’s books published by Harvest House Publishers, turn to page 380.

  For Dana and Jessie,

  Two very special dreams fulfilled

  —My daughters

  Contents

  Principal Characters

  Prologue • The Hanging of Brian Kavanagh

  PART ONE

  DREAMS CHERISHED • BRIGHT PROMISES

  1 The Five Points Celebration Singers

  2 Shadows on the Heart

  3 A Radical Nun at Nelson Hall

  4 Fergus

  5 The Dark Side of the Soul

  6 Dark Thoughts and Bright Dreams

  7 In the House of the Enemy

  8 The Dreams of a Child

  9 Finola’s Lament

  10 Weep for the Innocent

  11 The Silent Scream

  12 Doing Battle with the Enemy

  13 The Folly of Delay

  14 Caught in the Net of Love

  15 Finbar

  16 Dublin Vigil

  17 The Singer and the Swan

  18 Confrontation

  19 Love, the Greatest Gift

  PART TWO

  DREAMS ABANDONED • NIGHT SHADOWS

  20 The Start of a Quiet Rebellion

  21 Pharisees and Sinners

  22 Hope for the Hopeless

  23 Help in Unexpected Places

  24 Quest

  25 The Dawn of Darkest Fears

  26 The Vanishing Smoke of Dreams

  27 Acquainted with Evil

  28 For the Victims of Violence

  29 Sacrament or Sacrilege?

  30 Honorable Ambitions

  31 Songs of the City

  32 Light of Grace, Wings of Hope

  33 An Absence of Conscience

  34 Feed My Sheep

  PART THREE

  DREAMS FULFILLED • NEW TOMORROWS

  35 The Princess and the Blackbird

  36 Distant Dreams and Ancient Burdens

  37 Dark Dragons

  38 In the Shadow of Five Points

  39 The Warehouse

 
40 Trial by Fire

  41 Sons and Heirs

  42 Gifts of the Heart

  43 Wonder upon Wonder

  Epilogue • A Family Portrait

  Sons of an Ancient Glory

  A Note from the Author

  Other Fine BJ Hoff Books Published by Harvest House Publishers

  Great reviews for BJ Hoff’s Mountain Song Legacy trilogy…

  About the Publisher

  A Pronunciation Guide for Proper Names

  Aine Än´ya

  a gra a grä´

  (my love)

  alannah a län´uh

  (my child)

  asthore a stor´

  (my treasure)

  Drogheda Draw´he guh

  Killala Kil lä´lä

  Sandemon Sanda mōhn´

  Seanchai Shan´a kee

  Tierney Teer´ney

  Principal Characters

  IRELAND

  Morgan Fitzgerald: (the Seanchai] Poet, patriot, and schoolmaster. Grandson of British nobleman, Richard Nelson. Formerly of County Mayo. Dublin.

  Sandemon: (the “West Indies Wonder”) Freed slave from Barbados. Hired companion and friend of Morgan Fitzgerald. Dublin.

  Annie Delaney: Belfast runaway given refuge by Morgan Fitzgerald. Dublin.

  Finola: Mysterious Dublin beauty with no memory of her past.

  Sister Louisa: Nun employed as a teacher by Morgan Fitzgerald for his new Academy. Dublin.

  Lucy Hoy: One of the women at “Gemma’s Place,” friend of Finola. Dublin.

  AMERICA

  THE KAVANAGHS AND THE WHITTAKERS

  Daniel Kavanagh: Irish immigrant, formerly of Killala, County Mayo. Son of Owen (deceased) and Nora. New York City.

  Nora Kavanagh Whittaker: Irish immigrant, formerly of Killala, County Mayo. Wife of Evan Whittaker. Mother of Daniel Kavanagh. New York City.

  Evan Whittaker: British immigrant, formerly of London. Assistant to Lewis Farmington. New York City.

  Johanna and Thomas (Little Tom) Fitzgerald: Irish immigrants, orphaned children of Thomas (Morgan Fitzgerald’s deceased brother). Adopted by Evan Whittaker and Nora. New York City.

  THE BURKES

  Michael Burke: Irish immigrant, New York City police captain, formerly of Killala, County Mayo.

  Tierney Burke: Rebellious son of Michael Burke. New York City.

  THE FARMINGTONS

  Lewis Farmington: Shipbuilder, Christian philanthropist. New York City.

  Sara Farmington: Daughter of shipbuilding magnate, Lewis Farmington. New York City.

  “Grandy Clare”: Sara Farmington’s widowed grandmother. New York City.

  THE DALTONS

  Jess Dalton: Pastor, author, and abolitionist, former West Point chaplain. New York City.

  Kerry Dalton: Irish immigrant, formerly of County Kerry. Wife of Jess. New York City.

  Casey-Fitz Dalton: Irish immigrant orphan, adopted by the Daltons. New York City.

  THE WALSHES

  Patrick Walsh: Irish immigrant, formerly of County Cork. Crime boss. New York City.

  Alice Walsh: Wife of Patrick, mother of Isabel and Henry. New York City.

  OTHERS

  Arthur Jackson: Runaway slave, formerly of Mississippi. Given refuge by Jess and Kerry Dalton in New York City.

  Billy Hogan: Fatherless Irish immigrant. New York City.

  Bhima: (the “Turtle Boy”) Resident of New York City dime museum.

  Winifred Whittaker Coates: Evan Whittaker’s widowed aunt, formerly of England. New York City.

  Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace…. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts, of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

  JEREMIAH 29:5-7, 11 (NKJV)

  PROLOGUE

  The Hanging of Brian Kavanagh

  Well, they fought for poor Old Ireland,

  And full bitter was their fate;

  (Oh! what glorious pride and sorrow

  Fill, the name of Ninety-Eight!)

  JOHN KEEGAN CASEY (1846-1870)

  Castlebar, Western Ireland

  October 1798

  It seems the day of Brian’s hanging should be dark and stormy, not a day such as this,” said Peggy Kavanagh.

  The doomed man’s wife lifted a trembling hand to her lips. Heavy with child, her skin ashen, she looked acutely uncomfortable and somewhat ill. Her stricken gaze was riveted to a paper—one of many—nailed up outside the courthouse.

  Dan Kavanagh glanced down at his brother’s wife, then up at the fair Mayo sky overhead. He took Peg’s meaning well enough. This golden harvest day, clear and sweet-scented and deceptively calm, did not seem a fit day for a hanging.

  The sky should be black with thunderheads. A raging gale would be far more suitable than the soft and clinging mellow autumn breeze. No man should meet the hangman on a honeyed day like this. Certainly not a man like Brian Kavanagh.

  Again he stole a glance at his sister-in-law. “’Tis not right, your being here, Peg,” he muttered. “What sort of woman watches her husband die so?”

  Immediately he regretted the gruffness of his tone. He had not thought to chastise, only to protect.

  “The kind of woman who would be faithful to her vows.” Peg’s voice was as brittle as dead leaves. “Faithful unto death.”

  Her chin jutted up, and Dan saw a glistening of tears in her eyes. “Brian might be the great fool for what he did, but I’ll not be abandoning him at the end. He is still my husband, and father to my sons.” She paused, shooting Dan an accusing look. “And who should understand that better than the man’s own brother?”

  Chastened, Dan shoved his hands deep down in his pockets and stared at the dusty street. “Sure, I do understand, Peg. I only meant to spare you a measure of the grief.”

  “Don’t I know that?” Peg softened her tone. “But this is a grief not meant to be spared, Dan. ’Tis for me to feel the very depths of Brian’s pain this day, I’m thinking. Perhaps it’s all that will bind us together at the end, don’t you see?”

  Dan nodded, his own heart bowed beneath a heavy sorrow. Brian had been the hero of his life, ever since he was old enough to speak his brother’s name. Wasn’t it Brian who had taught him to sit a horse before he’d even learned his letters? ’Twas Brian who had first showed him how to plow a field, to fell a tree, build a wagon. He had even attempted to teach him the mystery of the Kavanagh harp, though to no avail; his own big knobby fingers had ever been too clumsy for all else save working the land.

  Dan’s stomach knotted at the thought of the harp. He had grown used to falling asleep in the back room of his brother’s cabin, listening to the harp scatter its golden tones over the floor like singing shells. Now the harp would be silenced, Brian’s music only an echo in the memory of his family and friends.

  Beside him, Peg stirred and moved closer to the courthouse wall. Reluctantly, Dan followed her. This side of the building was checkered with numerous pieces of foolscap on which were printed the names of those recently hanged, or those about to be.

  It had rained during the night, washing away some of the names, smudging others. But his brother’s name could still be clearly read:

  BRIAN KAVANAGH. Tenant farmer. Rebelled against the Crown, fought with the French. Guilty of treason. Death by hanging.

  Was this his brother, then? Brian, with the rolling laugh and the sunburned face and the freckled hands? Brian, who was known to dance to the fiddle until sunrise, then go directly to the fields without so much as stopping for a bite in between? Was this dangerous wild rebel the same tenderhearted man who brought his wife bouquets of wildflowers and carved wee animals
out of tree stumps for his children?

  “I pray it does not rain for days,” murmured Peg beside him.

  Jarred out of his thoughts, Dan stared at her. “Why would you say such a thing, Peg?”

  “I would not have his name washed away like the others,” she answered dully. “I would have it read and remembered by all those who turned and ran when it counted most.”

  Dan’s throat tightened. “Do you blame me, then, Peg,” he asked, clenching his calloused hands at his sides, “for not fighting alongside Brian?”

  At last she dragged her eyes away from the foolscap to meet Dan’s miserable gaze. “Ah, no, Dan,” she said softly. “Not at all. Haven’t we always understood the killing way was not in you? Brian himself said it would wither your very soul to lift a pike against another man—even a soldier. No,” she repeated, turning back to the courthouse wall, “my bitterness is toward those who made their great boasts and then scattered like scared chickens when the bullets began to fly!” Her mouth pulled down. “Fools such as Feary MacNulty and Michan O’Dowd, who accepted the Frenchmen’s weapons and pledged to use them to free Ireland. ’Tis said they nearly blew each other’s toes off in their frenzy to drop their guns and run.”

  “They are but simple plowboys, Peg. What do they know of battles and dying? Don’t be too hard on them.”

  She swung around to face him. “Had they and the other blathering cowards not deserted their own men, our Brian might not be about to swing!”

  Dan shook his head, knowing there would be no reasoning with her this day. Nor could he argue the truth of her words. But what had they expected, after all? The outcome of this latest failed rising could have been predicted by all but the most dull-witted.

  Somebody—a man named Tone, they said—had worked to convince the French that a united Ireland was ready to rise and throw off its shackles, that thousands of strong-bodied men were eager for muskets to set the land free from England’s tyranny. So the French had sent their soldiers to aid and abet. But instead of the full-fledged army they’d been led to expect, they had found only straggling bands of untrained peasants who had never held a weapon more deadly than a blackthorn stick.