About this item
Song of the Silent Harp, Book One of BJ Hoff's acclaimed and bestselling Emerald Ballad series begins the five-book saga of three friends raised in a tiny Irish village devastated by the Potato Famine of the mid-1800s, as they struggle to survive and hold onto their faith during Ireland's darkest days...Nora Kavanagh has lost her husband and young daughter, and now lives in fear of losing her home. She and her young son, Daniel, have only one hope for survival, the poet/patriot--and love of Nora's youth--Morgan Fitzgerald. But his dangerous involvement with a band of Irish rebels keeps him in constant danger and puts the possibility of a future for him and those he loves in jeopardy.Michael Burke, a close childhood friend of both Nora and Morgan, left his homeland for America and is now a New York City policeman. A widower with a difficult, rebellious son, he still remembers Nora with love and fondness and wants nothing more than to help her escape the cataclysmic famine and build a new life...with him.This panoramic epic of love and faith and adventure spans an ocean to follow three of BJ Hoff's most memorable characters in their quest for survival and courage and hope.
About the Author
BJ Hoff's writing is known for her historical settings, her unforgettable characters, and her lyrical prose. She is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction series, including the Riverhaven Years, the Mountain Song Legacy, the Song of Erin saga, the American Anthem series, and An Emerald Ballad series.
Her five-volume Emerald Ballad series was the first major work of fiction to bring the Irish immigration experience to the CBA marketplace-and the work that first brought BJ an international reading audience.
Her readers know they can expect to meet some memorable people in her novels and also know that many of those people will be immigrants-Irish immigrants particularly but not exclusively.
BJ admits to a passion for "building worlds." Whether her characters move about in small country towns or metropolitan areas, reside in Amish settlements, secluded mansions, or coal company houses, she creates communities where people can form relationships, raise families, pursue their faith, and experience the mountains and valleys of life.
She's intent on making her historical novels relevant to the present by developing characters and settings that, while staying true to the history and culture of their times, reflect many of the spiritual trials and social problems faced by contemporary readers. Her novels are meant to be "stories that build a bridge from the past to the present."
Her literary awards include the Christianity Today's Critics Choice Book Award for fiction; a Gold Medallion Award finalist; and a number of Excellence in Media Silver Angel awards. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, and she frequently hears from her international readers in countries such as Ireland, England, Norway, and Germany.
A former church music director and music teacher, BJ is a member of the Authors Guild, the Irish American Cultural Institute, and the Appalachian Writers Association.
She writes from her home in a small town in east central Ohio. She and her husband share a love of music, books, and time spent with their family: two married daughters, three lively young grandsons, a loopy Golden Retriever, and a cunning, incorrigible but lovable cat.
