Friday Book Pick: Flight of the Earls by Michael K. Reynolds

I’m not sure what the weather has been like where you are, but here in the Pacific Northwest it is C-O-L-D. Perfect weather for tossing a log in the fireplace and curling up with a good book.

Flight of the Earls, the debut novel by new Christian author Michael K. Reynolds, is the ideal choice. I had the privilege of reading an early draft of Michael’s first chapters at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in 2010. His magnificent writing gave me chills and I wasn’t surprised when he secured a contract for a three-book series with B&H Fiction, called the Heirs of Ireland.

Here is some background on the story of Flight of the Earls, courtesy of the back cover: 

When her family’s small Ireland farm is struck by famine in 1846, Clare Hanley and her younger brother, Seamus, set out across the ocean to the Promised Land of America.

Four years prior, her older sister Margaret and Uncle Tomas emigrated in similar fashion and were not to be heard from again. But Clare must face her fears as she lands in the coming-of-age New York City. It is there she will discover love, adventure, and a terrible secret that threatens to destroy her family and all she believes.

Flight of the Earls is one of those epic historical novels you can truly sink your teeth into. Every character shines, from Clare and Seamus to each of the people they meet along the way. The descriptions are so lush and vivid that at times you wonder if you actually smell peat burning in the stove and the sour fragrance of the blight hanging in the foggy air. This is a novel not to be missed.

If you would like to learn more about author Michael K. Reynolds, check out his website and his Youtube page, which includes some fun videos where he answers readers questions such as “Why historical novels?” and “Are you really Irish?”

I’m can’t wait to read the next novel in the Heirs of Ireland series, In Golden Splendor, which releases in July. 

Blessings!

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