Recommended for readers who enjoy An
American Beauty by Shana Abé and When the World Fell Silent by Donna
Jones Alward.
Three hearts. Lost
love. One impossible choice.
A character-driven historical saga
featuring the love triangle of a seaman, a governess and a wealthy speculator.
Told through letters, the sweep of 19th century events like the gold rush,
whaling voyages, and the streets of Manhattan unfold.
At the height of the 1840s whaling
era, Catherine McGuirk arrives in Sag Harbor, New York. She has already spurned
a marriage proposal from Patrick Lynch on her passage from Ireland and is confident
she will find work as a governess, or at least a teacher. The local
schoolmaster dismisses her with a smirk. Settling for hotel work has its upside
when Cath meets a handsome seaman, Michael Heffernan. Just as she falls in
love, he is off on a whaling voyage.
Spending her romance alone spurs
Cath to continue her correspondence with Patrick. His ascent as a successful
businessman in New York is swift, while Michael promises to give up the sea for
marriage to Cath. Yet, when the Gold rush calls, he cannot resist.
A brokenhearted Cath moves to New York to revive her dream of becoming a governess. Once in Manhattan, she continues to be torn between her own ambition, her missing husband, and her former beau.
Praise for Dear Missing Friend:
"If you're into historical fiction with a strong emotional core, Dear Missing Friend is a genuinely compelling pick. It's the kind of book that stays with you—not because of grand plot twists, but because of the quiet, deeply human moments that shape Catherine's path."
~ The Gloss Book Club
"This captivating epistolary novel illustrates the hopes and hardships
of 19th-century Irish immigrants starting over in America. The book is
historically rich and emotionally riveting."
~ The Christian Science Monitor
"Fans of historical novels will find much to like in McGuirk's debut.
An ambitious work of historical fiction."
~ Kirkus Review
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4DLPMD
This title is available to read on #Kindle+.
Susan McGuirk posts about heroines of historical fiction books on her blog “The Storied Sisters Society” on Bluesky and Substack.
While working at HBO, she honed her writing skills composing hundreds of in-house film reviews. She also worked at Anthology Film Archives, a historical film museum.
Susan lives with her husband in New York City.
Author Links:
Website: https://susanmcguirk.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan_mcguirk/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@susan_mcguirk
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/susanmcguirk.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/susan-mcguirk
Amazon Author
Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-McGuirk/author/B0GT8HCQT8
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/62168190.Susan_McGuirk
Substack: https://susanmcguirk.substack.com/welcome
If you enjoy discovering new stories,
you may also like The AnaRose Chronicles—a trilogy of award‑winning
adventure novellas. https://books2read.com/u/4jzKAY
