Historical fiction shares a journey of survival

In the shadow of Ireland’s Great Hunger of the 1840s, one woman’s strength shapes the destiny of generations. When time traveler Emilia Parker slips into the past, she is thrust into the harrowing world of her ancestors through the eyes of her great-great-grandmother Maggie Cantlon. Families are ravaged by famine, forced from their homeland, and cast adrift on the perilous Atlantic.

M.F. Erler’s immersive storytelling brings to life the forgotten history of a people abandoned by their rulers but bound by their faith, resilience, and determination to survive in her new book "An Irish Odyssey."

For readers of historical fiction, Irish heritage, and epic family sagas, this powerful novel is both a tribute to the past and a warning for the future, according to a release. 

From the ruthless grip of starvation to the cruel holds of England’s “Coffin Ships”, she experiences her ancestor’s suffering, endurance, and the unyielding hope of the Irish spirit. Inspired by true events, An Irish Odyssey: From Despair to Hope, follows Maggie’s family from the desperate shores of Ireland to the rugged frontiers of Canada and Michigan, where they carve out new lives in the lumber camps, railroad building camps, and the booming mines of the 19th century.

Erler will hold a book signing for her new book at Bad Rock Books in Columbia Falls on April 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.