Crossing the Water

Synopsis

In 1919 two Irish boys living in an institution are caught in a cross-fire between the IRA and the British army…one boy is protected by a soldier while his friend is used as a human shield, Buy Book Here, Buy e-Book Here

sending their lives in opposite directions. Both must escape the institution, face the pain of emigration, and become a fugitive from justice while trying to build a new life. One will join the Republicans during the Irish civil war, flee to America, and find himself trapped in the battle of the Atlantic as an engineer in the merchant navy… the other will join the British army twice and become a hero at Dunkirk. Yet they remain friends, and their lives remain connected.
Will they find the courage to follow their dreams despite one setback after another? Each will travel the globe in different ways before both their lives entwine around a troubled family in a remote corner of northern England - how does an ordinary working man raise six daughters while taking care of his increasingly crazy wife? And when world war two rages around them, who will survive amidst the chaos of Dunkirk and the battle of the Atlantic? After the war, when the survivors meet amidst crisis and tragedy, one of the daughters must now choose between her close-knit family and the man she truly loves...

This is a tale of two Irish 'children of independence' as they come of age and face one crisis after another; and of the people they meet and come to love.  The struggles and the resilience of ordinary people in the era between and during the wars forms a backdrop for an action packed and very unusual story - much of which is based on real events.

PRAISE FOR ‘CROSSING THE WATER’
Professor Alan Carr, University College Dublin:  “A coming of age novel with a difference… what makes this an exceptionally memorable novel is his empathy for his characters and his thoughtful storytelling … a masterpiece.”
Anita Atkinson, Editor, The Weardale Gazette:  “The advertising blurb cannot do it justice. This is the most gripping and memorable story I have read…I thoroughly recommend it to everyone.”
Elizabeth Taylor, Librarian: “A great read for book groups.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian had a productive and well-respected career as a child psychologist before writing fiction. He wrote two books about children and families and represented his professional group at a national level. But most important, he spent twenty years helping children and their families deal with trauma, illness and other dilemmas. To hear the secret lives of others, to listen to their internal worlds, thoughts and feelings, and see how they impact upon a person's life and external world teaches you a lot about life. And learning how to put the heart of the matter into words is pretty useful for a writer, too. This novel has its roots in stories handed down within his own Anglo-Irish family.

Audio Interview

MAKRI PRESS
US paperback           ISBN 978-0-9928485-3-8     $16.00
Kindle ebook            ISBN 978-0-9928485-2-1       $2.99