Customer Reviews

The Banks of the Boyne: The Quest for a Christian Ireland (The African Covenant Series)

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Mary flies to Scotland to marry her fiance, Gareth, only to find he has signed on with a group trying to bring about some kind of healing in Northern Ireland.

So off they go to work in that battle-torn country,where nobody wants to comprimise because each side thinks they, alone, are in the right, have been for hundreds of years, and cannot forgive the wrongs done to them over that time. As Mary and Gareth's own personal adventure moves forward, Mary learns the history of Northern Ireland during the last 350 years as they visit various historical sites. The Scottish Presbyterians were being persecuted and emigrated to Ireland where they started presecuting the Irish Catholics. Then the English Episcopalians started persecuting them both. Every once in a while, they would realign themselves, but never for a moment forgive anyone not of their stripe. The results were massive bloodlettings leading to more massive bloodlettings.

Although both stories are fictional, Mrs. Crow has done a masterful job of intertwining the stories against an historical background. And she has done her homework. She even has a bibliography in the back of the book. She traces one family who came from Scotland in 1649 to the Easter Rising of 1911. This is all juxtaposed against Mary and Gareth's modern day story, both having related experiences.

For fans of historical fiction, this is a winner! The author knows how to involve her readers in the story. It also helped me see a little more clearly the background of the harsh feelings in that beautiful country.

"How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Thomas Cahill gives the more ancient background of Ireland.

Mrs. Crow also wrote "The Fields of Bannockburn," which tells the very early history of Scotland.

This novel is an incredible tribute to those who work to do the Lord's will no matter what the circumstances. How hard is it to hope, love, and give mercy to those who hate you? Ireland has a sad history, and this novel points to the only way humans can overcome their hatred and fear- by giving their lives to Jesus. I reccomend this book to anyone who desires to understand forgiveness and/or the history of Ireland.

This book tore at my heart as I read through the bitter history of Ireland. A must read for all who have even the smallest bit of Irish blood. The passion of the Irish people is absolutely amazing.

As I loved Donna's book about Scotland, "The Field's of Bannockburn" I am not a bit surprised that I loved this book too. I am glad I read the one about Scotland first, as one of the stories included in it, is also continued here, the story of Mary and Gareth. As Mary returns to Scotland to marry Gareth, she finds he has agreed to work with the Protestant and Catholic dissidents in Ireland to try and bring them together under the banner of one God and as Christians. Using a storyteller once again, Donna delves into Ireland's past, and begins in the 1600's when many Scots went to Ireland to settle there because of available land. The hatred between Catholics and Protestants moves to ireland, which being mostly Catholic, is still unde the rule of England. Greatly resented by native Irish, most want it to be a republic. With a fictional family, Donna traces the history of the Island along with the religious strife through the centuries until the final time when Ireland becomes a free country, but the Ulster region remains under Emnlish rule. Most of the story tales place in this region, and that is where mary and Gareth travel to try and help the people to learn to live together without hatred and violence. It also shows the closeness of the Irish and the Scots, and why to this day, many families trace their ancestry to both countries. Highly recommended.

Donna Crow completes her trilogy of the British Isles with this book. Along with Glastonbury, and The Fields of Bannockburn this is another good book describing the spread of Christianity through Ireland. This is a good read, well written and a book I would recommend.

Very imformative of history in an entertaining way. The love story is a continuation from another book - The Fields of Bannockburn. Loved it and would highly recommend it for high school and up.