Song of the Silent Harp (An Emerald Ballad #1) [Paperback]

B. J. Hoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1991

To Nora Kavanagh, the tiny Irish village of Killala is the only home she has ever known. But her home is being ravaged first by the devastating Potato Famine of the mid-1800's, then by the merciless absentee landlords who threaten to take over her family's one precious possession the land. One after another, the fever brought on by the famine claims her husband, daughter, and closest friends, leaving Nora and her young son Daniel in immeasurable sorrow and poverty.

Their single hope for the future lies with Morgan Fitzgerald, the love of Nora's youth. But his rebel activities with the Young Ireland movement keep him in constant danger. Morgan, a poet and wanderer, has never lost his wild and reckless ways, and all his good intentions may not be enough to save what remains of the Kavanagh family.

Song of the Silent Harp begins the story of two Irish families trying to survive and hold on to their faith in God during one of the bleakest periods of Ireland's history. It is a story of deep spiritual struggle and commitment and of the surprising work of God among nations and individuals.

The Ireland they knew and loved was crumbling around them. Could they survive the famine? And if they did, what would their world be like?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

B. J. Hoff is well-known to both Christian and mainstream bookstore shoppers for her award-winning historical novels and mysteries, as well as poetry and other inspirational writings.

Hoff is the author of the critically acclaimed AN EMERALD BALLAD, a best-selling historical fiction series based on the Irish immigrant experience, published by Bethany House Publishers. The series includes a Gold Medallion Award finalist and two Excellence in Media Silver Angel Awards. Sons of an Ancient Glory, Book Four in the series, was a recipient of the Christianity Today's 1994 Critics' Choice Book Award for Fiction. The books have been featured selections in Guideposts Book Club, Family Bookshelf, and Doubleday's Crossings Book Club.

Hoff's other novels include the DAYBREAK MYSTERY series and the two-volume DALTON SAGA, recently reissued by the David C. Cook Publishing Company. Her best-selling books of inspiration, Thorns and Thrones and Faces in the Crowd, continue to be popular gift selections in bookstores throughout the country, while providing resource material for various hospital, rest home, and terminal care ministries.

Acclaimed by critics and readers alike for her dedicated research and dramatic, sensitive portrayal of the human experience, B. J. Hoff holds memberships in the Author's Guild, the Irish American Cultural Institute, the American Conference for Irish Studies, the American Irish Historical Society, and the Ohioana Library Association. She and her husband are the parents of two daughters and make their home in Ohio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556611102
• ISBN-13: 978-1556611100
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BJ Hoff's writing is known for her historical settings, her unforgettable characters, and her lyrical prose. She is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction series, including the Riverhaven Years, the Mountain Song Legacy, the Song of Erin saga, the American Anthem series, and An Emerald Ballad series.

Her five-volume Emerald Ballad series was the first major work of fiction to bring the Irish immigration experience to the CBA marketplace-and the work that first brought BJ an international reading audience.

Her readers know they can expect to meet some memorable people in her novels and also know that many of those people will be immigrants-Irish immigrants particularly but not exclusively.

BJ admits to a passion for "building worlds." Whether her characters move about in small country towns or metropolitan areas, reside in Amish settlements, secluded mansions, or coal company houses, she creates communities where people can form relationships, raise families, pursue their faith, and experience the mountains and valleys of life.

She's intent on making her historical novels relevant to the present by developing characters and settings that, while staying true to the history and culture of their times, reflect many of the spiritual trials and social problems faced by contemporary readers. Her novels are meant to be "stories that build a bridge from the past to the present."

Her literary awards include the Christianity Today's Critics Choice Book Award for fiction; a Gold Medallion Award finalist; and a number of Excellence in Media Silver Angel awards. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, and she frequently hears from her international readers in countries such as Ireland, England, Norway, and Germany.

A former church music director and music teacher, BJ is a member of the Authors Guild, the Irish American Cultural Institute, and the Appalachian Writers Association.

She writes from her home in a small town in east central Ohio. She and her husband share a love of music, books, and time spent with their family: two married daughters, three lively young grandsons, a loopy Golden Retriever, and a cunning, incorrigible but lovable cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ballads of the Emerald Isle Series, December 4, 2004

By 

Ances P. Kelly "Fran Kelly" (New Hartford NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Song of the Silent Harp (An Emerald Ballad #1) (Paperback)

Five years ago as I was returning to upstae NY from a visit to my daughter in Texas, I asked her for a book to read as I had a long layover on the trip. She gave me the Song of the Silent Harp and my life changed forever. By the time the plane landed in NY, I was 3/4 of the way through it. I immediately called the Life Discovery Book Store locally and went over and bought the next four books in the Series. I read continually, only taking time out for the necessities, and was totally mesmerized by the stories. Let me say here, that both my parents were born in Ireland, and so much of the stories brought back memories of tales my parents told me about life in Ireland and their immigration to Upstate NY. I couldn't put the books down.

I had a wonderful Italian friend, Angie, who loved to read and had an empathy for the Irish so I bought her the set of books and her last note to me before she died, she thanked me for introducing her to the writings of B. J. Hoff. She claimed it was the best gift she ever got. I subsequently gave a set to my younger sister, who ws traveling to Italy, and she likewise was mesmerized with the books, even more so than her trip to Italy.

To read these books, the author gets you caught up in the story of what it was like to be Irish and an immigrant and makes me so proud to be of Irish descent. I have 10 grown children who are avid readers and the books are a real education for all of them and helps them understand the sacrifices their grandparents made and the hardships they overcame as immigrants. In the five years since I first read them, I have yet to read a book that left me with such wonderful feelings. I read that B.J. Hoff wrote these books from memories her grandmother shared with her about her life. The language is wonderful and can be read by anyone able to read. The books have a prominent spot on my bookcase. Thank you B. J. Hoff

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!, November 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Song of the Silent Harp (An Emerald Ballad #1) (Paperback)

I really like this book.It takes you from the dark dispair of the Great Famine of Ireland, to the shores of hope imigrating to the US. I was 1/2 way finished the book, and thought, I have to get the rest of the series! It also teaches about faith. You grow with the characters growth in faith. You can see that even in our darkest times, God does not abandon us. He's always there with us, and can use even the most dismal circumstances to bless us. Truley a good read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars i really enjoyed the real referance christianity, January 15, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Ft.Lauderdale, Fl.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of the Silent Harp (An Emerald Ballad #1) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed the referance to christianity and the picture of a God who is bigger than our problems. I enjoyed watching the growth of faith and development of charecter. I reccomend this book to anyone who has a real hunger for good literature and interesting story plots.