Inspired by true events, Irish Timber is a standalone novel and a follow-up to Lavinia Wren and the Sailmakers. In the summer of 1931, Susie Rowley travels to Ireland with her cousin, a friend, and the undoubtable Eliza Willey Walker. Eliza convinces the band of Yankee scholars to investigate the wreck of her grandfather’s ship, the Alfred D. Snow. When Susie falls for Hugh Larkin, a medical student from County Wexford, their quest takes a detour. Later, she returns to Dublin and takes a job at the national library working for Dr. Richard Hayes. The librarian is soon drafted by Irish military intelligence, and Susie, a gifted linguist, is asked to join him to catch a German spy. As war engulfs their world, Yankee and Irish families alike demonstrate the power of love and the enduring value of Irish timber.
From the coast of Maine to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Irene M. Drago’s Irish Timber, her latest work of historical fiction, is a meticulously researched, elegantly written tale of maritime tragedy, life-changing love, and the harsh realities of war. Timely and relevant, Drago’s insightful follow-up to Lavinia Wren and the Sailmakers is an incisive and perceptive addition to the genre.
—Robert Monroe, author of Bungalow Terrace
With Irish Timber, Irene Drago has written a saga that is cinematic and thrilling. I felt fully engaged with Hugh, Walt, Susie, and the rest, and I loved following them in their evolving settings. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about Irish and American history of the 1930s and ’40s. I’ve spent time in Ireland and lived in Dublin for about six months in my early twenties, so I was familiar with lots of the places mentioned, but the particulars of the history were new to me. I admired, and felt very satisfied with, the way Drago slowly built character upon character, working them together as if they’re all a part of a tapestry she was carefully constructing. As a lover of history, my investment in these characters naturally grew and grew. By the end, these characters felt like family.
—Jefferson Navicky, award-winning poet and archivist
Irene Drago blends compelling love stories with a powerful sense of time and place. In Irish Timber, the chance meeting of an American girl on a quest for family lore and an Irish medical student sparks an intriguing tale of espionage in the shadow of war.
—Kate Flora, award-winning author of mysteries and nonfiction books, including Finding Amy, the Thea Kozak series, and the Joe Burgess police procedurals