Hoping for a better future, Gracelin O’Malley sets sail from her beloved Ireland—a journey that takes her to a world far different from anything she’s ever known. After surviving the difficult voyage, she joins her brother Sean, already much changed by his exciting life in Manhattan. She takes a job in a saloon, learning firsthand the harsh reality of immigrant life and the horrors of the Irish tenement district. Haunted by the choices of her past, and desperate for news of the infant son she left behind in County Cork, she finds solace in the friendship of a runaway slave, a woman who has made unspeakable choices of her own. As Grace struggles to adapt to her new home, she reunites with a man she once misjudged. With his help, she finds the courage to take a stand against the corruption and injustice around her, but her brave actions threaten the very people she swore to protect.

Richly imagined and beautifully rendered, Leaving Ireland is an unforgettable story of tragedy and triumph that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to start over.

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