A Man of Honor (Harte Family Saga, 8)
At the turn of the 20th century, young Blackie O’Neill leaves his home and everything he has ever known to start his life anew in England. Orphaned by the cruel fate of poverty in harsh 19th-century Ireland, Blackie must sail from county Kerry to live with his aunt and uncle in Leeds. As the title suggests, the young boy’s honesty and fortitude never falter, even with such an inauspicious beginning. He develops interests, desires, and ambition that drive him to thrive and succeed, eventually landing him work as a tradesman and builder.
Though steadfastly earnest, Blackie encounters his share of drama, notably with beautiful women who cross his path and business opportunities with Yorkshire gentry. Even as his daily life and the struggles of his friends and family span only a few years, the implications of the hardships of his impoverished youth keep the dramatic encounters grounded in realistic early 20th-century detail.
The large cast of characters is introduced methodically, allowing the reader to get to know each person individually but also slowing the first portion of the book. Readers of Bradford’s earlier work will recognize the late arrival of Emma Harte, the heroine of A Woman of Substance. And while this novel features Bradford’s talent for developing new, likable characters, Emma Harte’s appearance might invite some wistful nostalgia for the heroine instead as the central figure.
