If you’re drawn to historical fiction and romance novels, Journey to New Lands is a book you’ll want on your radar. Journey to New Lands is a historical romance inspired by the Irish famine and the often-overlooked history of Irish lives in colonial Australia.
Set between famine-stricken Ireland and early colonial Australia, the novel centres on Patrick O’Sullivan, a young man who has lost everything to the famine, and Aisling Gallagher, a young woman who fled an abusive household in search of her own path. However, the past is not so easily left behind.
Patrick is haunted by grief itself. Maggie, his deceased sister, stays at his side as he journeys across the world. A constant reminder of everyone he failed in Ireland. Aisling is also haunted by the past. After enduring an abusive household and narrowly escaping an arranged marriage, she must overcome her fears and learn to stand strong on her own feet.
Together, they step onto Australian soil and start the long journey of healing and finding a new home. For both, the question is not only whether they can build a new life — but whether they are brave enough to let someone share it.
Journey to New Lands will appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn love stories, resilient heroines, ghostly elements, Christian themes and historical fiction centred around building a life from almost nothing. Readers of novels such as The Famine Orphans by Patricia Falvey, The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline and The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden would enjoy this story.
I am so excited to be releasing this novel on November 5th. I am seeking some ARC readers, so please head over to this webpage if you are interested in signing up. Otherwise, look out for my debut novel on Amazon and other online retailers. I will be posting official links on release day!
Emilie Turner 