1949 A Novel of the Irish Free State

"1949is gorgeously conceived and born, full of emotion, resonating with history and fresh as tomorrow."-- Parke Godwin 1949tells the story of Ireland's progress as seen through the eyes of one woman, from the bitter aftermath of civil war to the controversial dawn of a modern state. Ursula Halloran, the daughter of a famous revolutionary, comes of age in the turbulent 1920s. An education in Switzerland broadens her world view, but Ireland has become a repressive Catholic state where women are second-class citizens. Married women cannot hold jobs and divorce is illegal. Fighting against the stifling constraints of church and state, Ursula forges an exciting career in the fledgling Irish radio service. Her life is torn apart when she finds herself caught between two men who love her in very different ways. Refusing to surrender her hard-won independence to marriage, or her illegitimate infant to an orphanage, she flees to Europe to bear her child. There she takes a job with the League of Nations and is caught up in the terrifying outbreak of World War II. Hard decisions and desperate situations stand between her and any hope of returning to the land she loves. "Magisterial ... vivid ... richly gratifying." --Publishers WeeklyLlywelyn, Morgan is the author of '1949 A Novel of the Irish Free State', published 2004 under ISBN 9780812570809 and ISBN 0812570804.