American Journeys: From Ireland to the Pacific Northwest

Out of the depths of the Irish Potato Famine comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of timesâ€"the improbable, intimate account of how sixteen-year-old Myra sails to America dreaming of a new future. “There was no keening at Ciaran’s funeral; as there wasn’t at poor William’s a week prior. No one had the strength.” The young immigrant is determined to get pregnant so her young sister and brother could live again through her own childrenâ€"husband or no husband. Myra ignores her conscience, her values, and her hatred in the relentless quest to establish a life in America. She can little imagine what difficulties she must endure as she travels from Philadelphia to Independence, MO and onward to the Pacific Northwest via treacherous river, rail, and sea travel. All to begin a new life in Portland, Oregon. No one, not even Myra, could ever imagine her actions would change the destiny of several families.