An Irish Odyssey: From Despair to Hope

M.F. Erler’s immersive storytelling brings to life the forgotten history of how the Irish were victims of English prejudice, inept government, and economic greed during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s, but bound by their faith and determination to survive. For readers of historical fiction, Irish heritage, and epic family sagas, this powerful novel is both a tribute to the past and a warning for the future. Fans will find themselves swept away in this gripping, meticulously researched tale of loss, survival, and the indomitable human spirit. It a story that needs to not be forgotten, and by time-traveling a 21st century woman into the lives of her ancestors, it is brought alive for modern readers.

Author’s Note: This is my most recent book, being released on April 11, 2025. It was inspired by my two trips to Ireland in 1973 and 2022, when I learned how tragic the Potato Famine was for Ireland, where over a million people died, and two million were forced off their land by English landlords, fleeing desperately poor, starved, and plagued by sickness. Many died crossing the Atlantic in the filthy English “Coffin Ships”. In addition, this is my first book in which I delve into my knowledge of Michigan’s 19th century logging and mining booms, gained through books and firsthand by living and working on the Huron National Forest in central Michigan for 19 years, where many of the lumber barons high-graded the white pine and left only scrub oak and jack pine. I also visited Houghton-Hancock, Calumet, and Copper Harbor at various times to gather more information there.