An Irish Historical Love Story - To Ride a White Horse

What a stunning story! Pamela Ford’s book To Ride a White Horse made me go through a series of intense emotions, I cried, hoped, laughed!
It’s a breathtaking story of love, hope and courage! I have just discovered a little gem! Since, this story was inspired by actual events, I didn’t know what to expect, what a beautiful surprise!
This novel tells the story of two strong characters, who will play a part, during the Great Famine in Ireland 1846. When Kathleen Deacey’s fiancé doesn’t return from working in the Newfoundland fisheries, she decides to leaving Ireland to find him; she needs to cross the Atlantic, to find work to be able to send money to her family who are living in misery. During her sailing to America, an English whaling captain, Jack Montgomery,
will come to her rescue. For Kathleen, an Irish woman cannot fall for an Englishman, she would betray her own country. But things aren’t always as simple as that; a series of events will for ever change Kathleen and Jack’s lives. Beautiful chemistry between the two, their friendship will bloom to love. I found so much tenderness between them.
I spent many hours, turning pages, to know what would happen next. Truly, a beautiful saga of hope, loyalty and love. Pamela Ford is an excellent writer and I’m looking forward to reading her next novel. I highly recommend To Ride a White Horse, a story that will take you on a journey of emotions! The author is very descriptive, so some scenes may be dark, to follow because of the context. I won this book via a GoodReads giveaway and I’m so glad I did! Thank you Pamela Ford for this beautiful historical romance!

Talk about a down and dirty, getting to the nitty gritty and greed of human nature and the will to survive in all its glory. Pam really holds nothing in trying time of peril famine. The rollercoaster of emotions as you follow along with the characters as they struggle. So much heartache and grief to overcome. I don't know where or how Pam had the courage to even think, much less be able to write, this soul searing read. Man, a few times I was overcome and had to take some deep breaths. Wow! The characters fortitude to persevere was astounding. I'm not sure if there is any words I could use to get the full impact of this one to explain in a few short sentences. Phenomenal job Pam and thanj you for sharing.

Ireceived an ARC copy for this story.

Favorite Quotes:

“The rain had stopped before she boarded the ship and now the clouds were breaking apart, separated by great swaths of blue like God had spilled a bucket of paint and it was pouring down to Earth.”

“She stumbled down to the cabin and threw herself onto the sofa sobbing. She wept for the death of a whale that wouldn’t abandon its calf. She wept for her family, for Danny, for Ireland, for the injustice foisted upon the weak. And she wept for herself, knowing that even as she despised the captain, she must still strike a bargain with him, must use him for her own ends just as he used the calf to catch its mother.”

“Sean knew the moment her spirit left her body, could feel it brush past him on its way beyond. It was not cold as he had always heart, but enveloping, as though Moira had wrapped her arms around him one last time.”

“When you’ve never had much, you come to know what a difference just a little can make. That what is most important is not things – but live itself.”

“’For bedding – not wedding,’ his grandfather said once she was gone. ‘Make sure you know the difference.’”

My Review:

To Ride a White Horse is a considerable departure from my typical genre as I rarely read historical fiction, although I no longer remember exactly why I stopped doing so, as I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this book. The premise of the story is a heavy one due to the dire living conditions forcing our protagonist (Kathleen) and many of her Irish countrymen to leave their homes in search of a better life a world away. Despite the heavy subject matter, the story line was riveting, and the characters were fresh, well developed, and enticing, while the narrative was well paced, absorbing, and emotive. Ms. Ford writes with magic ink that the faeries must have infused with their special dust. Her words often squeezed my heart and occasionally brought a sting to my eyes. I knew little about Irish history before picking up this missive, but now have a better understanding of their struggles without feeling as if I were studying or being lectured on the topic. I like learning something while I am being entertained, and imagine, I still recall my mother’s admonitions during my formative years that reading fiction was a waste of time. I was quite taken with the creative introduction of Kathleen’s rescue by the whaling ship – while coming to on the deck and in her delirium of believing herself dead, she fears she is entering hell when with her blurred vision, she witnesses the sweating and shirtless men working on a whale carcass and laboring over the fires for boiling the oil. What genius! I also enjoyed Kathleen’s steadfast beliefs and thoughts of the “Good People.” I had forgotten about the Irish culture being more than a bit mystical with storytelling of faeries, banshees, and other such spirits. This was my first time reading Ms. Ford’s work, but it won’t be the last, my one-click finger is feeling itchy.

This was a book that really pulled at my emotions – on many levels. The history of the potato famine and what it did to the people of Ireland is well known. The British raped that country for what it could produce and let the citizens starve. The rich took what they wanted and damn the poor – it must be their fault somehow. Sound familiar? But I’m not ranting on today’s politics but rather reviewing a very well written book that delivers the history and the humanity with equal aplomb.

Kathleen awaits the return home of her fiance but he fails to come back on the ship with her brother. As the potato crop continues to fail it’s Kathleen that is sent to find work to send money home. She figures at the same time she can try and find what happened to her love but all does not turn out as she plans. She ends up shipwrecked and rescued by of all things, an Englishman. A man of the country she hates to the bottom of her soul. But he does her many a kindness and alters her thinking that all Englishmen are bad. She ends up in Boston where the Irish are not appreciated and finds her new life very difficult.

This was a book that drew me in from the very first page. I had the worst time putting it down. Ms. Ford just drew me into the world she created and her characters truly came to life. It was a horrible time in history for the Irish (confession – I’m half Irish) and they suffered at home and abroad when they tried to find new lives. This is all represented in the book with a very well defined plot and strong character development.

4,5

I received a free copy for my honest review

I have been known to get distracted reading historical fiction, fretting over History and Accuracy and other OCD types of concerns. If there is a bibliography, I often flip to it first. Pamela Ford’s Author Notes and list of sources put all my weird concerns to rest. This lady had done her research. I could read and enjoy without worrying about problems with the Gaelic or inaccuracies in the time period portrayed.

Sit back and enjoy, oh OCD reader, presuming I am not the one and only. And so I did. And so I got caught up in the story and was distracted by one pesky typo but no pesky historical glitches.

So long as there are books this good, I shall continue to shun TV. I open a story like this and the drama and romance just wash over me. I hear all the voices and accents and I can visualize the characters and settings. I cannot do this if a book is not well written. I could do this with To Ride A White Horse.

Another plus besides a good story, all historically accurate and stuff? PRIOR to the Prologue is a cute little explanatory story about the title of the book! How great is that! One must not read 300 pages to find out what the damn title is all about! I hate it when that happens!

No spoilers – just a hearty recommendation to GET THIS BOOK. READ IT and enjoy a well written piece of historical fiction with just enough romance thrown in!

To Ride a White Horse is a historical fiction novel with a heavy romance storyline in it. I went into my reading of this book thinking it was more of a romance novel than historical fiction but was pleasantly surprised to find that it is pretty equally both. It takes place during the potato famine in Ireland. The daughter of a poor family, Kathleen sets sail to Canada to find work so she can send money back home to support her family. When she is thrown overboard into the ocean, she finds herself saved by a whaling ship whose captain is a handsome, young Englishmen whom Kathleen finds herself falling in love with.

I really struggled with what rating to give this book after I finished reading it and had to reflect on it a bit. I was struggling between giving it a 4 or a 5 and I actually settled on a 5 because hours after I read it, it was still just devastating to me. Devastating in a good way. If you’re an avid reader I’m sure you can totally empathize with that…you know that feeling you get when a book is so good it just leaves you devastated even if there was a completely happy ending. I feel this way about this book. I absolutely loved it. The only reason I considered giving it a 4 is because it was a little slow in the beginning. It was good reading throughout but I didn’t feel very invested in the romance until the latter part of the middle. When it picks up and the romance lines collide, I was captivated. I also loved the little bits of Irish Folklore in the book, I’m a huge fan of early Irish literature so it was great to run into the Tuatha De Danann in this book!

It really surprised me how detailed this book was about the potato famine, it’s historical setting was really strong and detailed. It wasn’t just a minor background that a romance was set to, the romance and the setting were equally important to the story. I don’t think either would have had the same effect without such a large amount of the other. I really loved that. I wouldn’t consider it light reading but it will go by pretty fast because it is hard to put down once you get into it. I think the characters were written really well…I definitely heard Kathleen’s Irish accent and Jack’s English accent in my head as I was reading it which made the story so much more profound for me! And that ending, oh my gosh, I cried. Like I said, I’m devastated but in such a good way! Loved this book…historical fiction or historical romance fans will love this read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

A captivating historical romance, To Ride a White Horse by Pamela Ford combines the best of both genres. Filled with facts and descriptions that transport you to both a small town in Ireland and Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Ford’s novel grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. Reminding us of the best and worst of humanity, Ms. Ford covers heavy subjects such as ethnic prejudice, freedom, and indentured servitude, grace and forgiveness without weighing her story down. Filled with plenty of emotional angst, twists and turns and the redemptive power of love, this is a story romance lovers will definitely enjoy.

Forced to leave her Irish homeland behind due to another potato crop failure and devastating country wide famine, Kathleen Deacey boards a ship headed to Newfoundland, Canada with the intention of finding her fiancée and sending money home to help support her family. Only nothing goes as planned and Kathleen, who is washed overboard during a storm, finds herself on an American whaling ship headed in the wrong direction. Forced to accept help from Jack Montgomery, the ships English captain, Kathleen relies on the hope that when the ship lands in Boston, she’ll be able to find lodging, find employment and eventually find her fiancée and help her family financially. She never thought she’d fall in love with an Englishman or find herself having to choose between her country and her heart.

Ms. Ford does an excellent job developing Kathleen’s character; I understood her despair when her fiancée didn’t come home as promised, her anger over how her country and its people were being treated by the English government and its people, and her fear as she is forced to leave her home and travel someplace new by herself. A strong, yet occasionally superstitious woman, Kathleen Is grounded in the love she grew up in and is generous when she has the opportunity. Raised a Roman Catholic, Kathleen Is also a firm believer in God, in the power of prayer and has a strong moral code she’ll need to rely on when she is tempted with several choices. I really liked her and enjoyed watching as she develops even more as the story progresses.

An Englishman who himself fled England due to lack of financial opportunity, Jack Montgomery has been making a good living as a whale ship captain and looks forward to an even brighter future when he returns to port in Boston with a ship full of oil. He never planned on rescuing a woman in the middle of the ocean with a ship full of men who hadn’t seen a woman in six months, or on finding himself attracted to her. Bringing her to America as quickly as possible is the only thing he can do.

Ms. Ford also does a good job developing Jack’s character and I found him to be an excellent romance hero. Attractive, intelligent and generally decent overall, Jack has no intentions of taking advantage of Kathleen or on letting anyone else take advantage of her either. When they finally make it to Boston, he refuses to let her leave the ship without his escort and even takes her to his home, where he lives with his cantankerous grandfather, so that he can make sure she is safe. When it’s clear that even in Boston the Irish have problems finding jobs and decent lodging, Jack insists on hiring her and giving her lodging in his home. Something that doesn’t exactly make his grandfather a happy camper.

The secondary characters are well developed and make important contributions to the story. I really enjoyed getting to know Jack’s grandfather, even though he was a crotchety and at times mouthy older man. I also enjoyed getting to know Sean, Kathleen’s brother, her mother and her father and even the Montgomery’s cook. Ms. Ford does an excellent job setting up the historical aspects of her story and while I knew a little bit about the potato blight, and famine that occurred afterwards, I didn’t realize the extent of the damage, horror and the hostility it lead to between the Irish and the English. Ms. Ford also gives us a realistic sense of what life on a ship in the 1840s was like and reminded me about the evils of whale hunting – something I’m vehemently opposed to and have never understood the need for. The author does an excellent job setting up what Boston would have been like at the time and how even in this new country, founded on the principal of open arms toward newcomers, ethnic issues had crossed the ocean.

Will Kathleen find her “missing” fiancée? Will she realize her future lies in America and maybe with Jack instead? Will Kathleen’s family somehow survive the horror of what’s taking place in Ireland? You’ll have to read To Ride a White Horse to find out. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Ford’s work.

It's 1846, and Ireland is suffering from a second potato crop failure. People are starving, and many have left. England has made their stance on helping Ireland clear--help is not coming--and times are desperate. When Kathleen Deacey's fiancé goes missing, she's forced to consider tough options. She heads out to the sea, hoping to find her fiancé and a better life.

Fate intervenes. Although lucky to be alive, she finds herself on Captain Jack Montgomery's ship and on a very different course than she planned. Along the way, her heart also takes a different direction.

I have a soft heart for strong, determined, and flawed female main characters. Kathleen fits that description to a tee. She pushes past her fears to try and find a better life and be true to her family and those she loves. She's a fighter. But she's also stubborn and slow to change, even when it's best for her.

Captain Jack Montgomery is a good man, even if he's gruff and equally stubborn. Once in America, Kathleen discovers the Irish are not respected there and faces even tougher conditions and racism. But she never gives up, no matter how many new obstacles appear on her journey.

Oh, and did I mention there's a sweet romance that grows between them? It's organic--not happening overnight or through a quick passion that then leads to love. Even though they are both struggling against their own notions of life, they are drawn to each other every step of the way. It's endearing.

I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy a historical romance with a sweet romance. It's a quick read that pulls you in from the first page and never loses momentum. A perfect summer read.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

In the midst of the potato famine, Kathleen Deacey's fiance doesn't return from Canada. At her brother's insistence, she boards a vessel bound for Canada, hoping to discover Danny's whereabouts, but also to find work and send money to her desperate family.

On deck during a storm, Kathleen is washed overboard and rescued by a whaling vessel captained by Jack Montgomery. She ends up in Boston, working as a maid to the Captain's grandfather. As Kathleen searches for her fiance and worries about her family, she is drawn to Jack and soon her heart must choose.

I appreciated the view of Ireland and the devastation brought on by multiple years of famine. The author captured the essence of desperation and deprivation of those suffering. Kathleen was a determined, spunky heroine. Loved her interactions with Jack. The story ends somewhat as expected, but the journey there is worth the read.

I received a complimentary copy for review. My opinions are my own.

This book was a wonderful blend of romance, history, and clever plot devices. I love historical fiction but I don't normally read romance novels; this book effectively delivers both in a fast paced story with a very satisfying ending. Although it does have a happy ending, this isn't just a run-of-the-mill dramatic romance novel. Scenes are incredibly evocative, and Ford has a way of making you truly feel the intense emotions of the main characters. Two scenes especially come to mind, one when Kathleen observes the horrifying process of whale hunting, and another when Jack witnesses the situation in Ireland.

The Irish Potato Famine was a topic that I had known embarrassingly little about before reading this book. The English denied the Irish aid, claimed that the Irish had to pull themselves up out of their poverty, and that helping them would simply encourage laziness while the Irish literally starved to death because the English exported almost all of the food produced on Irish soil. I found it very interesting that while we can look back and all agree that this was a systematic injustice, similar (slightly watered down) rhetoric is delivered by some today to justify greed in the face of inequality in modern society.

Overall a great novel that I would recommend to friends and family looking for a quick exciting story set in a very profound time in history.

A recent cold, snowy week-end was perfect excuse to curl up with To Ride a White Horse by Pamela Ford. I highly recommend this book. I’m a big fan of historical novels, although I don’t usually read a lot of historical romance. Ford expertly combines the two. I’ve read many non-fiction works about Ireland in the 19th century, especially about the horrors of the Potato Famine. Ford’s gift is that she is able to tell a wonderful love story between Jack Montgomery, an English sea captain and Kathleen Deacey, an Irish immigrant bound for America and at the same time able to weave together several clever plot lines. By the end of the book, you’ve learned about the whaling trade in the north Atlantic, the Irish experience in America, as well as the Potato Famine. It’s clear Ford has done her research: its not often that you see a historical romance novel with a bibliography of sources. Still, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that this is a scholarly work. Don’t worry, there are no footnotes! Hopefully Ford has planned a sequel; I’d love to read about Jack and Kathleen’s further adventures on the high seas.

A recent cold, snowy week-end was perfect excuse to curl up with To Ride a White Horse by Pamela Ford. I highly recommend this book. I’m a big fan of historical novels, although I don’t usually read a lot of historical romance. Ford expertly combines the two. I’ve read many non-fiction works about Ireland in the 19th century, especially about the horrors of the Potato Famine. Ford’s gift is that she is able to tell a wonderful love story between Jack Montgomery, an English sea captain and Kathleen Deacey, an Irish immigrant bound for America and at the same time able to weave together several clever plot lines. By the end of the book, you’ve learned about the whaling trade in the north Atlantic, the Irish experience in America, as well as the Potato Famine. It’s clear Ford has done her research: its not often that you see a historical romance novel with a bibliography of sources. Still, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that this is a scholarly work. Don’t worry, there are no footnotes! Hopefully Ford has planned a sequel; I’d love to read about Jack and Kathleen’s further adventures on the high seas.

Oh, my goodness! The whole time l was reading this book I was thinking of my grandmother who came from Ireland. This was so much her story but I just cried to hear what the Irish immigrants went through! (She even took classes to lose her Irish brogue so that no one would know she was Irish!) This was the most moving story of the Irish and their struggles that l have ever read! Just wonderful!

I have Irish ancestry and was riveted by this novel. It told the story of a young woman, Kathleen, and her family from the starvation in Ireland, the desperation of the immigrants, and their experiences after arriving in America. The plot was poignant, I did not feel the romance was particularly well done which is why I gave 3 stars

This was an excellent book and deserves a lot more than 5 stars.

The story in the book took place during the mid-1800’s when the Irish were suffering due to the potato blight. People were starving and were being forced off their land by the English landlords. Even though grains were being produced in Ireland, these were being sent to England instead of saving the Irish.

Kathleen Deacey left Ireland for a new life in America but was washed overboard during a storm. She held on to barrels that were lashed together and was picked up by a whaler captained by Jack Montgomery. Once back in Boston, Jack hired her to work in his grandfather’s house since many jobs were closed to Irish. Jack and Kathleen had fallen in love but she was afraid that she would lose her family if she loved Jack, an Englishman. Little did she know that Jack would do anything for her and did.

The love story between Jack and Kathleen was heart-warming and their story will long stay with you.

Romances are not my usual choice of reading material, but I was at Irish Fest Milwaukee, here was a local author, I love historical novels, and the white horse symbolism in Irish myth is irresistible to me! So I picked it up--and stayed glued to it from start to finish. Wonderful historical fact blended with romantic fiction that rings true. What a charming book!

Hosted a Book Review Afternoon (TO RIDE A WHITE HORSE by Pamela Ford) attended by 14 retired teachers and one author. Without exception they LOVED THIS NOVEL!!!! Usually very critical, they had only praise for the author's style, integrity of purpose, character development, etc.. This is a MUST READ. Proved to provide fruitful, invigorating discussion with laughter mitigating content as Pamela Ford used humor to tempor content making every moment of reading valuable. Not often does one (several English teachers) want to shout to the rooftops "THIS IS A WONDERFUL NOVEL!!!!" The best of about 30 books we've reviewed over the years. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR BOOK REVIEW GROUPS.

If you like historical romances, then you won't want to miss Pamela Ford's To Ride a White Horse. It is easy to get wrapped up in the story of Kathleen Deacey and Captain Jack Montgomery. Captain Jack is dashing and everything you would want in a hero. Make no mistake though other than her initial rescuing, Kathleen needs no rescuing from him. She is smart, witty and a hardworker. She is also just as stubborn as him. I also learned a bit about the potato famine that was so devastating to Ireland.

If you want to get caught up in a great romance with a great story and even better characters, then you will want to read this one.

This book was so much more then I expected! When I came across this book I was u sure whether it would be a book that I would enjoy but boy am I glad I read it! From the first chapter till the last I was captivated! Wonderful story line that I included love and history! Read this book you will not be dissapointed

I received this book as a Goodreads Firstreads. This book has it all. As an historical fiction, I learned something new about the Great Famine in Ireland, the prejudices which affected so many, and some English as well as some American roles played in such tragic events. While there is a bit of romance, the theme of love and hope centers on family, doing what is right, and being humane in the worst of times. A good read.

I just finished reading TO RIDE A WHITE HORSE and loved it.
It was a well wrought historical romance where the author's careful study of Irish history and the whaling industry of the mid-1800's was evident. The plot was packed with amazing twists and turns and I wanted to know what happened next as I turned each page. The reluctant love between the main characters grew as their story unfolded and the tension was palpable. It was a fun read!