Frequently Asked Questions
To order the book, click the link corresponding to the version you would like:
To order the PRINTED BOOK from Amazon:
CLICK HERE
(or paste this website address into your browser –
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XXZX6H3
NOTE: If the book shows as out of stock, or not available for shipment in your country, try Lulu.com
To order the HARDCOVER BOOK from Lulu:
CLICK HERE
(or paste this website address into your browser –
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/roberta-williams/farewell-to-tara-hardback-edition/hardcover/product-njp8zg.html
To order the HARDCOVER BOOK from Amazon:
CLICK HERE
(or paste this website address into your browser –
https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Tara-Hardback-Roberta-Williams/dp/171648653X
To order the Kindle version of the book from Amazon:
CLICK HERE
(or paste this website address into your browser –
https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Tara-Roberta-Williams-ebook/dp/B08XP48BV1)
To order a PDF version of the book:
Coming soon!
To order an EPUB version of the book:
Coming soon!
To order the AUDIOBOOK version of the book:
CLICK HERE
(or paste the website address into your browser – https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-to-Tara/dp/B09BRGWLC4)
Farewell to Tara is a fictional historical novel taking place in mid-19th century, Ireland, during the Great Famine, one of the most catastrophic famines in history that set in motion great cultural changes in the British Empire, the United States, Canada and Australia. It was a time of turbulence, and this story is told through the experiences of Roberta’s real-life ancestors — two families, the Clintons (poor Irish laborers) and the Loughrans (middle-class farmers). Roberta uses these families as the protagonists in her fictionalized story of poverty, hardship, deprivation, disease and death, but also reveals birth, love, Irish lore, legends and religion, along with cattle grazing, horseracing and inheritance. The culture and history of Ireland is long, rich and complex. And the Irish people are strong and enduring. This is the story of these two families, fictionalized and told through their eyes and experiences in a way that only a natural storyteller can do!
Here, a sample of the writing — the eviction scene:
“Hey, what’s goin’ on here?”
The tenor of his voice filled her with dread. She scurried to the open door, halting just outside when she saw John raise his spade menacingly toward four men on horseback. Two of them she knew: the local constable and the portly land agent for their landlord, Joseph Barnewall.
Dear God, where are the lads? Worried, she scanned the yard, spotting them behind the chicken coop. They seemed hidden for the moment, though the hens within were raising enough of a racket to expose them.
“John Clinton, drop yer spade,” demanded the constable. “We don’t want trouble.”
John was furious. “Leave us be!” He pointed the spade toward the road. “Off my land, I say…get out!”
“Come now, ’tisn’t yer property,” chided the constable. “Ya haven’t paid yer annual rent to Mr. Barnewall. Have ya the money?”
“Ye know very well that I do not!” growled John, his face growing red. “These are hard times, everyone is sufferin’! The spuds are fouled and there’s no work!”
He lowered the spade, but kept it held tight in his hands, his knuckles whitening.
From behind the coop came a small child’s cry. Patsy! Kate glanced over to see Micky place a hand over his brother’s mouth and whisper in his ear. But she didn’t move, staying as she was — rooted in fear. At that moment, a tiny hand slipped into hers. She glanced down to see little Mary staring up at her, trembling, her hazel eyes wet with tears. Gently, she squeezed her daughter’s hand and bent down to pick her up. But just then the sound of a horse’s whinny and the clomping of hooves grabbed her attention. Instinctively, she stepped back inside the house.
Get off my land! Get out!” shouted John again and brandished the spade in fury…….
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For the first 200 people who purchase a printed (hardback or paperback) copy of the book, YES!
To prove that you bought the book, grab a screenshot of your order, or yourself holding a printed copy, and email it to Ken Williams (ken@kensblog.com).
Yes. The book will be available on Amazon as well as Lulu, and they ship to virtually every country.
The best guess at this time:
Paperback – $15
Hardcover – $30
Kindle – $8
PDF – $8
Audiobook – $15
Absolutely! There will be a PDF and a Kindle version.
Roberta developed an interest in genealogy and started tracing her family history. It quickly became apparent that the Irish famine and immigration to America was a subject worth writing about, but she wanted to write this tale as an emotional story. As she gathered more and more information about these people — her forebears, the Clintons and the Loughrans — she could see that there was a natural story here and wanted to write it. This is not a dry text book, history book, or boring personal genealogy report. This is a story with real characters, crisis situations, emotional drama, touching scenes and even cliff hangers. She expects that you will come to care about these people, and to wonder — what will become of them
Obviously we think so! But as it is a “first” book by a person who is steeped in storytelling — as seen in Roberta’s many stories in her series of adventure computer games — time will tell if she is able to make the leap from interactive computer games to linear storytelling in book form. You will be the ultimate judge!
Roberta hopes so! If enough people come to care about her characters and desire to see what happens to them as they leave their beloved isle of Ireland for America — the story will continue. There will be plenty of action in a second book: Crossing the north Atlantic in the stormy month of March; the fetid streets and tenements of New York City in the 1860s; thugs and gangs, arduous labor, crowded conditions; joining the Navy in the Civil War; taking part in the final sea battle of the Civil War; after the war, back to New York City; finding love, marriage, children.
❤ Roberta