Hope

When Tom Walsh sets sail for America in 1869 he knows it may be the last time he sees his beloved Ireland. His mother's death and his father's shattered health are the cruel legacies of the Penal Laws and decades of hardship, and Tom has vowed not to return until he can do so a rich man. Together with his sister Maria, he begins a journey across the prairies of the New World - towards Ouray, Colorado, and gold. Thirty years later, the rewards of America's great gold rush have made Tom Walsh one of the world's richest men. But when his daughter Evalyn persuades him to buy the notorious Hope Diamond - thought to be cursed by the Indian goddess, Sita - he learns that tragedy and heartache serve a master far greater than money or stature...

Praise for Mary Ryan

“The saga has certainly made a comeback this season. This story is all the more interesting for being based on a true story.... It is extraordinary reading.”
----The Tatler [U.K.] on Hope

“In the tradition of du Maurier and Brontë...a captivating raconteur, Ryan invests the misty, mysterious castle Dunbeg and its seaside setting with palpable atmosphere.”
---Publishers Weekly on The Song of the Tide

“Ryan’s skillful blend of misty Irish landscape, turbulent family relationships, nightmares, haunting, and obsessive, incestuous love is just what is needed to keep romance readers engrossed to the very end. Highly recommended.”
----Library Journal on The Song of the Tide

“The Song of the Tide is a great page-turner, blending romance, passion, and fear in a way that is somewhat reminiscent of Heathcliff and Catherine.”
---Denver Post on The Song of the Tide

“Ryan has the Irish gift for storytelling. The Promise captures all the ardor of adolescent love and all the regret of a life misspent. She beautifully splices narratives, past and present, allowing readers to view the story from every angle.”
---USA Today on The Promise

“The characters are deftly drawn and the plot seethes with violence, machinations, and greed.”
-Boston Herald on Glenallen