Land Above

About the Book

Since the British takeover of Ireland in the seventeenth century, relations have been strained between the Irish nobility—generally identified as Catholic—and the newly arrived English Protestants. Benjamin McLain knew of this conflict first hand. He was born the son of an Irish woman from the high-ranking house of O’Connor and a Protestant father who served as an admiral in the British Navy. Benjamin sought to leave history behind him; in 1797, he landed in Charleston, South Carolina. He left his home country of Northern Ireland as an enlisted sailor in the Royal Navy, but upon his arrival in America, he came to realize that the same deep-rooted resentments existed, even far from Ireland. The Irish disliked the Protestants and vice versa, even in this new, foreign land. As Benjamin struggles to break through the barriers of his birth, he finds himself torn between the love of his mother, the love of his intended fiancé, and the love of a strange woman who ignites his desire. Benjamin must decide where his loyalty truly lies—with his Irish O’Connor blood or English McLain heritage. Which woman will be his rock—his mother, his Anna, or the mysterious Elina? A stranger in a strange land, Benjamin McLain must determine his own destiny through whatever means he can.

About the Author

Leigh Clarke holds a BFA in studio art and has taken classes toward her MFA in creative writing. She is the author of This and That, a book of short stories, and is also in the process of writing her memoirs. She lives in the North Texas Hill Country with her pups, Beau and Bandit.