What If?
Some argue that “Alternative History”
is more grammatically correct, but “Alternate History” has
emerged as the common name for this interesting sub-genre of fantasy
fiction. The “what if” asked by so many authors has produced a
wealth of thought-provoking tales.
What if the Roman Empire hadn’t
fallen? What if the American Revolution had failed? What if Germany
had won World War II, or if Russia had reached the moon first?
In The Story of Ireland, a gem
published in 1894, historian Standish O’Grady wrote:
The kings of all our European nations came up as the result of an
immense amount of fighting between small kings and between powerful
families, each of which thought it had the best right to be the Royal
Family… If Ireland had been left to herself a King of Ireland and a
Royal Family of Ireland would have come up in the long run out of
those wars, just as out of the wars of the Saxon nations of England
the King of the English at last appeared.
What if Ireland had been left to
herself?
I wondered about that long before I
found Mr. O’Grady’s work in my aunts’ amazing library of Irish
books. As a second generation Irish American, I will never know what
it is to be truly Irish. My childhood vision of Ireland was one of
magical legends and ancient kings, banshees and leprechauns, rebels
and outlaw heroes. The first time I saw the real Emerald Isle, the
palm trees astonished me—and that wasn’t the only jolt to my
flawed concept of modern Ireland.
I longed for the Ireland I knew through
song and story. My aunts had assured me our family had descended from
Irish royalty, kings and queens long gone but hardly forgotten. How
could such great men and women simply vanish?
What if they were still around?
In 1002 A.D., the chieftain of an obscure Irish clan rose to
claim the High Kingship of Ireland. Brian Boru united Ireland’s
warring tribes under one leader for the first and only time in Irish
history. A scholar as well as a warrior, King Brian rebuilt churches,
encouraged education, repaired roads and bridges, and roused the
country to rise against the Norse invaders who had ravaged Ireland
for centuries.
On Good Friday in 1014 A.D., Brian’s army challenged a host of
Vikings and their allies on the plains of Clontarf. Though his troops
were victorious, Brian’s son and grandson perished in the battle.
Brian himself died as he prayed in his tent, murdered by fleeing
Vikings who stumbled upon his camp.
Many historians have speculated that Ireland would be a different
place today if Brian Boru and his heirs had survived the Battle of
Clontarf. A Band of Roses presents one possible scenario.
So begins the preface of A Band of
Roses, the first of a trilogy of tales set in an Ireland that
might have been. Similar introductions kick off the other two books
in the trilogy, Fiery Roses and Salty Roses, as well as
their young adult “prequels,” Glancing Through the Glimmer
and Autumn Glimmer. In each of these stories, King Brian Boru
survived the Battle of Clontarf and founded a dynasty that still
rules modern Ireland. Along with a lovable cast of heroes and
villains, the Boru clan encounters adventure, intrigue, and romance
one reviewer called “a well-written and fascinating package that
will appeal to a wide range of readers.”
I hope you’ll give them a try. What
if you like them?
Author Bio:
Boston, Massachusetts native Pat
McDermott writes romantic action/adventure stories set in an Ireland
that might have been. Glancing Through the Glimmer and its
sequel, Autumn Glimmer, are young adult paranormal adventures
featuring Ireland’s mischievous fairies. Both books are “prequels”
to her popular Band of Roses Trilogy: A Band of Roses, Fiery
Roses, and Salty Roses. The Rosewood Whistle is her
first contemporary romance.
Pat is a member of the New Hampshire
Writers’ Project, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts
Romance Writers. Her favorite non-writing activities include cooking,
hiking, reading, and traveling, especially to Ireland. She lives and
writes in New Hampshire, USA.
Pat’s Web Site:
http://www.patmcdermott.net/
Pat’s Travel/Writing Blog (Put the
Kettle On):
