by BJ Hoff
It had been so long….
Feeling the familiar power of the big red stallion under him, Morgan was overcome. Rather than disgrace himself with tears in front of Finola, who was watching him with shining eyes, he cracked a smile.
Sandemon came alongside and put a hand to Pilgrim’s neck. “You know you cannot ride alone,” he murmured.
Morgan nodded reluctantly.
The dark eyes probed his. “Will you ride with a black man then, Seanchai?”
Morgan met his gaze. “I would ride with Black Cromwell himself,” he said in a soft voice, “to fly free of that chair for a day!”
Sandemon threw back his head and gave a deep-chested laugh. “Child!” he shouted. “Bring the mare!”
Leaping up behind Morgan, the black man wrapped his arms securely around his middle. “Today we will fly, Seanchai! You and I together, we will fly!”
They sat waiting for Annie and Finola to mount a soft-eyed chestnut mare, then walked the horses out of the stable.
Side by side, the horses took the pathway leading away from the stable at a slow walk. Annie looked over at Morgan, her face about to crack for pure joy. “Have we made you happy, Seanchai?” she asked, beaming.
Morgan looked at her, then at Finola, seated demurely behind her on the mare. “You have made me happy, child,” he choked out.
His muscled arms around Morgan, Sandemon dug his heels into Pilgrim’s flanks, and they broke into a trot, then a canter. Green-leafed trees and budding flowers swept by them. Morgan smiled at the chatter of birds, gulped in the sweetness of May.
Laughing, he shouted, “I would ride harder, Sandemon!”
“Then, ride, Seanchai!” Sandemon cried, urging the stallion into full gallop. “Ride as hard as you want! Ride with the wind! I will not let you fall.”
With a Dublin springtime sun falling warm on his shoulders and a gentle wind at his back, Morgan rode away from Nelson Hall, out into the countryside. Sandemon’s strong arms held him safely in the saddle as they went flying over the green fields Morgan loved.
As they rode, a soft voice came singing to Morgan’s heart. Like an echo from the upper air, it whispered: Ride, Morgan! Ride with the wind! I will not let you fall….
Discussion Questions
for Heart of the Lonely Exile,
Book Two of The Emerald Ballad Series
1. Evan Whittaker tells Daniel John that to guard against despair and disillusionment Daniel must “hold the hope of heaven in his heart.” What did he mean by this? Did Evan’s explanation help you understand what is meant by a “pilgrim soul”?
2. Pastor Jess Dalton’s sermon on unconditional love convicts Sara Farmington of a sin she suddenly realizes she’s harbored for years. What is that sin?
3. In a bitter tirade, Michael Burke questions Pastor Dalton about God’s church.
“I would ask you this, Pastor: Where is the Lord’s church? Where was it—other than for a brave few, of course—when the Irish were dropping by the thousands along the road, dying of starvation and the fever…Where is the church when the black slave is torn away from his wife and his babies and put in chains, or when he’s beaten to a bloody pulp for accidentally looking into a white man’s face…Where has it been? Where, exactly, is it now? Right now?”
The pastor’s blunt, incisive answer catches Michael up short and stirs an unfamiliar fire in his spirit.
Do you recall at least a part of the pastor’s answer to Michael? Did it speak in any way to your own confusion or questions about God’s church?
4. In the scene between Evan Whittaker and Lewis Farmington in which Farmington gives Evan advice about “courting” Nora, he asks Evan a pointed, significant question.
“How, exactly do you see yourself?…as a man who has only one arm? Or as only a one-armed man? It will make all the difference, you know.”
What’s your explanation for Mr. Farmington’s meaning?
5. What traits does Daniel John see in Dr. Nicholas Grafton that create in him a desire to be the same kind of physician as his mentor?
6. The child Annie Delaney from Belfast learned to read from the pages of Morgan Fitzgerald’s poetry. Through the years he’s become a folk hero in her mind. What “outrageous” idea does she come up with after Morgan is wounded? And how does her proposal turn out?
7. Two people invade Morgan Fitzgerald’s life, and he’s never quite the same after their arrival. The child Annie Delaney and the enigmatic Sandemon each bring what at times seem to be opposite qualities into Morgan’s world. How do you view the differences they make in his life?
8. “Finola” may be an example of how God can bring beauty out of ugliness and light out of darkness. How so?
9. The words of Morgan’s friend Joseph Mahon pierce his heart and help him finally to accept the reality of his descent into alcoholism:
“The level of dependency on the Lord, the unshakable faith in Him, which I have encountered as a priest this past year, has convinced me that there is no strength apart from the Lord’s presence, no hope apart from His promises, and no peace apart from His love.”
How does he react to these words and to Annie Delaney’s fearful rejection of him—and what is the decision he makes and shares with Sandemon?
10. What is Lewis Farmington’s wedding gift to Nora and Evan? Why would a gift of this nature be particularly poignant and meaningful to these two immigrants?
A Note from the Author
When I first began to research the idea for the first book in this series, Song of the Silent Harp, I discovered a strong religious thread throughout the history of Ireland. I hope I have communicated to my readers a clearer understanding of how Christianity influenced the lives of some of America’s Irish ancestors.
During those years of study and writing, I became aware that it is virtually impossible to separate the past from the present. The struggles and successes, the trials and triumphs of our forebears, make up not only a rich heritage but also contribute in immeasurable ways to what we—and our world—are today. Like young Daniel Kavanagh, I believe that, from God’s perspective, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are one vast panorama, a continuing epic that our Creator views in its entirety, from the dawn of time through the present to eternity.
Further, history does, indeed, repeat itself. Most experiences of the past continue to happen. The horrors of famine and hopelessness that surround many characters in An Emerald Ballad still exist. Month after month, year after year, the innocent victims of war, disaster, political indifference, and oppression go on suffering and dying, just as they did in Ireland during the Great Famine.
Government programs and private charities cannot begin to meet the escalating demand for worldwide assistance. I believe the Christian church should be at the very front of international rescue operations, for it is the church that bears the responsibility—and the privilege—of giving love to a world that needs it.
I invite you to join me in finding practical ways to help through your church of favorite charity. There are many organizations that provide an opportunity to put faith and love into action. One person does make a difference.
BJ Hoff
OTHER FINE BJ HOFF BOOKS PUBLISHED BY
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
RACHEL’S SECRET
Bestselling author BJ Hoff delights with her compelling series The Riverhaven Years. With the first book, Rachel’s Secret, you’ll discover a community of unforgettable characters, a tender love story, the faith journeys of people you’ll grow to know and love, and enough suspense to keep the pages turning quickly.
When wounded Irish American riverboat captain Jeremiah Gant bursts into the rural Amish setting of Riverhaven, he brings chaos and conflict to the community—especially for young widow Rachel Brenneman. The unwelcome “outsider” needs a safe place to recuperate before continuing his secret role as an Underground Railroad conductor. Neither he nor Rachel is prepared for the forbidden love that threatens to endanger a man’s mission, a woman
’s heart, and a way of life for an entire people.
WHERE GRACE ABIDES
In this compelling second book in the The Riverhaven Years series, you’ll get an even closer look at the Amish community of Riverhaven and the people who live and love and work there. Secrets, treachery, and persecution are a few of the challenges that test Rachel’s faith and her love for the forbidden “outsider,” while Gant’s own hopes and dreams are dealt a life—changing blow, rendering the vow he made to Rachel seemingly impossible to honor.
The Amish community finds their gentle, unassuming lives of faith jeopardized by a malicious outside influence. At the same time, those striving to help runaway slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad face deception and the danger of discovery.
SONG OF ERIN
The mysteries of the past confront the secrets of the present in bestselling author BJ Hoff’s magnificent Song of Erin saga.
You’ll be intrigued by this panoramic story that crosses the ocean from Ireland to America. In this tale of struggle and love and uncompromising faith, Jack Kane, the always charming but sometimes ruthless titan of New York’s most powerful publishing empire, is torn between the conflict of his own heart and the grace and light of Samantha Harte, the woman he loves, whose troubled past continues to haunt her.
AMERICAN ANTHEM
At the entrance to the city, an Irish governess climbs into a carriage and sets out to confront the man who destroyed her sister’s life—a blind musician who hears music no one else can hear…
On a congested city street, a lonely Scot physician with a devastating secret meets a woman doctor with the capacity to heal not only the sick…but also his heart…
In a tumbledown shack among hundreds of others like it, an immigrant family struggles to survive, and a ragged street singer old beyond her years appoints herself an unlikely guardian…
So begins American Anthem, a story set in 1870s New York that lets you step into another time to share the hopes and dreams and triumphant faith of a people you’ll grow to love.
“An eloquently told story that weaves
history, music, faith, and intrigue…
an absolute pleasure.”
Christian Retailing
“The story gently unfolds with intriguing characters, and the sound of music,
which Hoff manages to make fly off the pages with her
glorious and passionate descriptions.”
Christian Library Journal
Great reviews for BJ Hoff’s MOUNTAIN SONG LEGACY trilogy…
BOOK ONE…A DISTANT MUSIC
“BJ Hoff always delights readers with her warm stories and characters who become part of your ‘circle of special friends.’”
JANETTE OKE, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LOVE COMES SOFTLY
“For this Kentucky woman, reading A Distant Music was like driving through the eastern hills and hollers on a perfect autumn day, with the scent of wood smoke in the air and the trees ablaze with color. BJ Hoff’s lyrical prose brings to life this gentle, moving story of a beloved teacher and his students, who learn far more than the three Rs. I brushed away tears at several tender points in the story and held my breath when it seemed all might be lost. Yet, even in the darkest moments, hope shines on every page. A lovely novel by one of historical fiction’s finest wordsmiths.”
LIZ CURTIS HIGGS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THORN IN MY HEART
“As always when I open BJ’s books I’m drawn into a place that is both distant and at home…as I tell my husband, I wish I could create the kinds of characters B.J. does because I fall in love with them and want them always as my friends.”
JANE KIRKPATRICK, AUTHOR OF LOOK FOR A CLEARING IN THE WILD
“In some ways, A Distant Music is reminiscent of the Little House series. Each chapter recalls the details of an event or some characters dilemma. Eventually, though, Hoff connects all the threads into a solid story whose ending will deeply touch readers. A Distant Music should find an eager audience.”
ASPIRING RETAIL MAGAZINE
BOOK TWO…THE WIND HARP
BJ always does a great job of drawing her readers into the lives of her characters. I’m sure that there will be many who will be eagerly pleading to know ‘what happens next.’ I will be among them.”
JANETTE OKE, LOVE COMES SOFTLY
“BJ Hoff continues the story of Maggie and Jonathan, who must endure their share of trials before reaping their reward. Though this novel is historical, BJ Hoff deals with issues that are completely contemporary…Kudos to the author for charming us again!”
ANGELA HUNT, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NOVELIST
BOOK THREE…THE SONG WEAVER
“Like a warm visit with a good friend over a hot cup of tea, The Song Weaver offers comfort and satisfaction…and you don’t want the visit to come to an end.”
CINDY SWANSON
“BJ Hoff is a master at characterization, and her stories are rich with insight. I love the historical setting and learned something new about the role of women in that society.”
JILL E. SMITH
“The Song Weaver is the last book in the Mountain Song Legacy Story, and I hate to see it end. I’ll miss Maggie and Jonathan and all the others…A very satisfying end to a special series. She never disappoints.”
BARBARA WARREN
About the Publisher
To learn more about books by BJ Hoff
or to read sample chapters, log on to our website:
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
