DREAMS OF FREEDOM

An Irish woman’s story of love, justice, and a young nation coming apart.

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A young woman’s harrowing journey into a nation breaking apart.

Millions of immigrants were entering America’s heartland. Anti-Catholic bigotry and the seething national divide over slavery were soon to erupt in mob violence. Thousands of religious zealots could be heard chanting at revival meetings in upstate New York. Native people were being forced off ancestral lands.

In this chaotic setting, twenty-year-old Irish immigrant, Aileen O’Malley, came in search of her indentured father and kidnapped younger siblings, stepping into the epicenter of a growing maelstrom of violence along the Erie Canal.

Deeply relieved to have escaped a powerful man intent on forcing her to marry him in Ireland, Aileen falls in love with a vibrant, idealistic abolitionist, Jedidiah, who helps her desperate search for her family, with the odds of finding them dwindling by the day.

They encounter violence, slave-catchers, charlatans, and tragedy. After witnessing an enslaved man and woman taking their own lives to escape re-capture, they commit their souls and energies to the abolitionist movement.

Aileen collaborates with Frederick Douglass on his trip to Ireland, works with Elizabeth Cady-Stanton on women’s rights, and becomes a cunning operative with Gerrit Smith and Stephen Meyers on the last leg of escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

When she discovers her sister living in a utopian community with unconventional sexual practices, she leads a rescue that ultimately reunites her family and presages the Civil War to come.

Aileen’s journey provides a sometimes breathtaking close-up view of the people, places, and events that shaped young America before the Civil War.

Become a novel tourist and immerse yourself in the Dreams of Freedom!

...by experiencing the story where it unfolds! As you explore the historic landscapes of Upstate New York, let the pages come to life around you. Feel the history, see the scenery, and walk in the footsteps of the characters.

This is more than just reading — it’s an adventure for the senses. Ready to make your journey unforgettable?

If you are in a book club, please send your address and the name of your club ( if you have one) below. I will mail you this free Novel Tourist pamphlet so you can discuss and plan “ Dreams of Freedom” adventures with your club! Then, we would love to hear about your adventures! 

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Friday April 11, 2025 --Book Signing at the Irish American Historical Society, 991 5th Avenue, New York, NY

Tuesday April 22, 2025 --Presentation and Book Signing at the Bridgeport Library, 8979 N Road Bridgeport, NY

Saturday May 10, 2025 2pm --Presentation--Oswego Public Library, 120 East Second Street, Oswego, NY

Monday May 12, 2025--Private Book Club

Tuesday May 13, 2025 --Private Book Club

Saturday May 17, 2025 --Presentation and Signing - Stickley Furniture, Fayetteville

Saturday May 24, 2025 12-3 pm — Presentation - - The Local Branch store, Skaneateles 

Saturday May 31, 2025 — Presentation - - Barnes and Noble, Erie Blvd, DeWitt 

Tuesday June 3, 2025 6pm - - Presentation to Brewerton Public Library, 5440 Bennett St. Brewerton, NY

Wednesday June 4, 2025, 12-2pm - - Presentation to The Corinthian Club, Syracuse

Saturday June 14, 2025 1 pm — Presentation - - Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango 

Thursday June 19, 2025 - Presentation and Book Signing - Manlius Historical Society

Wednesday July 2, 2025 4-5:30 pm — Presentation - - Sam Patch Erie Canal Boat Tour, Pittsford, NY 

Thursday July 10, 2025 2 pm — Private Book Club

Thursday July 24, 2025 12:00 noon -1 pm Presentation to Cortland Historical Society, 25 Homer Ave Cortland, NY

Saturday August 9, 2025 1-3 pm — Presentation - - Town of Clay, Local Authors Showcase 

Wednesday August 27, 2025 5:30-7 pm — Presentation - - Riverie Boat Tour of the Genesee River, Rochester, NY 

September 21-15, 2025 — World Canals Conference, Buffalo, NY 

Friday October 17, 2025 - Reading and Book Signing - Erie Canal Museum Gala

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