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

Wednesday June 11th at 11 am - Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley in Utica, NY

Thursday June 12, 2025 - 7pm - Manlius Historical Society keynote speaker at the annual meeting at the Minoa Town Hall

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

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

July 7, 2025 - 5pm-5:30pm - Port Byron painting class Erie Canal Landscape at Port Byron Library

Thursday July 10, 2025 2 pm — Private Book Club

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

Thursday July 24, 2025 6:30 pm - Madison County Historian Matt Urtz and I will lead a walking tour of unique spots on the Erie Canal that Marilyn used as motivation for her book “Dreams of Freedom.”

July 26, 2025 - Table set up at Village of Canastota Recreation Canal-stota Taste of Lenox event

Tuesday July 29th, 2025 6:00 pm - Chittenango Library Presentation and Book Signing

August 4, 2025 - 5pm Port Byron Painting Class

August 8, 2025 - Parthenon Book Store - 6pm

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

August 20, 2025 - Cicero Public Library 6pm presentation and book signing

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

September 10-12, 2025 - Presentation on Thursday at the NYS Tourism of Excellence Conference

September 15, 2025 - Fayetteville Free Library 6:30pm presentation and book signing

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

September 30, 2025 - Jervis Public Library Presentation 6:30pm

October 6-8, 2025 - Presentation at the Association of Public Historians, Hampton Inn, Cazenovia

October 14, 2025 - Presentation 12-2pm Philanthropic Ed Association at the Hampton Inn, Cazenovia

Friday, October 17, 2025 - Erie Canal Museum Gala - reading and book signing

Thursday, October 30, 2025 - 6-7pm - Hazard Library - Authors discussion and book signing with other local authors

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