by Mary Ellen Feron (Author)
"...A true Irish saga taken from the real-life family history of author, Mary Ellen Feron..." A Tent for the Sun is the first of three books in the trilogy based on the author's family history in 19th Century Ireland. In A Tent for the Sun we first meet Tom Phalen and Meg Wynn, characters based on the author's third great-grandparents, Michael Maloney and Margaret Webb. The year is 1835. The place is Glynmor Castle in the valley of Clydagh Glyn, County Mayo, Ireland. The story is one of star-crossed lovers caught up in the class and religious struggles that set the stage for the near destruction of a way of life. The Wynns and the Phalens co-exist peacefully within their designated classes until Meg and Tom fall in love. The lovers' illicit liaison explodes the false serenity of their lives and Meg's father, Lord Jeffrey Wynn, responds swiftly and violently, plunging the lovers into exile. Their life together is threatened from the beginning by a political system that reaches its long tentacles into the very heart of both castle and cottage. A Tent for the Sun could be any family's story. The characters of Tom and Meg embody their land, their class cultures and their history. Tom, strong and handsome, is a man of quiet depth and fierce loyalty. Lovely Meg is the fine, graceful child of privilege. Filled with passion and adventure, their story takes the reader into the towns and kitchens of Western Ireland where Tom and Meg, each sustained by different faiths, take us on a spiritual journey as they face their uncertain future.
Author Biography
Mary Ellen Feron is the maiden name and pen name of Mary Ellen Zablocki, who lives in Buffalo, New York with her husband, Ed. She has two married sons, Francis and Paul. Her writing is done in her 1911 living room on a roll top desk surrounded by over fifty antique family photos spanning three centuries and two continents. Ms. Feron began writing in high school and has primarily published essays, poetry and spiritual works. She was first published in 1985 in New Covenant Magazine followed by articles and poetry in Franciscan publications The Cord and Tau USA. Her short story, "Sweet Gloria" took second place in The Buffalo News first annual short story contest in 2005. Her most recently published poem, "Night Psalm", can be found in Prayers from Franciscan Hearts, by Paula Pearce, SFO (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2007) Mary Ellen Feron presents A Tent for the Sun as the first novel of a trilogy. Books two and three: My Tears, My Only Bread and White Dawn Rising will be available in early 2013.