Troubadour Interactive

ISBN 978-1-890642-07-5

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Grindstone A Novel
by Donna Walsh Inglehart

         “New to that country, caught up in my own survival, I did not understand the scope or nature of the War of the Rebellion, only that it was not ours, my brother's and mine, to fight. I could not have imagined that the war would come to the very shores of Grindstone, with such treachery and brutality that I still wake at night with a pounding heart.”

         Leaving Ireland in the devastating aftermath of the Famine, Anya McGregor finds refuge in an island realm far from the violence of the Civil War, only to discover that she cannot escape its dark undercurrents. For Jonathon Douglas, a Confederate spy, the islands also provide temporary sanctuary, but soon become as dangerous as the battle front. Irresistably drawn to each other, the two are pulled into a web of espionage that threatens to destroy them both.
         Lyrical and profoundly moving, Grindstone is historical fiction at its best, a haunting story that inspires even as it shapes one's understanding of the most violent period in American history.

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About the Author

Donna Walsh Inglehart spent many summers in the Thousand Islands, the setting of her first novel, Breaking the Ring (Little, Brown, and Company). In Grindstone the author returns to the same setting with a story based on island legend and extensive historical research. Ms. Inglehart has taught writing for many years, and is currently working on her third novel. She lives in Maine with her husband, historian David Inglehart.

Praise for Grindstone :

"Blending romance with the conflict of civil war, GRINDSTONE is an enticing read for romance and historical fiction readers. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"
–The Midwest Book Review, April 2011

        “I am deeply impressed. Donna Walsh Inglehart's novel, Grindstone, vividly depicts 19th century life in the Thousand Islands while drawing the reader into a fascinating and little known Confederate spy ring based in Canada. Her outstanding talent brings history to life.”
                                                                                  –Ian Coristine, best-selling author and photographer:
                                                                                  The 1000 Islands (ed. I-V); Water, Wind and Sky.

        “While the book is a work of fiction, the details of the era are accurate. I came away with a greater understanding of the Irish population that immigrated here and the 94th Regiment Infantry, comprised of young soldiers from this region. The descriptions of the waterfront of Clayton as it was in 1864 was so loaded with sensory detail that I thought Donna had used a time machine to garner research…. But the book is more than great river descriptions and historical detail, it is a great story with strong characters…it is a must for every cottage library. It is one of those books that will be treasured by generation after generation.”
                                                                                  –Lynn McElfresh, Thousand Islands Life

       “Grindstone is nothing less than an astonishing piece of historical fiction. The book is beautifully written, its characters believable and compelling, and has taught me something I didn't know before. I am in love with Anya, the Irish girl whose story is being told, and after finishing the book, I found myself thinking about her, Jonathan, Michael, and even Brady, the Irish shopkeeper. But it's not just the characters the author brings to life; Inglehart paints a living breathing landscape of the Thousand Islands so that you can smell and feel the wildness around you. And I learned what it must have felt to be an Irish immigrant during that period, the extreme change in climate (for the worse) they experienced when coming to New York, not to mention the discrimination. The Civil War backdrop is also vividly and realistically told, rivaling Cold Mountain and Sherman's March, although the war is more backdrop in Grindstone than the former. The suspense is strong and the pace fast, so that I couldn't put the book down and ended up reading it in one long sitting. Can't recommend this book enough, not just to Thousand Islanders, but to everyone.”
                                                                                  –J.B. Mayell, Artist and writer

“Anybody who enjoys crisp writing, history and suspense will enjoy Grindstone, the product of extensive historical research.”
–Watertown Daily Times