In this turn of the century novel, Cathy Gohlke takes
readers into the cruel world of recently immigrated sisters,
Maureen and Katie Rose O'Reilly. After the death of their
father, the Irish sisters travel to New York hoping to find
shelter with Colonel Wakefield, an old friend of their
father. However, Colonel Wakefield has died, and the
O'Reilly sisters must fend for themselves and they learn the
harsh reality of the lives immigrants must endure in the New
World.
Maureen O'Reilly was only too happy to leave behind her
painful memories of her service in the house of Lord
Orthbridge. When Maureen learns her father wishes for her
and her sister to travel to New York in America to live with
an old friend from the Civil War, Maureen is overjoyed to
leave Ireland and remove her younger sister from the malice
of the Orthbridge family. But when Maureen and Katie Rose
arrive in New York, they learn that Colonel Wakefield has
died, and the Colonel's son-in-law cruelly tosses Maureen
into the cold streets of New York. When Katie Rose falls ill
during the trip, Maureen must do what she can to provide
for herself and her sister.
Maureen believes she has been blessed when a strange man
offers himself as a reference in a trendy department store
named Darcy's. When Maureen is hired at Darcy's, she feels
she can finally offer her sister the life she never had. But
soon Maureen begins to notice strange occurrences and
suspicious vows of silence among Darcy's employees,
especially those promoted to work on the fourth floor. When
Maureen's friend, Alice, disappears, she knows something at
Darcy's is not what it seems.
BAND OF SISTERS is a compelling novel of sisterly love,
human avarice, and the cruel reality of early immigrants in
America. Cathy Gohlke's impressively emotional storytelling
will make Maureen O'Reilly's travails a part of the reader
as Gohlke's well crafted story puts readers in the shoes of
early immigrants in America. Gohlke has written a
page-turning mystery within the pages of a tender story of
friendship and the unbreakable bond between sisters.
Maureen O’Reilly and her younger sister flee Ireland in hope
of claiming the life promised to their father over twenty
years before. After surviving the rigors of Ellis Island,
Maureen learns that their benefactor, Colonel Wakefield, has
died. His family, refusing to own his Civil War debt, casts
her out. Alone, impoverished, and in danger of deportation,
Maureen connives to obtain employment in a prominent
department store. But she soon discovers that the elegant
facade hides a secret that threatens every vulnerable woman
in the city.
Despite her family’s disapproval, Olivia Wakefield
determines to honor her father’s debt but can’t find
Maureen. Unexpected help comes from a local businessman,
whom Olivia begins to see as more than an ally, even as she
fears the secrets he’s hiding. As women begin disappearing
from the store, Olivia rallies influential ladies in her
circle to help Maureen take a stand against injustice and
fight for the lives of their growing band of sisters. But
can either woman open her heart to divine leading or the
love it might bring?
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