DESCRIPTION
When indentured Irish woman Ivy O’Neill marries her wealthy master and presents him with his newborn son, she believes her life’s trajectory is set on a new, glorious path. She has a kind, strapping husband and healthy child. Her friend Jane begins to teach her midwifery. But tumult fills the 1702 world of the British Colony of Maryland. Pirates, like those who kidnapped her a few years earlier, harass the colonists. She risks imprisonment if the authorities discover she still practices her Catholic faith. Crops fail. Neighbors cannot always be trusted. And then the unthinkable happens. Shaken to her core, Ivy must make a decision — one which will shape her future and that of everyone she touches.
Ivy in America, Book Two in the series “The Life and Adventures of Ivy O’Neill,” is a stand-alone book. It carries forward Ivy O’Neill’s story from its beginnings in The Indenture of Ivy O’Neill.
ISBN PAPERBACK: 978-1-922893-05-5
ISBN HARDCOVER: 978-1-922893-10-9
PUBLICATION: AUGUST 28, 2026
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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT “IVY IN AMERICA”
“Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, Ivy in America is a deeply immersive journey into early 18th-century colonial Maryland, where survival, family, faith, and resilience intertwine with remarkable authenticity. Readers who enjoy richly textured historical fiction with strong female characters and emotional resonance will find this novel captivating. A beautifully crafted and emotionally rewarding work that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended.” – The International Review of Books.
“Ivy in America strikes the perfect balance between fact and fiction. Helentjaris not only gives history buffs an immersion into the lives of 18th century colonists, but she also provides fiction lovers with a sweetly compelling plot and well-delineated characters about whom one cares enough to keep the pages turning.’ – Midwest Review of Books
“The book provides a realistic look at what concerned people who lived in early 18th century rural Maryland—birth, marriage, death, survival, love, family—while also featuring Catholicism, specifically the dangers of the devout attempting to practice their faith in a colony that, though founded by Catholics, has since banned it. And as a lover of all things historical, I especially appreciated the author’s detailed and entertaining descriptions of everyday colonial life.” – Kathryn J. Atwood, Midwest Review of Books
