Life was getting extremely dangerous in 1940 London, as Nazi Germany laid siege to civilian targets in 9-year-old Margaret's home city, forcing Margaret and her mother Kitty to make a desperate escape to the safety of their relatives in rural Ireland.
Here they must make a difficult transition from the bustling city life of London to the harsh realities of life on the farm, with no electricity, telephones and very few automobiles.
Margaret's coming-of-age story is a captivating journey, as she navigates her way through life with the help of the gentle Irish community and their profound Christian faith. Though they are limited in formal education, the village people are highly educated in other ways - full of lore, heritage, and religious beliefs that shape their daily lives and how they love, grow and find joy amidst tragedy.
Although it sounds like an idyllic and charming village, the people struggled amidst the toils of great poverty, hardship, widescale illness, and a high infant mortality rate, which created a unique kind of resilience within those who lived this simple life that enabled them to keep going even when times seemed darkest, and hope felt very far away...
The Road to Bethany is a heartwarming and empowering World War 2 historical fiction novel about a rural village and its hard-working people, woven together by the threads of Christian faith, hardship, hope, and love. Fans of Irish Fiction will love the poignant, powerful portrayal of simpler bygone days, childhood innocence, and the powerful gifts of friendship and family.
