The Promise ~A Novel~ By Ida Linehan Young

Outport life in late nineteenth century Newfoundland was difficult; poverty was rampant and many children, after losing their parents to the sea or to disease, found themselves left orphaned. Such was the case of Erith Lock who, at a young age, was left to be raised by a cruel and heartless woman who stepped up to care for her after losing her mother in childbirth and her father shortly thereafter. Erith was somewhat relieved to escape her loveless life when her stepmother had made arrangements for her to be sent from her home to travel to nearby Dog Cove to work as a housekeeper for her step uncle. Instead of being released from the clutches of her cold uncaring stepmother to start a new life Erith, at the tender age of sixteen, found herself fighting for survival after enduring an horrific act committed by the two men responsible for her safe passage. Scarred and broken, Erith returned to her home in North Harbour  and was forced to suffer even greater scorn. Little did she know that this life altering event would set her on a new path of purpose and love; a path full of promises. 

The Promise ~ A Novel~ is the second piece of historical fiction written by Ida Linehan Young. Written on the heels of Being Mary Ro (2018) and her earlier memoir No Turning Back: Surviving The Linehan Family Tragedy (2014) Linehan Young continues to delight her readers by taking them back to a time when Newfoundland was a self-governing colony of the British Empire, inhabited by those who risked life and limb to make a living from the cod fishery. For readers who have previously read Being Mary Ro, this novel is somewhat of a sequel, though not a requirement for enjoying The Promise. Characters from the first novel, Mary and Dr. Peter Nolan as well as Danol Cooper, play prominently in developing the plot of this narrative and contribute greatly to the development of Erith Lock. Linehan Young does a superb job at creating a strong noble female protagonist committed to making the world a better place than what was provided to her as a child. Though she is independent in thought and spirit her unfortunate past weighs heavily upon her. Several times throughout the novel Linehan Young allows the reader to experience the turmoil faced by Erith. In one chapter she eloquently writes;

"....Erith had been in a state of oblivion. She hadn't seen or spoken to anyone in weeks. She was adrift on an ocean, but it refused to take her. Instead, it taunted her. Wave after wave overtook her, stopped her breath, and salted her wounds, keeping them fresh, open and sore. There was no mercy. The vast sea of anguish wouldn't claim her, and there was no shore in sight."

Though the central idea of survival is quite evident throughout readers will be happy to know that hope is ever present; hope in the statement whispered to Erith by her step mother on her deathbed; hope that Danol will deliver on the promise of finding Erith's lost child; hope in Erith's vow to adopt three small children orphaned by their parents, and; hope that Erith will finally have a future complete with a loving husband and family of her own. The story and central idea are propelled forward through Linehan Young's skilled ability to move between the past and the present throughout the entire 281 pages. The flashbacks reveal plot details about events and characters and sets the reader up for a story that they will not want to put down. Just when all seems to be well in Erith's life and the reader feels optimistic that this story will end happily for everyone involved the author provides us with a glimpse into the future... a future where Erith's "past hadn't quieted, nor her future taken shape".  Though the ending of the book is a complete surprise, readers can be relieved that Linehan Young has a third book, The Liars, that will hopefully answer the questions we are left with. 

Ida Linehan Young's love for history and storytelling is quite evident in this powerful tale of self-preservation and hope. She skillfully delivers a top notch story with just the right amount of drama, mystery and suspense not to mention a knockout ending. The Promise ~A Novel~ is a Flanker Press publication.

Other books written by Ida Linehan Young can be found here.