Back to writing. “The Cross Between” is a historical fiction piece set in 1850’s Upper Canada. The Irish Famine refugee wave of 1847 has swarmed over the area. Most arrivals are Catholic. And most of the establishment is Protestant, with many holding grudges from Ireland’s past.

The Cavan Blazers are a vigilante group who want to keep Cavan Township pure – pure of Catholics. They are given free reign by the Orange Lodge. Enter the refugees.

Siobhan Downey and her husband Eion have settled to a productive farm in Cavan. They are not welcome.

The story opens with Siobhan being arrested and charged with larceny by the local constable – William Walsh, an Orangeman. She is falsely accused and set free. One of the Blazers is then charged with fraud. But the Blazers control the judicial system, and he is set free.

This story is of two opposing protagonists – the passionate, resilient Siobhan and the clever, duty-bound, moral justice driven detective-constable Walsh. She struggles to hold on to what she has, amid many crises. Walsh, a widower, community stalwart, is successful, rising to the role of magistrate.

This is not a black vs white (green vs orange) battle, but many shades of conflict between. The reality of the politics and players result in various opinions, actions and surprising outcomes. Both protagonists hold dark secrets from their Irish past. Both confront each other in multiple situations.

Both are surprisingly “tied”, yet there is The Cross Between.