May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy

Set against the background of the Irish famine and the American Civil War, this riveting novel, which includes profanity, weaves together four seemingly disparate lives in a sweeping narrative. The book portrays the vast implications for societies that fail to extend rights and justice to all people. The lives of Ethan (a survivor of the Irish famine), Marcella (an upper-class girl from Spain), Micah (a slave valued for his carpentry skills), and Mary (a slave respected for her tailoring abilities) intersect as the Civil War rages and the abolitionist movement strives to fulfill its mandate. The story culminates in a bittersweet celebration of love, survival, and the common humanity of all races. (Doubleday)