Book excerpt: A thrilling story of an island torn in half by ancient influences and outside influences, where the Brothers of the Red Hand act to punish the informers and traitors who betray the aspirations of the Irish people in their struggle for liberty and independence. There is betrayal, arson, and violence committed by both the patriots and the English soldiers. Set on the Emerald Isle in the mid-1840¡_s during the Great Hunger when Irish families faced the potato famine, and where a million people starved to death in their villages and a million others fled overseas. Sufficient food was available in the country to feed the people, but absentee English landlords sent it to England. The story is told against a complex background of adventure and intrigue as the author paints a multicolored picture of unforgettable characters with varying beliefs and loyalties. You¡_ll meet lords and ladies, Republicans and English terrorists, priests and ministers¡ªboth kind and evil¡ªand plain country folk. Irish folklore is woven into the story. Equal importance to the plot of this fine novel is the beauty of the language. So lively is Dillon¡_s style that you can almost smell the fragrant peat fires and taste the porter and poteen. Mr. Dillon has the Irish gift of ¡°passing the time of day¡± in a delightful way.