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A number of historical facts went into this novel, though they are not readily apparent. A lot of information was taken from the book The New York Irish by Ronald H. Bayor and Timothy J. Meagher, which proved to be invaluable to this series.
New York City in 1871 was the year Boss Tweed, the major influence in the crooked politics of that day, was finally taken down. His fall rippled across the city causing disruption in other political powers. The Irish influence remained strong, in fact, taking over Boss Tweed’s position in politics, but those associated with him and used to his favors (a great percentage of which were Irish) also fell from grace. I have depicted this desperation in the character of Cullen Innis. Having lost control of Amber, he sought to regain some it through pursuing her.
Cullen Innis is a fictional character, but he represents a composite of all I’ve read about Irish gangs and Irish politics of that era.
Amber Dawes
Amber Dawes is a fictional character representative of the rampant prostitution in the city. Statistics put the number of prostitutes in 1849 as high as 50,000. At the Five Points area of the city during those years (the most popular location for prostitution) some seventeen brothels have been charted.
Most prostitutes were girls who came to the city thinking they could better themselves, or simply wishing to escape their families, only to find themselves in a worse situation than before. It was common for women engaged in the sex trade to kill their babies or discard them on someone’s doorstep. Therefore, Amber’s desire to keep hers went against the grain of society at that time and required a major choice on her part.
Prostitutes were also well paid. Often they made more than females working in other occupations, sometimes becoming somewhat of a celebrity. They were notorious for their involvement in crime. I chose to keep Amber free from organized crime for the most part except for her role in Michael O’Fallen’s struggles in book one. This doesn’t mean that the turmoil to stay free from it wouldn’t exist in her heart. The memory of her father and his role in putting her there as well as her ultimate desire to somehow feel clean again were ultimately the contributing factors to her final choice.
Songs
Chapter 4, Scene 1 – Seoithín, Seo Hó
Chapter 7, Scene 7 – Coillte Glasa na Triúcha
Chapter 10, Scene 2 – Coillte Glasa na Triúcha
Chapter 19, Scene 4 – Caiseal Mumhan
Suzanne D. Williams