Quebec, Canada, 1847. While trying to escape the Potato Famine, shipwrecked Irish immigrant Breanna Clarey awakens injured and alone on an unfamiliar beach. To make matters worse, she has been separated from her family, and her friend, Crow, is lying dead at her feet. But when Dawson Roberts, a reclusive fisherman with a guarded past and big dreams for his future, finds Breanna, he puts his plans on hold to offer her shelter and help find her family.
But life for an Irish immigrant isn't easy. Facing a deadly quarantine station, dangerous immigration officials, and grief over her missing family, Breanna struggles to exert her independence and navigate her new world. While Breanna confronts an unknown future, Dawson is plagued by a painful past. They each must determine their own course, even if it means ignoring the pull they have on each other.
When the future takes an unexpected turn, only the ocean that has brought them so much devastation can help them find their way back to where they belong.
The History Behind What the Ocean Brings
Although Breanna and Dawson’s story is fictional, the tragic shipwreck of the Carricks of Whitehaven is not. In March 1847, nearly two hundred Irish men, women, and children boarded the Carricks at Sligo Harbor in the hope of a better future, intending to migrate to Quebec City, Canada. A blinding snowstorm caused the ship to miss the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River, and the boat crashed upon the shore. Most of the people would die, never having enjoyed the new life they dreamed of in North America.
I was inspired by these events after reading a story in The Washington Post in 2019 that told of a mass grave that had been discovered in Cap-des Rosiers. In 2011, a storm swept along the coast of Gaspé in Quebec, Canada, uncovering several sets of children’s bones. Over the next couple of years, many more bones were found. The grave was eventually traced to the Carricks’ shipwreck. Of the nearly two hundred people who boarded the ship in Ireland, fewer than fifty survived. Many of the victims were never found.
A monument has been erected near the site of the unmarked grave to honor these brave immigrants. If you are interested in learning more about the Carricks and the Irish immigrants from Sligo, a documentary was produced in 2020 by Celtic Crossing Productions entitled “Lost Children of the Carricks”.
The film can be viewed at the link below and is worth watching.
Read the article that first inspired the story for What the Ocean Brings here:
Tonya Ulynn Brown
Tonya Ulynn Brown is an award-winning historical romance author who writes emotionally rich tales of ancient castles, treacherous plots, and forbidden love. With a deep passion for the turbulent histories of England and Scotland, she brings the past vividly to life through stories where danger and desire walk hand in hand.
Tonya holds a master’s degree and teaches Reading and Writing at the elementary level. Fueled by iced coffees, beautiful books, and an enduring obsession with Mary, Queen of Scots, she fills her days writing, teaching, and researching the lives of long-dead monarchs and other historical figures.
Most of all, she loves spending time with her husband, two sons, and one very spoiled French bulldog.
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Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, Tonya.
DeleteSuch an interesting article, especially as it is about such a tragic event. Those poor families.