by. Anne Bradshaw
Terracotta Summer takes the O’Shea family from the security of family life in Manchester, England, and, like the seeds of a dandelion blowing in the wind, disperses them to Scotland, Northern Ireland and across the Atlantic Ocean. The title, Terracotta, symbolizes both the warm stability of clay pots, and the tenacious instincts of the vibrant Terracotta Rock Rose. When Patrick O'Shea refuses to join his family in their move from Manchester to Northern Ireland, his life takes a downward spiral as he becomes involved with the I.R.A. His older brother, Ken, building a chapel in Scotland, can't help. He has trials of his own. Meanwhile, Ruth, their beautiful young aunt, is bravely changing the course of her own troubled life by sailing for America. But can she put the past behind her, or will things go from bad to worse? Follow the O'Sheas in this fast-paced novel, set in 1960s Britain, as intrigue and romance develops.