Stephanie Downey
In this sweeping debut set against the Troubles in Northern Ireland, tragedy pulls a young photographer into the heart of the conflict and she discovers that love and loyalty rarely survive untouched.
Derry, 1972. Cara Connelly has known Malachy O'Malley all her life. He's her brother Liam's closest friend and the one who steadied her through her mother's death and the grief that followed. But at the height of the Troubles, violence becomes an inescapable part of daily life, and the boys she grew up with begin to walk starkly different paths.
Liam believes in peaceful protest, while Malachy is drawn to the IRA. Cara, caught between them, turns to photography as a way to make sense of the chaos around her, and maybe even a path toward a life beyond it. As her bond with Malachy deepens into something undeniable, she is pulled into a world of secrecy, where every moment spent waiting for his safe return is agony.
When tragedy strikes, Cara is thrust deeper into the conflict in unexpected ways. As the cost of every decision rises, she must navigate a dangerous balancing act between love, loyalty, and survival.
EARLY REVIEWS
"THE BOGSIDE SAINTS is a gritty, gutsy, unflinching look at the violent conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1970s, seen through the eyes of the people on the ground for whom the line between friend and enemy, terrorism and warfare are inextricably blurred. Stephanie Downey has penned a triple-threat read: all at once a compelling page turner, a moving romance, and a book to make you think long after the last page is turned."
KATE QUINN,
New York Times Bestselling author of The Alice Network
“THE BOGSIDE SAINTS is a brilliantly rendered story of The Troubles in Ireland, taking us through danger, devotion, and impossible choices. Stephanie Downey’s vivid prose takes us deep into the heart of Ireland on a wild and deeply moving journey through survival, sacrifice, and the bonds that both save and break us. A beautiful, devastating, and morally complex story made even richer by the love that illuminates every page.”
PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times Bestselling author of Heart of the Wild
“One of the most gripping books I've read in some time. Downey vividly recreates both the visual landscape of war-torn Northern Ireland and the emotional landscape of her heroine...The pace is relentless, the tension nerve shredding, with 'what would I do in that situation' choices in almost every chapter. I honestly did not know how this would end, but the author found the ideal balance of hope and heartbreak."
MARIAH FREDERICKS, author of The Girl in the Green Dress
“In her inspired debut novel, Stephanie Downey introduces Cara Connelly, a gifted young photojournalist documenting the brutal conflict in Northern Ireland. Told with sensitivity and empathy, THE BOGSIDE SAINTS is the unflinching story of Cara’s experiences with violence, love, betrayal, and redemption."
SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL, author of Mr. Churchill's Secretary
BIO
Stephanie Downey is a writer and educator living in Southern California with her husband, children, and their menagerie of animals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s degree in Education. As a writer and reader, she is drawn to morally gray characters who make readers sit between the blurred lines of right and wrong while exploring the complexity of human nature. She believes there’s power in a cup of tea, time at the sea, and venturing to new places.
The Bogside Saints is her first novel.
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