Billy'O Lost in the Promised Land Book IV

Billy’O - Lost in the Promised Land - Book Four, is the final volume of a four part coming of age story about Billy O’Shea, a teenage survivor of the Irish Famine. The continuing auto-biography of Billy O’Shea spans almost twenty years, from the age of thirteen at the time of the Irish Famine to the California Gold Rush and through to Billy O’Shea’s heroic exploits during the blood stained years of the American Civil War.

Billy’O Book Three came to a close as Billy O’Shea was forced to leave the country through the southern blockade by way of the Mississippi delta south of New Orleans while his son James had managed to board a steam ship bound for New York City with the help of Michael Broderick, a wealthy import export trader.
Book Four begins as Billy and his friend Jason Brody travel to London, England. Billy is seriously ill and hospitalized upon arriving in London. Jason falls back into his old ways and Billy is left on his own. He has been tasked by Edwin Healey in Book Three to deliver a letter to Edwin’s daughter Laura, who lives in London with her grandparents. Billy goes to the Bowen house to deliver the letter and collapses. Lady Bowen is determined to take possession of the letter before her granddaughter sees it. Laura approaches Billy and inquires about her father. Billy and Laura become attracted to each other. Billy shares a room with Clyde Darby, a newspaper reporter who convinces Billy that he should publicly proclaim his innocence. The release of the newspaper story leads to Billy’s immediate arrest and he is deported from London. Billy O’Shea returns to Ireland.
While Billy is on a journey back to his home country, his son James is taken into protective custody by a federal marshal during his aunt’s funeral in Portland Maine. He is escorted to Boston and placed into the custody of Congressman Daniel Wolcott, his father’s sworn enemy. James is threatened with a beating if he is not willing to reveal his father’s whereabouts. James manages to escape the Wolcott house. He boards a freight train for Albany, hoping he can get to Chicago and find Michael Broderick. James is taken in by the Nethercutt family in Albany who nurse him back to health after being found sleeping in the freight car and nearly frozen. James befriends an itinerant photographer, Arthur Lindley who is bound for the war front. James persuades Arthur to take him along as his assistant. Michael Broderick travels to London and discovers that Billy has gone to Kilkenny. Michael Broderick goes to Billy and offers to escort him back to New York so he can turn himself into the federal authorities for the sake of his son’s safety. Laura sends a letter with Michael professing her love for Billy and her expressed desire to see him again. She announces her plans to return to America to seek out her father, Edwin Healey. As Billy returns to New York City and faces justice in the form of a military court’s martial, James is headed toward the war front with Arthur Lindley. This sets the stage for the dramatic conclusion of the Billy’O Epic.

About the Cover: The cover illustration titled “Broken Home” was conceived and rendered by the author, John Sheehan, using digital brushes and paint with a computer paint and graphics program.