Almost Kings by Anne Hassett

This is not going to be a spoiler.

Almost Kings is just pure and simple, a good book. It takes place during the nineteenth century, in Ireland, and later in the Montana Territory. You might think that is an odd combination, but it's not. The flow of the book, and the transition from Ireland to Montana is perfect. It is the story of a prominent Irish family, and their extended family, and how they deal with the famine, the politics of Ireland at the time, and each other. The characters are drawn so well, that you can picture them in your mind, the women are beautiful, and strong, and the men are almost too good to be true, ( I wish I was married to an Irish man.) You can envision the green fields of Ireland. You can feel the pain they go through, and the joy they feel, along with all of the other emotions (and there are many) they display. I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to see what was coming next. When you read this book, (and you really should), you will laugh, cry, fall in love, and be heartbroken. It leaves the story in a perfect position for a sequel, (please, please write another one). After I finished the book, I really missed the people I had come to know. It's one of those books that you can read more than once.