The Ruling Passion

by Shaun Herron

First published 1978

Carrach MacDonnell commands wealth and power as head of his clan in war-torn Ireland. When he sees his brother's daughter Isabella, desire overwhelms duty. He abandons his wife to pursue the young woman, knowing he violates every moral boundary. Carrach follows Isabella across the Atlantic to America, then brings her back to Ireland to bear his child. But Isabella, bound to a man her father's age, finds herself drawn to Carrach's son Alasdar. The young man's touch awakens new hungers that threaten to destroy what remains of family loyalty. Three generations of MacDonnells struggle with desires that cross bloodlines and break sacred bonds. Their passions span two continents as each generation repeats the sins of the last.

Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 19th-century

Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful

Tropes: forbidden-love, multi-generational

Setting: Ireland, America

Period: 19th-century, 20th-century

486 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet

Content warnings: incest

More by Shaun Herron

Readers who liked The Ruling Passion also liked

View on Siftivo