Ireland, early 1800s. The Napoleonic Wars have ended, leaving an already disjointed country in peril. Maurice O'Dwyer, a young Irishman, considers the lifeless body of an English tithe-collector slain under a rain-filled sky. From that moment it seems his fate is sealed: he and his young simpleton brother, Padraig, are exiled to Australia, An Astrail, to the convict-filled island of Van Diemen’s Land - leaving behind his love, his land, and his liberty. However, in the bush Maurice discovers that there are allies in the most unlikely of places.
About the Author John A. Tully is descended from English and Irish forebears. A Tasmanian expatriate, a socialist and an active trade unionist, he worked as a rigger in construction and heavy industry for many years. He currently lectures in Politics and History at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of six published books, a number of articles, book reviews and short stories. His previous book, Dark Clouds on the Mountain, also set in Tasmania, was published by Hybrid Publishers in 2010.