On my blog today, I am welcoming MICHAEL J. HOPKINS, to find out more about his recently published historical novel, The Irish Ties That Bind: A Shared One Hundred Year Journey, a story that spans generations of four families, starting in the mid-nineteenth century in southern Ireland and moving to the American Midwest.
As well as finding out more about the book, you can get a taster of it by reading an excerpt.
What is the book about?
From the green hills of southern Ireland to the heartland of America, four families are united by faith, perseverance, and an enduring legacy that spans generations.
As famine and hardship drive Irish immigrants across the Atlantic in the mid-nineteenth century, the Power and Coughlin families plant new roots in the American Midwest. Their daughters answer a higher calling, joining the fledgling Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Through the remarkable leadership of Sister Emily and Sister Samuel, these women help shape a religious community that will educate thousands and leave an indelible mark on the nation.
Their story intertwines with those of the Cullen and Hynes families, whose lives are transformed by the sisters’ influence. Seeking refuge from the unrest of postwar Chicago, they settle in Dixon, Illinois, where friendship, faith, and family bind them to another rising family—the Reagans. As Ronald Reagan grows from a small-town boy into a radio broadcaster, actor, and emerging public figure, the lives of ordinary and extraordinary Americans intersect in unexpected ways.
Set against the backdrop of immigration, the Great Depression, two world wars, and the dawn of the Cold War, The Irish Ties That Bind is a sweeping historical saga of courage, devotion, and the families whose quiet strength shaped generations. It is a powerful testament to the bonds of family, faith, and heritage that endure long after history’s tides have turned.
Read an excerpt
(An Introduction to Irish Emigration)
In the southern region of Ireland during the first half of the nineteenth century, the majority of the population shared a distinct cultural identity rooted in significant Irish ties that bound them together. … What divisions that existed among the people were largely due to differences in religion, social class, and land ownership. … Ultimately, the British Protestant landlords wanted to keep the Irish Catholic tenant farmers in a state of ongoing struggle, poverty, and dependence on the land. This situation led to a growing sense of national consciousness among Irish Catholics, motivating them to seek independence from British rule. In other words, it became another unifying ‘Irish tie that binds.’
The coexisting lives of the Irish poor and the wealthy diverged dramatically during the Great Famine (1845-1852). … The potato blight caused widespread starvation and disease, and the resulting famine killed at least one million Irish peasants and forced over one million more to flee their homeland. … Each family traces at least one ancestral line to southern Ireland. Similar to the interconnected veins of Irish clover, these four emigrant families from the 1840s and 1850s share common cultural ties and lived experiences.
Each featured formidable female leadership and a deeply religious lifestyle before, during, and after their lives crossed paths (directly or indirectly) in 1920 in one relatively small northern Illinois city with a population of just over eight thousand. Distinctive women impacted the lives of people living in Dixon, Illinois, as well as American society and the world . . . As expressed in Proverbs 31:25, ‘Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.’ In other words, a woman of God is strong, dignified, and graceful because she fully understands the power and influence her words and actions hold, thanks to her strong faith in God.
Book details
The Irish Ties That Bind was published on August 20th 2026 by Historium Press, and is available as an eBook and in paperback and hardback.
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About the author
A lifelong resident of Wisconsin, Michael J. Hopkins earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Beloit College, subsequently obtaining a degree in history from Arizona State University and the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. He furthered his academic pursuits by completing a Master of Arts in the Humanities at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Mr. Hopkins concluded a distinguished forty-year tenure in secondary education, having served as a social studies instructor at Darlington High School for thirty-nine years.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he dedicated many years to coaching basketball, baseball, and football at the same high school. His contributions to athletics were formally recognized in 2021 with his induction into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Following his retirement from education, he has transitioned into a career as an author. In 2025, he published his autobiographical memoir, Embracing A Competitive Life: Trials, Triumphs, and 150 Life Lessons in Six Decades of Competition, which chronicles his experiences as both an athlete and a coach.
You can connect with Michael via social media:
Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky
Book Bub | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads
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