Lisa Beth of Monaghan

About the Book

“Lisa Beth of Monaghan” is the story of a young girl from Dublin who travels the “Bible circuit” with her father, Calvin Calvert, a “Bible Reader.”  The Calverts are French Huguenots who have emigrated to Dublin from France.  They have traveled in his cabriolet to Monaghan Town in the county of Monaghan where Mr. Calvert will give a reading to a gathering of several churches.  Lisa Beth is a dark-haired beauty whose hearts desire is a lovely cottage to settle in and call home with a man she loves.

The year is 1856 in an Ireland emerging from the potato famine and poverty into a brighter future.  A young farmer of Monaghan, Ben Wilson, attends the church service and when he sees Lisa Beth sitting up on the platform beside her father, he is completely enchanted by her beauty.  Dan McMurray, owner of the Hotel Monaghan and Pub also decides she is the one he has been searching for to make his wife.

Ben and Lisa Beth come together in a passionate embrace, but are separated before they learn where the other lives.  Dan immediately moves in to court Lisa Beth with his charm and money.  What follows is a fast-moving tale of a lover’s search, Gypsy caravans, and a courageous woman.

Lisa Beth’s story continues into the reality of married life; the joys of having children and sharing life with a loving mate.  Also, when hard times come, having strength and courage to find a way to feed her hungry bairns.  

Lisa Beth is impetuous, passionate and forges ahead rather than be content to lean on others.  When her passionate side betrays her, she learns the lesson of forgiving herself for her transgressions.  Lisa Beth is a real woman with real problems who finds her faith to carry her through the uncertainties of life.

About the Author

B. J. Rule resides in New Smyrna Beach, Florida with her husband, Gordon. She moved to Florida, retiring from a career as an administrative assistant for the State of Massachusetts. B. J. Rule has written articles and stories for national magazines and newspapers. Her non-fiction book “POLAR KNIGHT: The Mystery of Sir John Franklin” was published in 1998. She is a member of the National League of American Pen Women, and Association for Research and Enlightenment.