Description
I’ve read my fair share of historical sagas, but David A. Jacinto’s Where Eagles Fly Free brought back the rush I felt reading adventure tales as a teenager—only this time with a grown-up appreciation for nuance, grit, and deeply human characters. The novel, second in Jacinto’s Courageous Series, is a compelling, compassionate, and often vividly harrowing account of one immigrant family’s Atlantic crossing in 1868. Think Little House on the Prairie meets Titanic but with less glitz and more gut-wrenching reality.
The story follows Tom Wright and his pregnant wife, Annie, as they, along with extended family, flee the industrial decay and class oppression of England for the promise of land and freedom in America. From the very first chapter—when Tom wipes his nose and waves goodbye to his heartbroken mother on the Liverpool dock—you know you’re in for something emotionally sincere and richly detailed.
Jacinto excels at creating a sense of place. The stifling quarters belowdecks, the overpowering stench of mold and sickness, and the relentless North Atlantic storms feel so real you might want to wrap yourself in a wool blanket just reading about them. Captain Preston, the gruff but oddly likable American in charge of their vessel, provides levity with his stern speeches and dry wit. “While yer on my ship, you’ll be under my rule and mine alone,” he barks—and you believe him.
But the real heart of this novel is Annie. If there were an award for “Historical Fiction MVP,” she’d win it. Heavily pregnant, seasick, and often exhausted, she somehow becomes the ship’s moral center. From standing up to the repulsive cook Mr. Bunnings (the rotten tomato scene is both hilarious and satisfying) to nursing sick children and even winning over snooty upper-class passenger Rachel Stone, Annie radiates quiet strength. I defy anyone not to cheer when she smacks a broom handle near Bunnings’ head to demand better food for the sick. Jacinto writes her with reverence but also realism—she’s flawed, unsure, and even resentful at times. In short, human.
Some moments verge on melodrama, yes. And the language can occasionally lean sentimental. But frankly, a little hope and idealism are welcome in a story so soaked in hardship. Where Eagles Fly Free reminds us that resilience, decency, and community—even among strangers—can flourish under the harshest conditions.
In a time when we’re all craving stories of courage and compassion, Jacinto delivers just that—served up with sea spray, storm-tossed decks, and a whole lot of heart.