Maggie O’Halloran: Book 1
Publication Date: March 31, 2026
Maggie O’Halloran gazes at the Statue of Liberty, her eyes wide with wonder. “At last,” she breathes softly. “This is where my future begins…”
New York City, 1891: Stepping off the boat she boarded in Ireland, Maggie O’Halloran’s heart is filled with hope for this brave new world. But when her father isn’t waiting at the docks as planned, her excitement vanishes with the terrible realization she and her brother Danny are utterly alone—homeless, penniless and without a friend in the world.
Life on the Lower East Side is hard and grindingly poor, but Maggie is determined to survive. As she gazes longingly into the windows of Manhattan’s famous department stores, she dreams of owning her own millinery shop and becoming independent at last. And when fellow Irishman Brendan O’Donoghue offers her and Danny refuge, Maggie finally feels hope for their future.
Finding work with a wealthy family on the Upper East Side, Maggie’s dreams begin to feel closer than ever before. But just as her fortunes finally change, her brother’s involvement with a notorious New York gang brings terrible danger to both her and Brendan’s doors. Facing a heartbreaking decision, can Maggie save her brother and protect the new life she’s built? Or will the American dream she has held so close to her heart be lost forever?
The first book in the Maggie O’Halloran series, this is a sweeping, epic and heart-wrenching story of one woman’s determination to change her fortunes against all odds. Perfect for fans of moving historical fiction, Kristin Harmel and Jean Grainger.
Maggie O’Halloran looks forward to a fresh start in America. However, from the moment they step off the boat from Ireland, she and her young brother face a number of challenges.
Author Kate Hewitt highlights the immigrant experience of the late 19th century in The Irish Daughter of New York.
A key element of the story is Maggie’s absent father, who was supposed to meet his children. With her brother getting caught up in a street gang, Maggie is determined to come up with a plan to earn money.
Working as a domestic helps her financially, but it also dangles an opportunity to design dresses. She’s caught between the dreams of a successful career and the steady affection of a handsome grocer.
The author weaves in threads of danger when the street gang threatens harm, leading to an interesting conclusion to the new series.
The Irish Daughter of New York highlights a young woman’s experience as she navigates a city where social status and money determine a person’s options.
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.
