It's 1858, and a family has been entrusted with an angel sent to experience a human life.
The O'Sullivans are forced from their home in Ireland, only to find an unwelcoming America on the brink of civil war. Their journey leads them to a mining estate in the Appalachians of Virginia: Catawba Coal & Iron Company.
Their youngest son, Peter, holds a wisdom and light beyond his human appearance in a world that threatens to be his undoing. He must learn to navigate a place where his culture is not always welcome, a love foretold by Irish myth, and a country where race dictates who is enslaved and who is free.
An award-winning prequel to Lighting the Candle, This World Below brings magical realism to a true, untold history and real-life setting. Fated romance, betrayed loyalties, and unbreakable family bonds play strong parts in this southern gothic novel.