On the eve of the Civil War, deep in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains, hundreds of Irish immigrant laborers risk their lives to carve a tunnel through solid granite. In the remote Appalachian camp where they live, death comes easily-through blasting accidents, rockslides, disease, drink, and violence.
But when a young laborer is condemned for murder, a weary priest arrives to hear the man's final confession and deliver last rites. Instead, he uncovers a secret far darker than the crime itself-one capable of shattering the fragile world around them.

In The Broken Season, author Jim Haughey blends rich historical detail with gripping suspense, bringing to life the forgotten struggles of Irish immigrants in 19th-century Appalachia. Atmospheric, haunting, and deeply human, the novel explores faith, guilt, survival, and the hidden costs of progress in a nation on the brink of war.
Perfect for readers of historical mysteries, Southern Gothic fiction, and immersive Civil War-era storytelling, The Broken Season is a powerful debut novel from a longtime literary scholar making the leap into fiction.
Fans of Charles Frazier, Ron Rash, and Geraldine Brooks will find much to admire in this compelling and beautifully researched tale.