After the Darkness: Love, Loss, and Resilience in Ireland's Darkest Hour

After the birth of her twins in 1844, Margarita Beconsford, wife of the Honourable Victor Beconsford, believed that life could not be better. Yet, within a year, the ravages of a devastating potato blight moves through Ireland, destroying the lives of the vulnerable. Margarita's young aunt Alice has happily begun her new life in West Cork, but her shock at people's living conditions makes her take action. Living on her husband's family farm, she hopes that she can make a difference to people's lives. However, as the famine continues to rage, both family and friends struggle to keep hope alive.

In her more affluent surroundings in the 'Big House', can Margarita's marriage survive the strain caused by her husband's morbid fear for the safety of his children in these desperate times? She has to make decisions for her future and that of her children, while wondering if she will ever again encounter a time when she will experience joy in her life and a song in her heart.