West Shore Author Celebrates Irish Heritage in Cleveland Historical Novel

Summer readers, rejoice! Here is a wonderful novel that is not only set in Civil War era Cleveland, but authored by West Shore writer Ashley Herzog, a Rocky River resident who was born and raised in Avon Lake and attended St. Raphael School in Bay Village.

Her new book, “Burning River,” released this month, is about the Irish in Cleveland during the Civil War.

The Irish community was deeply divided over the war and slavery. There were deadly draft riots in Irish neighborhoods throughout the country, most famously in New York. But various Irish regiments—such as Cleveland’s Hibernian Guard—served with honor in the Civil War, and their service helped establish them as Americans first, Irishmen second.

“I did research and discovered my third great-grandfather, William Chambers, was a Union soldier who was badly injured during a raid of a ‘blockade runner,’ or an enemy ship smuggling supplies to Southern troops. Ohio was full of Confederate sympathizers known as “Copperheads” during this time. Because Copperhead smugglers were technically civilians, William Chambers was accused of war crimes for killing several Copperheads during a raid on a smuggling operation in the Great Lakes. The story is about his growing relationship with his future wife (my third great-grandmother), and his fight to clear himself of the charges,” says Herzog.

“I started writing novels at a very early age—I was hand-writing and illustrating “chapter books” by second grade,” says Herzog of her writing career. “As a young adult, I put my love of writing historical fiction on hold and became focused on journalism.” She attended the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where she was a columnist for the school newspaper. Her columns were picked up by Salem Media, and soon her work was getting attention all over the country. She appeared on Fox News and was published in many media outlets, including the local Plain Dealer.

“But I always felt incomplete, and my lifelong dream was to write a novel,” adds Herzog. “I had always wanted to write a novel about Irish immigrants to the U.S.—coming through Ellis Island and all of that.

“In 2015, I started reading my great-uncle’s genealogy research. My great-uncle, Grover Masterson, was a professional-level genealogist, and he traveled to Ireland to collect my ancestor’s baptismal records, land holdings, and court documents. He even took photos of the cottage where my ancestors were born—the original home is still standing in County Mayo, Ireland. Through Grover Masterson’s research, I found out my great-great-grandmother, Mary Chambers, had owned a saloon in Cleveland, which is still in business. (It’s now called Carney’s and is located in The Flats. I thought, “alright, there has to be a story there.” My first novel about my ancestors, published in 2019, is set at the saloon and on the West Side of Cleveland.”

Herzog has now penned several novels, all available on Amazon and Kindle.

Here is a synopsis of the new book, “Burning River.”

“Cleveland, Ohio, 1863. Bridget McGlynn is leaving Ireland with her brother, Dominick, and her young niece. The McGlynns expect an uneventful journey across the Atlantic to the Great Lakes. Instead, Dominick is drafted into the Union Army, and Bridget must find her way to Cleveland with Dominick’s daughter. On the way, she boards a traveling showboat called the Green Monster, where Confederate sympathizers are smuggling explosives—and the crew is willing to kill to hide their secret. A few miles off Cedar Point, the boat goes up in flames.

“The only person who knows the truth about the Green Monster is William Chambers, a young Irish-American Marine from a rival family. Although the Chamberses and the McGlynns don’t get along, Bridget is drawn to the wounded soldier anyway…

“As Bridget struggles to build a new life in a city divided by politics, prejudice, and the Civil War, an unexpected bond grows between her and the disgraced soldier. But powerful enemies are closing in. A U.S. Marshal who secretly aids the Confederacy wants Will charged with murder. An aspiring politician, Mark Hanna, wants Bridget for himself. As pieces of the Green Monster wash ashore, Bridget is torn between telling the truth about that night—or saving herself.”

In addition to Amazon, the book is available at Casey’s Irish Imports in Rocky River.