A Life Before: Media Kit

A Life Before: Book Details

Title: A Life Before

Series: The Yeats-Gonne Series (Book 1)

  • Genre: Literary Fiction
  • ISBN: 978-1-913349-69-1
  • Publisher: Font Publications
  • Publication Date: Kickstarter Edition, November 2024. General Release: Spring 2025
  • Kickstarter Campaign: Ornaross.com/ALifeBefore

A Life Before: About

A Life Before is the first book in the highly anticipated Gonne-Yeats series which comprises seven standalone novels that together form an epic biographical fiction sequence about the life and times of Irish luminaries Maud Gonne and WB Yeats, and their circles… public and private.

A Life Before: Description: 

A Life Before, the first novel in the sequence, tells the coming-of-age stories of three young Irish people on the brink of life-changing decisions: Maud Gonne, Willie (WB) Yeats, and Paddy Cross, the fictional uncle of Rosy Cross, the series narrator and at time of writing, “the oldest woman in Ireland”.

The novel is set in the late 1880s amidst land wars and class upheaval in Ireland, England and France, as revisited by Rosy from her vantage point in the 1990s. It weaves together the stories of an heiress questioning her privilege, an aspiring poet seeking true love, and a country laborer in desperate need. The three are exiled to England, and must navigate a world of emotional turmoil and societal challenges to overcome the death and destruction that has erupted in their lives.

This first novel in the series introduces readers to its cast of extraordinary characters but is a standalone read in itself. Orna Ross masterfully blending history and fiction to take readers a journey filled with emotional twists and spiritual turns, as A Life Before offers a fresh perspective on the bohemian lifestyles of Dublin, London, and Paris in the 1880s, and uncovers lesser-known aspects of the lives of WB Yeats and Maud Gonne.

Through the enchanting voice of its narrator-romancer, the story intertwines factual and fictional elements, revealing hidden aspects of the famous poet, the revolutionary activist, and the Irish people.

A Life Before Downloads & Links

Book Information Sheet PDF: Download information one-sheet

3D Book Cover jpeg: Download PDF full cover

Buy Link: Ornaross.com/ALifeBefore

Press Release for the book: Ornaross.com/press-release-a-life-before/

Press Release for the campaign: Ornaross.com/press-release-statue-campaign/

About the Author

Orna Ross is an award-winning Irish novelist and poet whose books explore creative expansion and the rebalance of male and female forces. An international bestseller, her writing awards include the Goethe Grand Prize for Historical Fiction and the Gold Literary Titan award for poetry, and she has been named one of the Top 100 People in Publishing for her work with ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. She was born and raised in Wexford, in the south-east of Ireland, and now lives in St Leonard's on Sea, in the south-east of England, within working reach of London. Her motto is: “When in doubt, be braver.” Find out more at OrnaRoss.com/about