Die Herren auf Cashelmara

The Lords of Cashelmara (originally Cashelmara, published in 1974) is a lavish historical family saga by Susan Howatch, inspired by real-life events and rulers from the English Plantagenet dynasty, but skillfully relocated to 19th-century Ireland. The story follows three generations of the de Clare family and their wild but magnificent estate of Cashelmara on the west coast of Ireland.

The plot begins when Lord Edward de Clare marries a young American woman, Marguerite, which sets off an avalanche of family intrigue, secrets and forbidden passions. The story is told from the perspectives of six different characters, allowing the reader to gain deep psychological insight into their hidden motives, sins and personal tragedies. Through decades of political turmoil, the Irish Famine and social change, the family members will fight for supremacy, property and their own feelings.

Susan Howatch masterfully combines a Victorian atmosphere with tense psychological drama and thriller plots. Exploring the devastating consequences of greed, obsessive love, and family curses passed down from generation to generation, The Lords of Cashelmara is a compelling work about the power and decline of the landed gentry, where the estate itself remains a silent witness to human destinies.