I didn't think you were trying to push your way in. Actually, must of this is what is called backstory and not applicable to the story itself except in minor places. All of it gives me an understanding to create a more believable character. As to the story itself. I will cut/paste a portion for your opinion. This is from the prologue and sets up his crime. Also, FYI Amber is a minor character who disappears in this book and reappears in book 2.

January 1870, New York City

Whispered threads of frosty air purled from Michael's breath as he stepped into the street. His feet slithered over the frozen pavement. Grasping the edges of his coat, he ducked beneath the wide collar and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. His fingers met up with his shirt. Holes. That's what remained of his life.

His mother's lovely face floated upward his thoughts, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. If only it was as it had been – her and him against the rest of the world. The rosy image faded into the coal-black night.

Three months since she had passed, yet the ache inside grew larger and larger. He'd lost it all – their belongings, their room at the tenement. Forced to sell her stuff to pay the rent and buy food, he'd even traded in her wedding band, and that hurt the most, for it was all that remained of her and the father he'd never known.

His nose stiffened in the icy cold and he labored to breathe. Now, he'd nowhere to go. The landlord had tossed him out with only the clothes on his back. "Irish scum!" he’d shouted.

The other families only watched, shaking their heads. He didn't blame them for not helping. It was the way of things. Everyone wanted to survive, and in survival, "me" became the most important thing.

The pavement ended at a wide, littered street where narrow buildings huddled together for warmth. Michael picked up the pace and winced as his toes, numbed by the frigid temperatures, clacked together. At the corner, he paused. Laughter spilled out from the open doorway of the tavern onto the cold, empty street. A welcome blast of heat stung his eyes as he swung in the door.

"Hello handsome. I hoped you'd come back." Tapered fingers sporting evenly-shaped nails seized his chin and spun it forward onto a pair of full, crimson lips.

The force of the kiss slammed him against the wall.

"Mwa!" With a loud smack, she released his chin. "You denied me last time, so I decided to take what I want."

The extreme heat in the room settled on his cheeks. "Amber, I ..." he began. But she grasped him by the collar and tugged him across the room.

Lovely piece of writing, very descriptive- that's probably your style?

He grasped her head, his hands clutching her cheeks, and pressed his mouth to hers. Crushing, bruising her lips, he parted her teeth, his desperation clawing at her, his body a lead weight. She squirmed. He hurt her, and she shoved at his chest. But his hands took hold of her wrists, and still he pressed on. She gave a cry.

When he jerked his head away, sparks flew from his eyes. “That answer your question?” he growled.

Pale and shaken, she rubbed at her wounded wrists. “Why did you do that?” she asked. Where does all the hatred come from?

“God!” he screamed. “Are you still so green?”

And her temper flared. “Green? You think I’m stupid? Maybe instead you are the one in denial. There is more between us than that! Tell me, Michael. Tell me. What. Happened. In. New York.” The last words faltered in her speech, and exhausted, she gasped for breath.

He stepped up to her face, and she chilled at the look in his eyes. What did he mean to do now? But he only stared, his glance rippling over her skin, undulating, swelling, and receding. The light went out, and she held back a sob.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice strangely controlled. He touched a finger to her lips and drew it across. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Tears stung her eyes. But you have.

“I am not the man you think I am, and I cannot live up to that image.” He clenched his teeth and worked his jaw. “You don’t know me, Anne. You don’t know me at all.”

He grasped her head, his hands clutching her cheeks, and pressed his mouth to hers. Crushing, bruising her lips, he parted her teeth, his desperation clawing at her, his body a lead weight. She squirmed. He hurt her, and she shoved at his chest. But his hands took hold of her wrists, and still he pressed on. She gave a cry.

When he jerked his head away, sparks flew from his eyes. “That answer your question?” he growled.

Pale and shaken, she rubbed at her wounded wrists. “Why did you do that?” she asked. Where does all the hatred come from?

“God!” he screamed. “Are you still so green?”

And her temper flared. “Green? You think I’m stupid? Maybe instead you are the one in denial. There is more between us than that! Tell me, Michael. Tell me. What. Happened. In. New York.” The last words faltered in her speech, and exhausted, she gasped for breath.

He stepped up to her face, and she chilled at the look in his eyes. What did he mean to do now? But he only stared, his glance rippling over her skin, undulating, swelling, and receding. The light went out, and she held back a sob.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice strangely controlled. He touched a finger to her lips and drew it across. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Tears stung her eyes. But you have.

“I am not the man you think I am, and I cannot live up to that image.” He clenched his teeth and worked his jaw. “You don’t know me, Anne. You don’t know me at all.”

Yes, You can almost feel the emotion, very good!

Thanks!

Wow, got my book, "The New York Irish", in the mail today and it almost ripped my arm from the socket. That's a heck of a book! Looks like it's full of info!

Hope it's worth it! Any good? What chapters or topics are being discussed.

Well, it's as comprehensive a book as you could ever want on the subject. (FYI, I bought a used copy with shipping for only $6!) It covers from Colonial America to 1992.

I am going to read the portion labeled "Part II THE GREAT MIGRATION 1844 to 1877". There are five chapters within this section, each covering a different angle of living in New York during those years.

Overview: "The Most Irish City in the Union": The Era of the Great Migration, 1844-1877
Chapter 4: "Desirable Companions and Lovers": Irish and African Americans in the Sixth Ward, 1830-1870
Chapter 5: "Quimbo Appo's Fear of Fenians": Chinese-Irish-Anglo Relations in New York City
Chapter 6: Illness and Medical Care among Irish Immigrants in Antebellum New York
Chapter 7: Shrewd Irishmen: Irish Entrepreneurs and Artisans in New York's Clothing Industry, 1830-1880
Chapter 8: Union Green: The Irish Community and the Civil War

However, I do have to say that given those titles, there is a lot more between the scenes info included. Of what I've read so far, it talks about language and newspapers. There's quite a bit about the use of the Irish language both in print and with the immigrants. That's from Chapter 8. Then I backed up and began back with the potato famine, which I knew about, but the book tells it in detail and includes statistics. I also noted a section on Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants. Apparently, there were significant race wars. I'll keep you posted of anything else interesting I find.

I am forming more and more of an opinion of how my character's parents would have come to America, why, and what would have happened to them there. I've also decided his father most likely died of typhus, a prevalent disease in those years.

$6 that's impressive, amazon is great. I hope it was in good condition, they usually are. That's a vast time period, I'd say you'll get your money's worth out of it!

That's sounds very interesting it covers a whole range of important topics and you may get some inspiration or confirm what your looking for. I think a source as intrinsic as this should provide a good knowledge of the era, which intern should enhance the book because you can situate the reader in the era as having knowledge of the time will allow you to see the World as an Irish person would back then, leading to a greater understanding of an Irish person feelings and experiences; and how it would have shaped their character as a person.

The topic I would be most interested in myself would be the Irish language and how it evolved and faded away. Hopefully, the piece on Catholics and Protestants should provide you with an answer to why your character reverted to Protestantism

That's great