Lume Books signs two-book deal with screenwriter Tarr

Digital-first independent publisher Lume Books has signed a two-book deal with author and screenwriter Hope C Tarr. 

Aubrie Artiano, head of publishing, acquired world English-language rights to both books directly from the author. 

The first book in the American Songbook series, Irish Eyes, will be published in December 2023. The next instalment, Stardust, will be published in 2024. 

Set in the Aran Islands and New York City, Irish Eyes spans the Gilded and Jazz Ages as seen through the eyes of young Irish immigrant, Rose O’Neill. The publisher said: “Rose leaves her beloved Inishmore and boards a steamer for New York in search of the Yank soldier who swore to marry her. 

“To survive, Rose must ford through Lower East Side tenements and sweatshops, Fifth Avenue mansions and tiny hotels; tangling with Tammany Hall for the soul of the husband with whom her fate is inextricably linked, while fighting her feelings for her first love.” 

Artiano said: “Rose’s story is powerful and incredibly emotional. Exploring everything from adolescence and loss to first love and war, Tarr’s writing is hypnotic and moving. I can’t wait for readers to meet Rose and embark on her unforgettable journey.” 

Tarr added: “I am absolutely over the moon to have Irish Eyes and its sequel releasing with Lume Books. The novel is in every way a book of my heart, as well as a love note to my Irish emigré ancestors, who, like my fictional heroine Rose, boarded a ship and crossed the Atlantic, all in the hope of a better life. With Aubrie and her team, I know Rose’s story is in the very best of hands.”