“In this important novel, Julie Christine Johnson brings together a remote peninsula in the west of Ireland with environmental issues that threaten a local community and its attachment to the landscape…Written in a lyrical voice with honesty and authority on the environment, addiction and recovery, and the magic of the Irish landscape, The Crows of Beara is a passionate story of one woman’s recovery of her soul.”
“The Crows Of Beara is a love song to Ireland that combines dazzling views of wild, sweeping landscapes with a hard, honest look at the need for jobs in the country’s rural west. Johnson’s writing is assured and passionate.”
“A beautiful, powerful novel about the mystical songs of ancient Ireland, two damaged souls fighting for the hope of a second chance, the healing power of place, and the importance of listening to your heart. My heart ached for Annie and Daniel and cheered for their resilience. This is not a novel I will forget.”
“Like Ireland itself, The Crows of Beara pulls at something deep inside the reader and won’t let go. In this captivating and thoughtful novel, the enchantment of Ireland heals two damaged souls and reminds all of us that no matter how dark life may be at times, there is always hope.”
“In Another Life grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go. The prose is rich and evocative, transporting the reader to rural France with an ease unusual for a debut author. Very highly recommended.”
“First-time novelist Julie Christine Johnson’s In Another Life offers a tale that spans time, bringing the 13th century and contemporary Languedoc and Paris to vibrant life. Populated by characters grappling with common human challenges, this novel is amplified by a framework beyond time. ... a compelling tale of forgiveness and redemption, weaving together “then” and “now,” and revealing the steadfast power of love.”
“In Another Life debut author Julie Johnson handles what could be an overwhelming amount of historical details with skill, presenting a fascinating mystery grounded in historical fact. Her lyrical, sensuous style is beguiling in its own singularly seductive way. Lia is a dream of a narrator, one whom readers will root for.”
“Delicate and haunting, romantic and mystical, IN ANOTHER LIFE is a novel with an extraordinary sense of place. Fans swept away by Diana Gabaldon’s 18th-century Scotland will want to explore Julie Christine Johnson’s 13th-century Languedoc.”
Julie Christine Johnson is the award-winning author of In Another Life, recipient of the 2016 Foreword Indies Gold Prize for Fantasy, The Crows of Beara, an eco-lit love letter to Ireland’s wild heart, and forthcoming in 2026, Upside Down Girl (Rootstock Publishing). Her short fiction has appeared in several journals and anthologies and she is a regular contributor to Writer Unboxed. With degrees in French, Psychology, and International Affairs, and adventures living in France, Chad, Japan and New Zealand, Julie’s career has spanned teaching abroad, international higher education, and the wine industry. She lives on Washington’s misty Olympic Peninsula with four cats, seven chickens, a Labradane, and a painter, and works in nonprofit finance. She recently completed her first work of crime fiction and is now dreaming up historical fantasy that might just star Mary Magdalene and Rilke. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her hiking forest trails, flowing through yoga, or coaxing her dahlias to grow.
Connect with Julie on her website, Instagram, Goodreads, and Substack.