Somewhere in Ireland, book
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“You could have been one
leaning in to catch the point of the story
then, leaning back to laugh,
rosy face to the ceiling,
as if good cheer rises like heat or
smoke out the chimney.
You could have been one of these
if you hadn’t had to leave Ireland so young.”
Poem excerpt from You Could Have Been One by Linda Whittenberg
(addressed to her ancestor, Michael Shannon, who immigrated 1850 to flee the Famine)
This book began to be written soon after the author landed at Shannon Airport to attend Writers’ Week in Listowel, County Kerry. The beauty of the land, the welcoming spirit of the people, the language, the clouds, the music, the ever-present reminders of history, all these set pen in motion and the poems kept coming over the next two years.
The book tells the story of how being in the land of her ancestors opened the doors to the author’s family history and to parts of herself she had never considered to be related to her Irish ancestry.
The beautiful colored art reproduced in the book is by Georgia artist Lillie Morris, who also has deep Irish connections, especially through her fiddle playing.
Description
ISBN: 978-0-9825156-1-7
Soft Cover, Glue bound, 105 Pages
Size: 5″ by 8.5″
What Others have Said:
“In a strong, honest, confident voice, at once American and Irish, Linda Whittenberg leads us …on a fascinating journey across the years and miles, from the dark days of The Famine in County Clare, over oceans and deserts and back again to the 21st Century… The poems here are full of love, not to mention forgiveness and a deep understanding of where her people came from and the times and circumstances that drove them. Somewhere in Ireland should appeal to readers on both sides of the Atlantic.” John McGrath, writer, teacher, editor, manages Moybella Press which publishes the work of Irish writers, including his own book, Blue Sky Day.
