My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search For Home

Dougherty, Michael Brendan

ISBN 10: 0525538658 / ISBN 13: 9780525538653

Published by Sentinel, 2019

Fast & Free Shipping â A well-loved copy with text fully readable and cover pages intact. May display wear such as writing, highlighting, bends, folds or library marks. Still a complete and usable book. Seller Inventory # ZWV.0525538658.A

Synopsis:

The child of an Irish man and an Irish-American woman who split up soon after he was born, Michael Brendan Dougherty grew up with an acute sense of absence. He loved his mother but longed for his father, who only occasionally returned from Ireland for visits. He was happy enough in America, but desperately wanted the sense of cultural belonging that his Irish half-siblings seemed to enjoy. When his first child was born, Dougherty knew he wanted to give her that kind of solid connection to her heritage. Aware that he was becoming a cliche - the Irish-American who wants to be more Irish than the Irish - he began to study the Irish language. He buried himself in Irish history and learned old songs to sing to his daughter. Most significantly, he began writing letters to his father about what he remembered, what he missed, and what he longed for, realizing along the way that his longings were shared by many of his generation. These letters would become this book. Many Americans today, of all backgrounds, lack a clear sense of cultural heritage or even a vocabulary for expressing this lack. And as the national conversation about identity becomes increasingly polarized, people tend to avoid talking about their roots altogether. In these deeply felt and fascinating letters, Dougherty offers a new way for all of us to think about who we are, where we came from, and where were going.

About the Author: Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior editor at National Review and was formerly an editor at The Week. This is his first book.

Bibliographic Details

Title: My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's...
Publisher: Sentinel
Publication Date: 2019
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: acceptable