Finding My Irish

by Sharon Shea Bossard

An Old letter mailed from Valentia Islans, County Kerry, Island, in 1949 provides an important link that connects family in America to cousins in Ireland. Extensive research through old records in Dublin as well as vital information gathered in America furnishes the author and her husband with the information necessary to locate the villates, townlands, cemeteries, and parished of her grandparents. The author's personal odyssey promises to captivate and inspire you to begin a search for your Irish.

305 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2005

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, part genealogy, part travelogue, part fictionalized history, about finding your immigrant ancestors and what it might have been like to be them.

My favorite parts were when the author was traveling through Ireland, on a hunt for the places and people of her ancestors. Her descriptions are beautiful.

[T.D. Arkenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It's much more than a story of searching for one's roots. The author cleverly and seamlessly moves readers from a modern-day search for her Irish roots into a gripping family drama. Bossard quietly transports readers to late 19th century America where we accompany Bossard's brave Irish relatives as they migrate to America. We see strong, independent individuals scrap together lives in Connecticut, Omaha, and Chicago. They work hard to achieve the American dream, but never forget the lives and family left behind in Ireland. The art of Bossard's writing is that she doesn't merely tell us about these people, she shows us what it means to be a struggling immigrant. She puts us right there with them in brilliant, detailed writing. She brings her ancestors to life in vibrant, dramatic fashion.
Well done. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

[Georgann Prochaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Shea Bossard’s book, Finding My Irish, takes us on her journey to fill in gaps of their family story. Her search begins with research in the United States with documents and moves her to Ireland where she meets family. We tag along in her descriptions of food and rain. Her descriptions of small towns are warm and delightful. We root for her to find the background she seeks. She also shares the despair of the Irish famine, of families living with no extras. The value of her trips to Ireland come from generous family members and the feelings of finding one’s place in the family. I thoroughly enjoyed her journey because she could have been describing my grandfather eating homemade, buttered bread and sipping tea.