Revelation in the Roots: Emerald Isle
ABOUT REVELATION IN THE ROOTS: EMERALD ISLE
The Magnificent and Marvelous Book Club (the MAMs) return in this adventure of discovery to explore their Irish roots. The ancient spirits of a leprechaun, St. Brigid and an African-American matriarch, Grand Ma Ma conspire to awaken the travelers to possibilities. Can the grieving, reluctant Abigail open her heart to their jolly tour guide? Can Welby, a Black ex-convict and Reagan, a white nurse in recovery, find a bridge across the political divide? While the entourage explore the Emerald Isle, pause for listening circles, retreat at the well of St. Brigid, and gather at a peace center in Northern Ireland, the story unfolds with much surprise and revelation as the characters find new hope for their lives and America.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK
I enjoyed reading this book and the idea that people can listen for similarities rather than differences. It’s a visionary dream that I hope will actually come true some day. – Mary Anna Robinson, poet
Revelation in the Roots: Emerald Isle is a delightful story that brings the serious issues of our day to light with both poignancy and humor. It offers hope and shares the love of God through the journeys of people like you and me.
-Jan Kushmaul, social worker
In Revelation of the Roots, Nancy Flinchbaugh combines an incredibly diverse cast of characters, stirs them up, has them dig down to their very roots, and then has the roots actually rise up and speak to each other. It’s a coming together of beliefs, of passions, of people from all walks of life. Their joy in their discoveries and in each other leave the reader filled with a great sense of hope.
–Kathie Giorgio, author of The Home For Wayward Clocks and If You Tame Me
“There’s power in the story, there is.” And the stories in this excellent novel help people better understand each other. The Magnificent and Marvelous Book Club (the MAMs) are back. This time their adventure takes them on a spiritual quest to Ireland, as they shepherd a group of men and women in recovery from drugs and alcohol on a trip to discover their roots.
As they tour parts of Ireland, some of the travelers are helped on their mystical journey by visits from a leprechaun, St. Brigid, and an African American Sea Island matriarch, Grand Ma-Ma.
Some characters fall in love, and all the travelers find that an exploration of their ancestral past helps them to focus on improving their future. People, struggling to find a way forward for themselves, found life-changing experiences in better understanding themselves and others.
I found myself finishing the book in just a few days, and the characters and their stories stayed with me long after I quit reading. The strong characters were compelling as they engaged with each other and worked their way through discussions and disagreements in a (mostly) loving way. None of them were perfect, but they found their way forward with the love and support of others.
This book is a deeply satisfying read. At a time when our country is ever more divided, this book seeks to help us find ways to reconcile and come together. It is an exploration of the healing power of spirituality and faith.
Alice Benson, Author of Her Life is Showing and A Year in Her Life
Revelation in the Roots” combines an unlikely brew of ingredients: interracial romance, ancestry searches through DNA, encounters with beneficent spirits, a spiritual quest in Ireland, and more. These disparate elements are deftly woven together through a mix of memorable characters, especially Welby and Reagan, both struggling to remake their lives after drug convictions and finding they may be kindred souls despite racial and political differences. This novel will teach you things about mysticism, DNA, and Ireland but also keep you engaged in the characters’ diverse journeys. Steve Schlather, journalist
If you are an author and would be willing to review the book, email Nancy at nancy.flinchbaugh@gmail.com.