Ellen McKinnon has a talent that some would consider a gift; but for her, it’s a curse. It started with a terrifying premonition that nearly destroyed her. Her unsupportive husband preferred to have her committed to an institution than deal with the fears that surrounded her vision of a bombing.

When Ellen meets a Southern Irish sculptor in Belfast, her world begins to shift in another direction. Where Ellen’s husband is brash and unsympathetic, Liam is gentle and understanding. He accepts her differences in a way she is unused to between the Northern and Southern Irish. She’s a Presbyterian, and he’s a Catholic. Even though they are largely non-practicing in their religions, the long-running strife makes it difficult to get beyond their bias, yet Ellen feels drawn to Liam.

In Southern Ireland with Liam, Ellen comes into the power of healing, despite her unwillingness to embrace it. As word of her talent spreads, she is beset by people wishing to have her healing touch. Eventually, it becomes part of her, Liam’s, and their children’s lives. As she comes to terms with her roles as wife, mother, and healer, Ellen learns to accept who she is. But the journey is not complete. A sudden call from her long-estranged family will open doors she prefers to keep locked. If she hopes to find her own healing, she will have to return to Northern Ireland—the home she left far behind.

Hardie weaves Ellen’s tale in a lyrical voice true to the Irish people. Sometimes poetic, sometimes harsh, the narrative is reminiscent of an old friend sharing a difficult story over a pot of tea. With her characteristically direct tongue, Ellen shares her memories as though the reader is sitting with her at a table—from the beginning, but with the perspective and awareness she possesses today.

Hardie embodies not only the clash of Northern and Southern Irish beliefs and cultures, but also the changing atmosphere from the economically depressed people of the late eighties and early nineties, to the blooming economy of today. New ideas and trends struggle for definition beside the old. Ellen’s healing abilities fly in the face of medical science, yet there remains a place for her talents.

Ultimately, though, the story is undoubtedly Ellen’s. The rest, while fascinating, is the backdrop to her experience in the many roles of a woman who moved into a new setting that, while only a few hours away from where she was born, is worlds away from what she knows. This is a rich tale of love, loss, fear, anger, betrayal, and hope. It will not be forgotten.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
8/27/2006

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