The Emerald Diaries

Does she hail from a matriarchal lineage of madwomen? Or an ancestry of female power and purpose? Norah's life and novelist career are thriving and her once solitary existence is opening to a newfound love; but her enduring desire for a deep connection with her often dismissive mother, Úla, still feels elusive. After the mysterious disappearance of her grandmother, Norah finds a peculiar box while sorting the contents of her Nana's old barn. This recovery turns Norah's life into a whirlwind of discovery. Secrets and revelations pour forth from a mysterious family diary that details the intricately connected stories and lives of her foremothers. Falling under the spell of the Irish Seannachí (storytellers), Norah must ignore the laws of logic as she journeys into ancient traditions and long-hidden ways of knowing. Through the process Úla, unravels the puzzle of her own tumultuous maternal relationship as she and Norah work to repair theirs. When Úla unexpectedly finds herself at death's door, Norah must risk testing ancient ceremonial traditions for new world solutions to save her mother. Fiction, fantasy, history, folklore, and impish flights of fancy pleasurably collide for a startling and intoxicating read through the ages of Ireland.