Looking for Cornelius: A Novella

The innate need for family connection and shared cultural traditions is rooted in our biology. This sense of belonging is integral to our survival. The concept of blood memory, where we feel a connection to ancestors and their experiences, is a driving force for Deirdre O hAodha, a teacher of traditional Irish music for disadvantaged inner-city children in Montreal. She is preparing her star pupil, Eamon O'Connor, for a scholarship recital at Cork College University. Together they travel from Dublin to County Cork, visiting monastic ruin sites and monuments of ancient Celtic culture, and share many stories and synchronicities along the way. Deirdre is on a quest to uncover the story of her Irish Great-Grandfather Cornelius, who escaped Ireland in 1847 at the height of An Gorta Mor, The Great Hunger, and to find out if she has relatives still living in West Cork. She has inherited Cornelius's gift of second sight, which she reveals through visions, intuition, and dreams. The theme of transformation through fire, faith, language, and music surfaces throughout their journey. Through the mists and thin veil between worlds, Deirdre connects deeply to the land of her ancestors and regains a sense of family and belonging.