null
Skip to main content

My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search for Home

Hardcover
SKU: 9780525538653
Buy More - Save More. Below are the available bulk discount rates for each individual item when you purchase a certain amount
Quantity Price Savings
25 - 99 38%
100 - 249 42%
250 - 499 46%
500 - 999 48%
1000+ 50%

Format Sturdy and long-lasting. Ideal for libraries and classrooms, and a polished choice for corporate gifts, leadership programs, or event takeaways.

Price $24.00

Total for 25 copies:

Adding to cart… The item has been added
You can purchase this title directly online anytime! If you need a formal quote for budget approval, submit a request and we’ll get it to you quickly.
  • Free shipping over $95
  • Price Match Guarantee. Found a better price? Let us know! We’ll work to match it so you get the best value with BookPal.

Overview

National Review senior writer Michael Brendan Dougherty delivers a meditation on belonging, fatherhood, and nationalism, through a series of letters to his estranged Irish father.

The child of an Irish man and an Irish-American woman who split up before he was born, Michael Brendan Dougherty grew up with an acute sense of absence. He was raised in New Jersey by his hard-working single mother, who gave him a passion for Ireland, the land of her roots and the home of Michael's father. She put him to bed using little phrases in the Irish language, sang traditional songs, and filled their home with a romantic vision of a homeland over the horizon.

Every few years, his father returned from Dublin for a visit, but those encounters were never long enough. Devastated by his father's departures, Michael eventually consoled himself by believing that fatherhood was best understood as a check in the mail. Wearied by the Irish kitsch of the 1990s, he began to reject his mother's Irish nationalism as a romantic myth.

Years later, when Michael found out that he would soon be a father himself, he could no longer afford to be jaded; he would need to tell his daughter who she is and where she comes from. He immediately re-immersed himself in the biographies of firebrands like Patrick Pearse and studied the Irish language. And he decided to reconnect with the man who had left him behind, and the nation just over the horizon. He began writing letters to his father about what he remembered, missed, and longed for. Those letters would become this book.

Along the way, Michael realized that his longings were shared by many Americans of every ethnicity and background. So many of us these days lack a clear sense of our cultural origins or even a vocabulary for expressing this lack--so we avoid talking about our roots altogether. As a result, the traditional sense of pride has started to feel foreign and dangerous; we've become great consumers of cultural kitsch, but useless conservators of our true history.

In these deeply felt and fascinating letters, Dougherty goes beyond his family's story to share a fascinating meditation on the meaning of identity in America.

The book, My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search for Home [Bulk, Wholesale, Quantity] ISBN# 9780525538653 in Hardcover by Michael Brendan Dougherty may be ordered in bulk quantities. Minimum starts at 25 copies. Availability based on publisher status and quantity being ordered.

Details

Author:
Michael Brendan Dougherty
Language:
English
Format:
Hardcover
Publication Date:
04/30/2019 00:00
Pages:
240
Publisher:
Sentinel

Customer Reviews

This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!

Need Books? BookPal Makes it Easy

  • Free Shipping

    Enjoy free ground shipping on us! Most orders over $95 qualify for free standard ground shipping.It takes an estimated 7-10 business days to deliver and may require additional processing time

    Learn More
  • Dedicated Account Managers

    At BookPal, we go beyond the transaction by providing personal support and a dedicated account manager for every customer.

    Learn More
  • Flexible Delivery Options

    We offer flexible delivery options such Free Ground Shipping (on most orders over $100), Expedited Premium, Expedited Express, International Shipping etc.

    Learn More
  • Sales Tax Exemption

    BookPal is a tax-exempt supplier for all 50 states. We can provide you with a tax-exempt certificate to use on your orders.

    Learn More
  • Price Match Guarantee

    With over 3 million book titles available, it's impossible to always be the lowest priced. If you find a lower price on a new title elsewhere that is available to ship in the quantity you need, we are happy to discount your books and match the lower price.

    Learn More
  • Multiple Payment Options

    BookPal accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, and checks by mail, along with Purchase Orders upon approval. We also accept ACH payments and wire transfers.

    Learn More

We are here to help, reach out to our team anytime!

Connect With Us

Subscribe to our newsletter for $25 off your next order of $500+

Review Your Cart Close Close
Your cart is empty Your cart is empty Your cart is empty
Recently Viewed Recently Viewed
Back to top Back to top