A St Albans pub has hosted a book launch for a Harpenden author's latest novel.
The launch of Máire Malone's second book, 'Hungry Trails', took place in The Farmer's Boy from 7pm last night (Monday, December 12).
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Despite hours of snowfall in Hertfordshire, a strong crowd attended the launch, where a reading took place and signed copies were sold.
'Hungry Trails' follows a fictional 16-year-old girl in 1847 Ireland, during the Potato Famine.
Telling the story of her life in Ireland, a journey across the sea and her family's new life in Canada, the novel focusses on resilience.
The Herts Advertiser attended Máire's launch event, and spoke with the author, who said: "I'm absolutely delighted!
"It's been three years in the making really, this book.
"Since the pandemic, I was researching and writing at the same time.
"It was quite a process."
Being from Ireland originally, Máire spoke of the research that she undertook in order to understand the history of the Potato Famine, despite stories that had been passed down to her.
She continued: "I would say most of it (the information included in the book) is research really, because I didn't know a lot about it growing up.
"We were certainly told about it, and a certain amount of history, but it was only when I moved to the UK that I became really interested in it.
"So I did the research, I got quite a lot of books.
"I joined the British Library and spent a long time really following up.
"I wanted to know really the truth of what happened, because there are various theories about it, and I wanted to find my own way."
Asked whether the themes of resilience described in 'Hungry Trails' are reflections of her own experiences, Máire replied: "Well, I expect so.
"Like any writer always says, it's not about me, but I expect that there will be something of that in there.
"As a woman, my narrator is only 16, but when I emigrated I had a baby of three months.
"That was really hard, moving cultures was very hard, so it is a good analogy in a way.
"I wasn't conscious of that, but the resilience of the famine people was amazing, and how little they had.
"I was fortunate in living in my generation, but their generation had very little.
"They were often barefoot and had very little clothing, very little food.
"(They were) starving on the 'coffin ships' as they were called."
Those at the event who had read the book spoke not only of their enjoyment of the fictional story of Julie Foley and her family, but also of how much they learned about that period of history whilst reading the novel.
Due to the weather affecting the attendence of the event, another book signing will take place at The Farmer's Boy on Monday, December 19.
Links to purchase 'Hungry Trails' and Máire Malone's first book 'The Dream Circle' can be found on the author's website (www.mairemalone.com).
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