Blessington

Several weeks ago I had an author event at the Crystal River Inn in Waupaca, Wisconsin.  One of those attending was a young Irish woman who married an American and had immigrated to the United States in January.  She told me an incredible story about how my first novel, Murphy’s Troubles, changed her life.

There is a scene in the novel that takes place in a bookshop in Blessington, Ireland.  I selected Blessington first because I loved the name.  For the story plot I needed to have Ian Murphy have a meeting in an out of the way place that no one would notice.  I thought it would be appropriate to have an author visit a local book store and research proved there is in fact ‘The Blessington Book Store’.  Continuing my research it was the perfect location for the scene.

The young woman was reading my book and was shocked and excited when she read the scene in Blessington.  As it turns out she grew up in Blessington and was very familiar with what she called their “quirky” book store.  She told her husband about the scene and had him read it to prove that she wasn’t making it up.

Having left Ireland a few months before the young Irish woman was homesick and feeling uncertain about her choice to immigrate to America.  Reading the scene in my book, written by an American author, was a sign to her that she had made the right decision to move.

Six degrees of freedom?  Coincidence?  How likely is it that a scene in my book would influence the life of a young woman from Ireland?  I don’t know.  When she told me her story the hair rose on the back of my neck.