M.A. Cumiskey Reveals 'An Undiscovered Country' in Fiction Book

Growing up with immigrant grandparents whose experiences figured in many discussions within their family, author M.A. Cumiskey took these experiences, penned a tale and revealed “An Undiscovered Country” (published by Xlibris UK). Cumiskey’s second published novel charts the development and evolution of an Irish family who fall foul of terrorists and consequently moved to the United Kingdom.

Readers may visit https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-0305291049 to purchase and know more about the book.

Initially, the context of the story is the conflict in Ireland and in some ways, the troubles of Lorna Donnelly and her family reflect that situation. Lorna is the eldest in a family of four children: Catholics living in a loyalist region of Belfast. The story originates at the time of the first Irish Republican Army ceasefire and culminates about the time of the Peace Accord some 37 years later. Mr. Donnelly is killed by the IRA and his wife decides to migrate with her children to England. She meets and marries Jimmy Ungerside, a butcher. Jimmy is a serial child abuser and to varying degrees, the whole family suffer at his hands, especially Lorna. The effect on the girl’s development and later on her career is seen as an echo in tandem of the “Troubles.” The same is also true of her sister and two brothers.

Each chapter includes a contemporaneous news report and an excerpt from Lorna’s diary each linked by some similar notion of abuse. Lorna eventually marries but the episodes that torment her psychology continue despite concentrated periods of treatment. It is not until she is made aware of another significant cause that there is finally some hope of real recovery.

Though historical and fictional, the book still reflects societal issues of today – war and abuse. Cumiskey hopes that with his storytelling, readers may better understand the effects of abuse and other problems highlighted.

“An Undiscovered Country”
By M.A. Cumiskey
Softcover | 6x9 in | 240 pages | ISBN 9781479761975
E-Book | 240 pages | ISBN 9781479761982
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Mike Cumiskey has taught and lectured extensively throughout the United Kingdom and his sculpture and drawings are represented in a variety of collections in Germany, France, England, the USA and Canada, including the national collection of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1974, he was awarded the Ronald Tree Fellowship in sculpture to the University of the West Indies. Currently he lives and works in Devon with his wife, Sue. They have three children.

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