The trouble with miracles
An ambitious athlete.
A reluctant foodie. One summer that shakes up everything they’ve known. The coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a country coming-to-peace. In Northern Ireland, you’re born with a label that’s linked to the generations-old conflict over the identity of the land: the majority of Catholics identify as Republicans, viewing the country as an extension of Ireland, and the Loyalists, typically Protestant, celebrate their inclusion with the United Kingdom. During the period of the Troubles, the conflict became so embroiled, that walls, or Peace Lines, were built to divide communities based on their identities. THE TROUBLE WITH MIRACLES appeals to readers of the unapologetic athletic ambition of Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez, and seeking a summer romance like Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series. It’s perfect for anyone with a Derry Girls hole in their Netflix queue. |
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Track 1If this book had a soundtrack, Hozier's Nina Cried Power, would be the opening song.
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Setting SnapsÁine and Dean end up in the seaside village of Portrush, which is vastly different from their hometown of Belfast. Check out some of the views of the village and surroundings.
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Story influences
Women have long been part of the story of professional golf in Ireland. And Royal Portrush Golf Course was home to several champions, including May Hezlet (above).
Doing research for this book, it wasn't a far-flung piece of fiction to write of a young woman walking these fairways with dreams of independence and trophies. Here are a few of my favorite stories that breathed life into Áine's dreams:
Some more content to understand the setting of The Trouble with Miracles: |
THE TROUBLE WITH MIRACLES was inspired by my visit to Northern Ireland in 1997, where I witnessed the aftermath of sectarian violence.
Why was I in a country that was on the brick of figuring out their peace process? The summer before my family hosted a Catholic girl for several weeks as part of the Children's Program of Northern Ireland. Tina and I bonded like sisters, and our story is not unlike hundreds of others who spend summers away from the divisions and violence of Belfast. With my biological sister studying abroad in England the following year, my parents brought me over to visit her, then we took a ferry over to Ireland and drove up to the checkpoint signaling the hard border between the divided country. Our timing honestly couldn't have been worse: the Protestant celebrations of the 12th of July were in full swing as we arrived, meaning our plans for dinner had to adjust thanks to a bombing at the restaurant, and I learned quickly just how sensitive I was to smoke when my eyes swelled nearly shut from the acrid air from burned bus tires. Tina's family arranged for us to head out early for their quiet holiday cottage, including having a police escort out of the city. Needless to say, I got a firsthand experience of just how different life was for my 'sister' Tina growing up in Northern Ireland. As soon as we were off playing caddy to my parents at Royal County Down, and climbing the rocks of Giants Causeway, I'm not sure I knew I was in the same country that seemed so scary and dangerous as Belfast. I left the trip grateful to spend more time to Tina, and understanding why her family wanted her to experience a summer with mine in Minnesota. We didn't need email or Facetime to stay connected through the 1990's; Tina and I kept our connection over thousands of letters sent back and forth. As adults (and with technology advances), we grew even closer and have traveled back and forth to celebrate milestones and holidays, and it was after a visit back to Northern Ireland in 2018 that I felt the stirrings of a story I wanted to tell. Áine's completely a fictional character, and in no way did I attempt to write about Tina's life. However, she did teach me so much about growing up in a different set of circumstances than I did, in an extraordinary time. That's what I wanted to communicate through a fictional story: that an entire generation of kids came out of a violent time and place, but it wasn't an all-consuming part of their lives. They fought with parents and siblings, they played games, and had plans, and went to school like the rest of us. And they came out of it, choosing a more peaceful future. You can read more about my past with Tina and traveling through Northern Ireland for research on Writing Notes. |
- When the Troubles intruded on the quiet world of golf in Northern Ireland
- History of Golf in Portrush
- Say Nothing
- Talking Derry Girls - because just watching the show wasn't enough for this super fan