'Defying the Curse' Available now!
'Defying the Curse' Available now!
There was a curse on the ‘Big House’. A local peasant foretold that the family would someday be ‘ruled by a cripple!’ So, when a son was born without any limbs, it seemed the premonition had come true. But nobody could have foretold what the boy would achieve and how his name would go down in history as one of the most remarkable Irishmen to ever live.
An amazing story of 19th century life, love and courage that reached across continents and social classes. This is an unforgettable novel of yearning, perseverance and gritty determination to both inspire and challenge. There is nothing the human spirit cannot overcome.
‘I have worked with Maria O'Rourke and greatly admire her writing and storytelling.’ Joseph O' Connor.
Available to buy below. Also on buythebook.ie and Amazon
After a career in teaching spanning thirty years, Maria O’Rourke is now a dedicated writer, having completed a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick in Ireland.
She draws on her own experiences in personal, work and family life to bring out what is universal in each individual experience. Her debut novel - a work of historical fiction - is finished and will be released soon.
She has recently been awarded the Wild Atlantic Writing Award as well as being shortlisted for the Anthology Short Fiction Competition, the Farnham Flash Fiction Competition and the Liberties Press Humorous Short Story Competition. She has been published by The Blue Nib, The Ogham Stone and The Galway Review. Her story entitled ‘Mary Kelly’s Shop’ has featured on Sunday Miscellany on RTE Radio. Mother to three grown-up children, she lives in Carlow town with her husband, David.
Maria’s first book ‘Defying the Curse’ was released by Marble City Publishing on March 20th, 2024.