The Lightning Tree

This is a haunting novel based on the life and voice of an old wise woman and healer. The year is 1954. The place is the Burren, a wild, rugged limestone region on the west coast of Ireland. This is a world of old customs, strong traditions and deeply-held religious and social values. It is also a pagan place, of ghosts and spirits, old beliefs and superstitions. In this time and place lives Mariah, an old woman of considerable powers, the last of a long line of renowned healers. Some say her power is a gift from God; others that it comes from the devil, that she is a witch. In this unique novel a voice from the past speaks with remarkable contemporary relevance. Mariah's views are refreshingly alternative at a time when we may be coming full circle to an appreciation of old healing arts and the concept of contentment with a simpler life.