Bird of Passage

1960s Scotland. When young Finn O'Malley travels from Ireland to work at the potato harvest, he forms a close friendship with Kirsty Galbreath, the farmer's red-headed grand-daughter. The farm becomes a sanctuary for him, but Finn is damaged by a childhood so traumatic that it will be years before he recovers his memories of that time. What happened at the brutal Industrial School to which he was committed while still a little boy? For the sake of his sanity, Finn must try to find out why he was taken into care and what became of the mother he loved and lost. Many years later, Kirsty's daughter, India, a successful folk musician, tries to unravel the tragic love story that has coloured her whole life. Dealing sensitively with the realities of state sanctioned abuse and its aftermath, Bird of Passage is a powerful story of cruelty, loss and enduring love against all the odds.

Catherine Czerkawska is an established and award winning author of novels, short stories and plays.