Danny Kuhn will be here to talk about his book Thoreau’s Wound, which includes Barrington and he did some of his research here at the library.

Thoreau's Wound (Fezziwig Legacy)

Young Finbar Laverty, displaced by Ireland's Tithe Wars and family treachery, attempts a new start by moving with his volatile wife Maggie, a follower of the Old Religion, from the Cork countryside to bustling Dublin. He is recruited by his friend Dr. James Wilde to help disinter the body of Dean Jonathan Swift during the renovation of St. Patrick's Cathedral, but commits an act of vengeance and is forced to flee Ireland.

Seeking fortune in London, Finbar's inadvertent participation in a Royal conspiracy involving a young court reporter puts him on the run again, this time to America. 

The Lavertys begin to think they have found peace in New Hampshire, but suspicion surrounding a female body revealed by the melting ice on Bodge's Pond and the anti-Irish Catholic frenzy ignited by the Know-Nothings sends Finbar to Concord, Massachusetts. His new bosses' son, Henry David Thoreau, introduces him to new ideas, Abolitionist activism, and the most influential circle of literary figures in America's history. 

While Finbar's adopted country is about to be torn apart by civil war, his family is also threatened when the consequences of old sins return to haunt him. 

Editorial Reviews

"The Irish have been coming to America forever, or so it seems, and yet the story keeps on reviewing itself each time the torch, in John F. Kennedy's words, is passed to a new generation. Stories of sibling rivalry, lost mothers, complicated fathers and mysterious young passions, are as old as the hills, yet they continue to renew themselves and never cease to captivate us. In Thoreau's Wound, in the adventures and misadventures of Finbar Laverty, every reader will recognize something of him or herself. I was taken by the story. You will be too." - Alphie McCourt, author and brother of Angela's Ashes' Frank McCourt 

"Ah, the Irish! Treat yourself to this wonderful journey as Danny Kuhn studs Finbar's advenure with lore from the Auld Sod and figures out of history!"  -  Mike Farrell, author and actor (M*A*S*H*) 

"I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Irish history and storytelling. Danny Kuhn weaves a tale of love, ambition, and treachery through both historical fact and fictional characters. I loved it!"  - Finbar Furey, musician and actor, The Furey Brothers, The Clancy Brothers, Gangs of New York 

"The Milano family, of the Union Oyster House, is inspired by the writings of Danny Kuhn, as (he) portrays so well the experience of Bostonians over 175 years ago; today's generation continues to have a passion and hunger for history."  -  Joseph Milano, owner, The Union Oyster House, Boston (America's oldest eatery, 1826) 

About the Author

Books were Danny Kuhn's constant companions while he was growing up on a small farm in West Virginia. He especially loved Dickens and Doyle, feeling they pulled the reader in to be part of their stories. After receiving degrees from Marshall and West Virginia Universities, Danny lived in the Caribbean for a brief time before beginning his career as a high school science teacher. Writing and corporate training may constitute a "third career" for Danny, but he has been known as a teller of tales since he was a child. The past is his passion, and he writes history columns for local magazines.