Janet Nolan

When young Fergus left Ireland to set sail for America, he brought with him a branch from his family's blackthorn tree. That branch became a shillelagh, which he whittled on the ship crossing the Atlantic. Fergus' shillelagh and the story of his journey pass down through generations of his family every St. Patrick's Day, until it is finally forgotten. When young Kayleigh discovers the shillelagh, however, the story is reborn for a new generation. A lilting and lyrical text is enhanced by lovely paintings that evoke the different experiences of Fergus' descendents.