Our Immigrants' Son

Book excerpt: Focused on faith and woven with Christian, ecumenical, and patriotic themes, Our Immigrants' Son is an exploration and celebration of family. The genres of prose poetry and historical fiction very cleverly takes you through the author's rich Irish American history. It begins in misty Ireland and takes you through generations of the Murphy clan while also teaching you how to write your family story. The storyteller is US Navy Captain, John Francis Patrick Murphy, Retired, a direct descendant of those past Murphys whose lives he, with his family and a team of researchers and historians, documented in both the factual sense as well as adding artistic license to make this history a rich and emotional journey. Our Immigrant's Son opens in 1845 with ancestor Michael Joseph Murphy's parents, Patrick and Mary, undertaking a dangerous ocean voyage across the Atlantic to a new land. It then follows and documents Michael's journey from birth, to Civil War private at age sixteen, to Lawrence police chief and beyond. This riveting story is the tale of all immigrant families, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, heritage, or culture. It reveals the undeniable truth that immigrants are our past, present, and future. It affirms that those who come to our shores to join us and aspire to our best ideals are courageous, noble, and visionary. Part two of this book follows the author's carefully outlined research, step-by-step writing strategies, and his use of history as a touchstone. Our Immigrants' Son invites you to join Captain Murphy on a journey to write your own family story and share it with those you love.