Aoife is cursed. Everyone says so, except for her father, Niall, an innkeeper, who knows such things are nonsense. She was born under mysterious circumstances on an isolated island off the coast of Ireland after the Irish Civil War. Now nearing twelve, Aoife is willing to do whatever it takes to rid herself of the malediction and protect her father. She encounters saints and witches while she navigates the superstitions and Irish folklore that permeate her homeland and guide her towards understanding and adulthood. Niall, however, struggles with the coming-of-age and political awakening of his daughter, while his tight-knit island home grapples with its place in a fast-changing world newly lit by electricity.
Meanwhile, at the island's monastery, a monk is discovered to be an impostor, an Irish rebel wanted by the Crown. Brother Declan finds himself called again to be a revolutionary for a new Irish Republic. When he meets the innkeeper's mysterious daughter, he must come to terms with his past and the consequences of his political zealotry as he and Aoife become entangled in a political scheme that will shock the small community.
Full of Irish and Catholic folklore, Intercession weaves through the history and myths of Ireland to its thrilling and mysterious conclusion. In a place steeped in legend, Aoife must decide for herself what stories are worth believing and suffer the consequences of those beliefs, for better or worse.
Intercession, the unforgettable debut novel of author Kevin J Haar, expertly balances tradition with modernity, religion with politics, and history with superstition.
