Overview

In the early hours of 4th March 1939, Thomas Pakenham, a Protestant widower from Dublin, bundles his four young Catholic children into a waiting car, and smuggles them across the border into the North of Ireland. Wracked with grief at the loss of his wife, Ciss, and driven by paranoia and suspicion that her Catholic family will lay claim to their children, he does the only thing he believes he can do, and disappears.What follows is a complex tale of survival and sacrifice, as the family Thomas vowed to keep together face separation, hunger, chaos, and cruelty. For years the children's lives are marked by trauma, loss and despair, while back in the South, their maternal grandmother, Kate Beirne, consumed by grief, holds on to the hope of news about her missing grandchildren.In the Clouds of the Night explores the profound struggle and resilience of one family in mid-century Ireland, highlighting the hardships of separation, the pain of loss, and the enduring hope for reconciliation. It examines the unconventional choices made in the name of love and religion, the impact of those decisions, and the strength found in forgiveness and restoration, offering timeless reflections on faith, family, and the human condition.

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9781917728027

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Donal Winters grew up on the family farm in the parish of Bornacoola, near Mohill in South Leitrim. Having spent his entire working life in the construction industry, he retired in 2019. During the course of completing a family tree project, he uncovered the first hints of some ""missing cousins"" which triggered the story of this book. Donal lives in Delgany, Co Wicklow with his wife Mary while still retaining strong links with his native Leitrim.

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