I spent St. Patrick’s Day, 2014, in Chengdu, China. No one mentioned what day it was and it didn’t occur to me. I’m not of Irish heritage and don’t have a craving for green beer, but I do think of D’Arcy McGee on St. Patrick’s Day and like to toast his memory. On that day in Ottawa in 1868 he delivered an eloquent speech – all his speeches were eloquent — about his love for both Ireland and Canada. It was less than a month before he would be assassinated. Part of the speech is in the novel. And of course so is his murder. Who did it? Did an innocent man hang? What’s the connection to Ireland? The novel speculates.

St. Andrew’s Day is November 30th but we of Scottish heritage let that day go by largely unrecognized. Maybe because tartan whisky is just unthinkable.