The Sycamore Secrets

An unforgettable Irish fiction story of, childhood trauma,  family secrets, emigration and the continual search for forgiveness.

Thomas Pender a young boy growing up in the rural midlands in 1950's Ireland, surrounded by family, farm life and the sheltering branches of an old sycamore tree. But one horrific  accident involving his little sister Kate changes everything. He carried the burden of a secret he cannot bear to reveal, Thomas watches his world unravel as tragedy strikes his family, leaving the children scattered and his childhood home behind.

Sent across the Atlantic to America, Thomas must build a new life far from the people and places he loves. At 18 he was  drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War, where  he survives another ordeal that leaves deep emotional scars. Decades later, neither the horrors of war nor the comforts of his adopted country can silence the memories of his Irish childhood.

Thomas returns to the abandoned family farm on the edge of the Bog of Allen, in 2011. Beneath the familiar sycamore tree, the past begins to stir. Memories of his mother, siblings and the mysterious Mike Pender come flooding back, along with the truth he has carried in silence for more than sixty years. Can he finally confront what happened and find peace?

 The Sycamore Secrets by Catherine Daly is a moving work of historical fiction about grief, displacement, complicated family bonds and the lifelong consequences of buried guilt. This story is rich in the atmosphere of rural Ireland. Blending an intimate family saga with the wider history of Irish emigration and the Vietnam War, this poignant debut short story will appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven Irish fiction, stories of homecoming and powerful explorations of memory, loss and redemption.