Over the Chestnut Tree: The story of one man’s trek from underling son on an Irish farmstead to tenured professor in a Canadian university

A good story is marked by elements of trial and triumph reflected in the main character. Over the Chestnut Tree is a fine example. The youngest of a family of nine, George has to overcome insecurity in the presence of eight more knowledgeable siblings and a stern father figure.

After working for his father on a farm in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, he leaves home at twenty-one to find his own way in the world. He immigrates to Canada, marries a young woman from Belfast, and carves out a niche for himself in the Canadian academic environment.

The story takes the reader inside George’s mind, emotion, and religious conviction, there to discover some dark shadows that crossed his path to achievement. This is a personal history, then, invested with promise for those determined to prevail in this post-modern world