From the Altar of the Land

<p>This book of poems presents the story of a pregnant teen sent to a Mother and Baby Home in rural Ireland in 1959. It illuminates her struggles with the forces of her family and the Catholic Church to give birth to a child who is then adopted by an American family. </p><p></p><p>Reports have surfaced in recent years of the widespread abuses of mothers and babies in these homes as well as the high number of deaths of infants born in such institutions. While this poetry collection focuses on fictional characters the subject matter has been well-researched. The lyrical and affecting poems share an emotional truth that is part of a difficult history. </p>