Redeeming Brother Murrihy: The River to Hiruharama

Conrad Murrihy loves his family and his home in Nova Scotia, Canada. Tensions rise during his mother’s prolonged illness until she expresses her final wish: to see her eldest son, Francis, who has not made contact from New Zealand for over two years. Conrad reluctantly leaves his homeland in a desperate race to find his brother and return home to his dying mother. Francis Murrihy seems just as determined to avoid detection. As Conrad’s search leads him deeper into the heart of New Zealand, he discovers his brother has been living multiple lives as a Catholic religious, a spoken-word poet, a suspected criminal, and a new kind of prophet for local Maori. Conrad’s encounters with the people, places, and spirits of New Zealand force him to confront issues in his own life in this story of family, reconciliation, and redemption. Redeeming Brother Murrihy explores the complex spiritual fabric of New Zealand while still telling the simple story of a man trying to mend his family. A highly successful first novel … a quest for self-discovery and redemption written by someone who has a deep understanding of what stirs the spirit. - Christodoulos Moisa, The River City Press