Mystery, culture, history, Ireland and bog bodies. What do they all have in common? Erin Hart.
Erin Hart is an author who held many careers before encountering an eerie Irish story that caught her interest and led her to write her first novel Haunted Ground.
“When I was in Ireland, I heard a bit of a true story about a severed head of a beautiful girl. I immediately thought it would be a great mystery, and I knew it needed to be a story,” Hart said.
All three of her novels—Haunted Ground, Lake of Sorrows and the newly released False Mermaid—are centered around two main characters, American pathologist Nora Gavin and Irish archeologist Cormac Maguire.
Hart’s books are set in Ireland and are based on mysterious bog bodies. She explained that the bogs are like a jar of pickles: old, wet and slightly acidic, especially the peat moss. There is no mold, bacteria or oxygen in the bogs, so it preserves things, including bodies.
“Bogs are a great metaphor in my writing. It can represent history, people’s memories and quirky things that lie beneath the surface. Interesting artifacts keep turning up like pieces of gold, weapons and a satchel that I can write about,” Hart said.
“These are really fine books. There is a lot of history and culture in them, and to get all of that into a book is pretty neat,” Judy Schultz, the trade book buyer for the Book Mark and part of the St. Peter Reads committee, said.
On Tuesday, March 16, Erin Hart will be coming to St. Peter, along with her husband Paddy O’Brien who plays in the Chulrua Irish music trio. All of the events centered around Erin Hart’s novel will be free and open to the public, thanks in part to the grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library System and the St. Peter Reads Program.
At 1:30 p.m., Chulrua, comprised of an accordion player, a fiddler and a guitarist, will be giving a mini-concert at the St. Peter Senior Center. From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. there will be a reception and book signing with Erin Hart at the St. Peter Public Library. An “atmospheric reading with music and images” with Erin Hart and the Chulura group will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. During this time there will be a book chat and music for people to enjoy.
Hart will also be showing images that relate to her book and places that inspired her writing. “This event will bring in music and book lovers. It will be a rich experience,” Barbara Fister, the academic librarian at Gustavus and St. Peter Reads committee member, said.
“In Erin Hart’s first book, Haunted Ground, she does a good job appealing to a lot of people’s taste. She includes certain elements of Irish folklore and spiritualism, creating a sort of genre blending,” Fister said.
Hart is able to include historical information in her novels due to the research she conducts in order to learn more about Ireland and the mysteries it holds. “My experience as a freelance journalist really helped me as a novelist. I needed to interview people for my book, and being a journalist taught me to do my homework before going to interviews. It was helpful to have those interviewing skills,” Hart said.
The St. Peter Reads group was established in September 2003 and is a community reading group that allows community members to read books in common. The group came together informally and represents a wide range of involvement from community members.
“I volunteered to be a part of [the St. Peter Reads group] because I think reading is something to promote,” Fister said. The St. Peter Reads group connects St. Peter and the college community together because in the fall both groups participate in Gustavus’ Reading in Common Program. In the winter the St. Peter Reads group picks a book that is a little more lighthearted.
“Erin Hart was here for her first book, Haunted Ground. It worked so well that we could bring her back to share her third book,” Fister said. “The whole community is so important to St. Peter Reads. Retailers in downtown like the Co-op, Econo Pharmacy and Whiskey River buy some of the books and let members of the community borrow them. Many of the other local businesses sell the books we are reading,” Schultz said.
On Thursday, March 25, there will be two free book discussion opportunities available to the public. One will be held at the St. Peter Public Library conference room and another at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Peter Food Co-op.
“I am really excited about coming to St. Peter. We had a good time when we were here last, and the people were so nice and warm. It’s a great atmosphere. We are just hoping for a good turnout and to help people get in the St. Patrick’s spirit,” Hart said. To learn more about Erin Hart’s novels, visit her website at www.erinhart.com.