Last November I received an email request from author Teva J. Scheer to review a draft of her new, in-progress book, The Harp and the Hand - Exploring Irish Roots. This was my first experience at reviewing a book draft. I quickly got into the story and enjoyed it very much. I was able to give Ms. Scheer minor input on a couple points (mostly typos) and happily gave her a few sentences of endorsement. Her goal was to get the book out by St. Patrick's Day, but she encountered delays preventing a March release. Then The Harp and the Hand slipped into the recesses of my memory. This week I happened upon one of her email messages and was prompted to follow up. The book was published mid-April and can be purchased on Amazon where it's described this way: The Harp and the Hand uses two fictitious families, one in the north and one in the south, to present an easy-to-read summary of Irish history, from the Celtic period to the end of the Nineteenth Century--the period when so many of our ancestors left their native Ireland for new homes in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Exploring their daily lives through the century--their houses, work, marriages and families, and finally, their journeys to their new homes. Scheer's first book, Governor Lady, was a biography of the first woman to be elected a state governor. Her book about German history and culture - Our Daily Bread, German Village Life, 1500-1850 - followed in 2010. Looking for a summer read? An engaging story that makes learning about Irish history fun? I recommend The Harp and the Hand, available here: www.amazon.com/Harp-Hand-Exploring-Irish-Roots/dp/1530385199?ie=UTF8&qid=1469018292&ref_=la_B001JS8E3W_1_2&s=books&sr=1-2