A 1967 political science graduate followed his family history and became the author of a new book that shows how small decisions in life can create the most unintended consequences.
David Quinn’s passion for genealogy led him to uncover the remarkable story of his great, great uncle Michael Quinn. After two years of research conducted in Ireland, England, and the United States, David was ready to embark on the writing of a historical novel, It May Be Forever, based on Michael Quinn’s extraordinary life.
“I always knew Michael existed, but I didn’t know about the historical and adventurous life he led,” says David.
It May Be Forever (Authorhouse, October 2005) is a nineteenth century tale of adventure and tragedy, based upon the real-life story of Michael Quinn. David notes that to escape the grinding poverty of Ireland’s Great Famine, Michael and his family fled to England, where at age eight, Michael became a child laborer in a textile mill. As he grew older and more aware of British prejudice and discrimination, he was motivated to enlist with the Fenian rebels, a group determined to free Ireland from British colonial rule. Chronic unemployment, however, drove him to America, and defeat on the battlefield lands him on the untamed plains of the Wild West.
“There were two fundamental themes in the novel—social justice and the other one are family values. Both of those were part of the value system I received growing up and from the education I received at Wheeling Jesuit,” explains David.
It May Be Forever is his first novel and it is a cautionary tale, David says, that shows how easily a man of strong convictions may become that which he hates.
David notes that Michael, faced with unaccustomed opportunity, quickly abandoned the fight against oppression and turns away from family and friends. Dreams of achieving a great fortune lead him to support the dispossession of Native Americans of their lands and livelihood. But after the massacre at Wounded Knee, demons of conscience rise up in terrible nightmares, and only a Lakota holy man offers the hope of redemption.
“Michael Quinn is marked, very deeply, by the oppression and discrimination he felt at the hands of the British, but committed similar acts against Native Americans. That was a compelling theme when I was writing the book, and it justified making it a novel, rather than a straight biography,” says David.
He attributes his life-long love of history to his days as a student.
“I came away from Wheeling with a great love of history, which I lay at the feet of my professors who inspired me,” says David.
David was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1945 and grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. He studied political science at Wheeling Jesuit University (B.A.) and Fordham University (M.A.). During 30 years in the telecommunications industry, he was involved in international projects in Asia and Europe, finally completing his career with a five-year assignment in London. David made the decision to leave the corporate world in 1999. After thirteen houses in 30 years, David and his wife, Betsy, live in Prescott, Arizona, and have three grown children.
His ‘retirement’ from corporate work allowed David to focus on his writing and to engage in community service projects and play an active role in his local parish.
“I felt it was time to give back to community,” says David. He also gives back to the campus through regular contributions to alumni fundraising campaigns and returns to campus to participate in alumni reunions.
The book, available in hardcover and paperback, is sold at bookstores and is available online through Amazon.com or http://www.itmaybeforever.com/
Noted Celtic scholar, writer and novelist Peter Berresford Ellis has high praise for David’s book.
“It works brilliantly for David shows his dexterity as a storyteller is equally worthy of his subject. It’s a book that should be listed among the great Irish diasporic accounts, told with skill and artistry by an author of whom I am sure we will hear more," says Ellis.
