LANSING, Mich. – In her new autobiography, The Final Gift (published by AuthorHouse), Kathleen McGlinchey shares the experiences of her Irish Catholic upbringing that served her well during a time of crisis and renewal.

Separated into three parts – Beginnings, Endings, and New Beginnings – Kathleen’s book conveys the strength and faith that it took to withstand the series of tragic deaths that occurred in her family. First, she paints a portrait of her Irish Catholic family. She formed an extraordinary bond with her sister, Maureen, one which would only grow stronger as they raised their children at the around the same time later in life.

As they say, death comes in threes. The first blow dealt to Kathleen was her father’s death by stroke. The second, her brother-in-law’s death from brain cancer. But the crippling, total shock of her sister’s breast cancer diagnosis was earth-shattering. Maureen had been her rock and in her despair, Kathleen’s emotions went into a tailspin. She writes of the moment:

I went for a long, fast walk. As I walked, I talked with God, and discussed how despondent I was. I had read the poem entitled “Footprints” many times before and wondered if God had accidentally dropped us. The poem speaks of two sets of footprints in the sand; eventually the two sets of prints become one, and that is when God is carrying those with heavy burdens. All through Dad’s and Dick’s illnesses, I prayed for things not to be bad. Could Dad just go quickly after he had his stroke, and not suffer? Apparently not. Please, could Dick have a treatable type of brain tumor? Apparently not. Could he go peacefully and quickly and not suffer? Apparently not. I tried praying to the patron saint of cancer and the patron saint of lost causes, and I prayed my rosary often. Why wasn’t anyone listening? Were my prayers not good enough? What in the hell was happening to us?

For better or for worse, Maureen’s suffering did not last long, and in the wake of her death Kathleen was left with the question of how to care for Maureen’s beautiful, endearing daughter, Megan. In the final chapters, Kathleen tells a story of renewal. Megan grows into a wonderful young woman among a close-knit family. “She has the engineering mind of her father (as well as his sense of humor),” Kathleen says. “And the gregarious, Irish personality of her mother.”

Kathleen peppers her autobiography with family stories, and recollections steeped with nostalgia summon the warmest of family memories. In times of triumph, loss, and weakness Kathleen maintains the perspective of her Irish Catholic upbringing and remains steadfast to her belief in God’s plan.

Kathleen McGlinchey is a first generation Irish-American from a family of seven siblings. She has been a Michigan educator for 30 years. She resides in Lansing, Mich., with her husband, Mark, her daughter, Megan, and their son, Matt.

You can order The Final Gift through Ingram’s Books in Print Database, directly from the publisher at www.authorhouse.com, or through the book order hotline at (888) 280-7715. Typical Ordering Time: 7-10 Business Days.

September 2008 - 132 pages
ISBN: 6x9 Paperback (978-1-4343-7221-5)