Questions, answered honestly.

About the letters

Are these real letters from my ancestors?

No, and we never pretend they are. The O'Donnell family is a work of fiction. What is real is everything around them: the dates, the events, the places, and the way people lived, spoke, and grieved. Think of it as a true-to-history story, told one letter at a time, rather than a genealogy record of your own line.

Who writes the letters, and how are they researched?

They are original historical fiction, written and researched by Maebh Collins, a lover of genealogy and Irish history, from named sources: the records of the National Archives of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, and local county histories. The aim is history a knowledgeable reader can stand over, not romance.

Can I personalise it to my own county?

Yes, that is the heart of it. Every county has its own edition, with its own fictional family and its own hundred years, told across the same eight Books. You choose the county your family came from, and you follow that county's edition. The Mayo edition, the O'Donnells of Ballycastle, is the first written and the sample shown here; further counties are written county by county, so you are choosing the county, not writing your own ancestors into the story. The family in every edition is always labelled as fiction. If you know a townland or parish, we can work in real placenames too. See how personalisation works.

Is my county's edition written yet?

The Mayo edition, the O'Donnells of Ballycastle, is complete and shown here as the sample. The other counties are written one at a time, in the order founding readers ask for them, which is why the founding signup asks your county. Choose yours when you leave your email and it helps move that county up the queue. We will tell you plainly where your county stands rather than pretend it is ready before it is.

Is the history accurate? What about the stamps?

Accuracy is the whole point. One example we are often asked about: Ireland used British stamps, the Penny Black and the Penny Red, until it issued its own in 1922, so we never put an Irish stamp on an 1847 letter. Any period stamp shown is British Victorian, honestly labelled, and kept inside the envelope. The postmark that carries the letter to you today is a real Irish one.

The Books and the reading

How is the whole thing structured?

One family, eight Books, a century of letters. Each Book covers roughly a dozen years and contains twelve letters, posted one a month. Together they run from the Famine in 1847 to the end of the Second World War. See all eight Books.

Do I have to start at Book One?

We recommend it, because the family's story builds from the first parting in 1847. That said, each Book stands on its own and opens with everything you need, so you can also begin with the era your own family lived through.

Are the letters easy to read for an older person?

Yes, and this is something we design for deliberately. The hand and the type are sized to be read by eyes in their eighties, not for a design award, and every letter comes with a clean, plain-language note that sets the scene and explains anything unfamiliar.

Posting and delivery

Where are the letters posted from?

From Ireland. Each letter is posted and postmarked in Ireland, and carries a real Irish postmark.

Do you ship to the United States? How long does it take?

Yes, worldwide, and the United States is where most of our readers are. A letter posted from Ireland usually reaches a US address within one to two weeks.

Is there anything in the envelope besides the letter?

No, and that is on purpose. It is paper only: the letter, and a plain-language note to go with it. Keeping it to paper means the mailing stays a true personal letter, and it means a letter to the United States arrives without a customs charge at the door. The envelope itself is the keepsake.

Gifting

How does gifting work, and who receives what?

The letters are posted to the person you are giving them to, at their own door. The confirmation and any admin emails come to you, the buyer, so nothing spoils the surprise. If you would like, we can send the first letter to you to give in person, and post the rest of the year straight to them. See how to give it.

Pricing, cancellation and founding readers

How much does it cost?

Three ways to receive it, all in US dollars. Monthly is $39 a month. The Annual One Book is $299 for a full Book of twelve letters. The Gift Edition is $299, presented ready to give. See the Gift page for what is included.

Can I cancel, or will I be locked in?

The Monthly plan you can cancel anytime. The Annual One Book and the Gift Edition are a single one-time payment with no auto-renew, so there is nothing to cancel and no subscription quietly billing a card. It is a finite story with a real ending.

Can I buy it now? When does checkout open?

Not yet, and we would rather tell you plainly than pretend otherwise. We are pre-launch. Checkout is not open, so for now the one thing you can do is join the founding readers and leave your email, and we will hold your place for Book One.

What do founding readers actually get?

You will be first to order when checkout opens, and we will email you the moment it does. That is the whole of it. We are not going to promise a countdown, a discount, or a perk that does not exist yet. When there is more to offer, the founding readers will be the first to hear it.