Give Them Unquiet Dreams

In 1976, fourteen-year-old Aiden wants to free his mother from McCall's, a psychiatric institute outside of Boston. He's certain she's not schizophrenic because he also sees ghosts. His grandpa, whose spirit visits at night, tells him he must rescue his mom from "that shower of savages" at the hospital. "Like you, she has second sight. Your grandmother's ma also had the gift. She was demonized, and we can't let that happen to your mother.” Aiden enlists the help of his nana's old-lady friends, his brother Martin, and a cat named Arthur. Aiden has the foresight to know that everything will turn out okay, even though bad things may happen. Nana's advice that life demands we "keep calm and carry on" propels him as he is challenged by tragedies, unexpected twists of fate, and the spirit world.

About the Author

James Mulhern's writing has appeared or is forthcoming in over one hundred literary journals and anthologies. In 2013, he was a Finalist for the Tuscany Prize in Catholic Fiction. In 2015, Mr. Mulhern was awarded a fully paid writing fellowship to study at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. That same year, one of his stories was longlisted for Ireland's prestigious Fish Short Story Prize. In 2016, he was Runner-Up for the United Kingdom's InkTears Short Story Contest. Two other stories received Honorable Mentions for the Short Story America Prize. His novel, Molly Bonamici, was Runner-Up for a book competition sponsored by a member of the National Book Critics Circle. His two novels and his collection of short stories, Assumptions and Other Stories, received positive critiques from Kirkus Reviews. He was published in two collections of stories in 2018. His stories will appear in many literary journals or anthologies in 2019, 2020, and 2021. His most recent novel, a paranormal mystery entitled Give Them Unquiet Dreams, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. The Kirkus Star is awarded to books of "exceptional merit" and considered "one of the most prestigious designations in the book industry." The novel also received a Readers' Favorite Book Award and was featured at the Miami Book Fair International in November 2019.In 2017, Mr. Mulhern was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in Fiction. One hundred percent of the proceeds he earns from the sale of publications are donated to charity.Mr. Mulhern lives in Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia, and enjoys traveling overseas. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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