“Since my childhood the voice of Grace O’Malley has ever been in my ear. Pirate Queen…Warrior Woman…legendary chieftain…Was she real or mythical? Somehow and for some reason her factual story remained hidden…kept at bay by generations of Irish analysts and historians. This lead me on a long voyage of discovery to find the ‘real’ Grace through the musty letters and records of 16th century English administrators and military men who came to conquer her country and who, ironically, were the only ones to leave contemporary evidence of my heroine behind and thereby authenticate her existence as well as provide details of her remarkable life.

In this innovative and vivid collection, using poetry as her ‘river’ to discovery and interpretation, Jennifer Liston follows a similar voyage. Grace Notes enshrines both the factual and legendary biographical life of Grace O’Malley through a unique poetic medium. In an, at times, intensely emotional encounter and conversation, the reader accompanies this iconic woman who, despite the passage of over four hundred years continues to shine as an inspirational beacon, on a journey through her remarkable life.”