Ever The Twain Shall Meet
Is it possible that Rudyard Kipling was correct when he penned the famous words, “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”? In this historical novel, a Maine survival story, two opposites do attract. Singly and together, Norma Twitchell and Mike Folan confront Kipling’s skeptical viewpoint.
Against the backdrop of Maine and America in the 1930s and 1940s, the Yankee Twitchells and the Irish Folans forge their own paths forward. They overcome significant obstacles and challenges by the power of their mutual respect, toleration, and determination.
We seek hope, we seek love; combine the two, as in this love story, and you understand Norma and Mike. In our current time of discord and partisanship, like them we can surely do better.
Ever the Twain Shall Meet is the second book in an expected trilogy. Michael Connolly's first book was Murky Overhead - published in 2021 by Tower Publishing. An expected third book for the trilogy will be published in 2025.
Published 2024. ISBN: 979-8-9891722-6-9
Michael C. Connolly is a life-long resident of Portland’s Munjoy Hill. His experiences growing up in what was one of the city’s predominantly Irish and Italian working-class neigh-borhoods greatly shaped his thinking. This left a continuing influence on his writing. He was encouraged by his parents to be the first in his family to graduate from high school, let alone college.
He earned his B.A. in Social Sciences at Florida Southern College (1973), his M.A. in Modern Irish History at University College Dublin (1977), and finally his PhD in American Immigration History at Boston College (1988). Beginning in 1984, he taught for 36 years in the Department of History and Political Science at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Mike retired in May 2020 and now holds the honorary title of Professor Emeritus.
His research has focused on Irish and Irish American history and the labor movement in Ireland and America. In 2004, the University of Maine Press published his edited collection of essays, They Change Their Sky: The Irish in Maine. Along with Dr. Kevin Stoehr of Boston University, he co-edited another collection of essays, John Ford in Focus: Essays on the Filmmaker’s Life and Work, published by McFarland in 2006. In 2010, the University Press of Florida published the book largely based on his Boston College dissertation, Seated by the Sea: The Maritime History of Portland, Maine, and Its Irish Longshoremen. In 2016 he completed a documentary film, Building Bridges: Connections between Maine’s Governor Joseph Brennan and Senator George Mitchell. Mike’s first work of historical fiction, Murky Overhead, was published by Tower Publishing in 2021. Murky is the story of an immigrant family living in Portland, Maine, at the turn of the 20th century. This second novel, Ever the Twain Shall Meet, moves the story forward a generation to Portland in the 1930s and 1940s.
In October of 2016, Mike received the Claddagh Award from the Maine Irish Heritage Center in recognition of his promotion of Irish history and culture in Maine. During sabbatical leaves from Saint Joseph’s College, he was pleased to offer history courses for the Semester at Sea program on its around-the-world voyages in Spring 2004, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, and Spring 2023. He still resides on his beloved Munjoy Hill along with his life partner and anam cara, Becky Hitchcock.
“In this novel of convergences (the tragic and the comic, the conjoined experiences of the Irish and other immigrants in Maine, the collisions of two world wars, and especially the harmonic love story at its core), Michael Connolly brings together the erudition of a seasoned historian with the relatable style of a natural storyteller. Connolly draws fascinating links between Maine and the world at large, from the sinking of the Reuben James to Margaret Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience speech against McCarthyism, while weaving together a thoroughly readable tale of murder, marriage, and vivid local life in Portland and beyond in the first half of the 20th century.”
~ Eric C. Brown, Ph.D., Executive Director, Maine Irish Heritage Center
“Michael Connolly has written a time capsule of life in early 20th century Maine and Portland. From poor families in the harsh conditions of the Depression through WWII, when everyone contributed their best in the war effort, to a budding romance between two young people of different immigrant families, this story carries you through the highs and lows of their daily lives. For those readers who wonder about Portland's past or just enjoy a romantic tale, this is an excellent read. Mr. Connolly’s love of history and Portland shines through it all.”
~ Catharine Moser – Munjoy Hill neighbor, retired professional editor and part-time resident of Richmond, Virginia
“Norma was a pillar to Munjoy Hill. This book transcends the immigrant experience. It’s a timeless tale giving one the ability to believe in life – that it can be better. People today are going through the same struggles. There is hope…”
~ Tom Carter – Boyhood friend of the author on Munjoy Hill, now living in San Rafael, California
“Told through the eyes of three young people making their way through the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II, Dr. Michael Connolly’s expertise on the history of the Irish in Portland, Maine, comes alive in this new work of historical fiction.”
~ Lynn Davey – Professional consultant, former Saint Joseph’s College colleague, and Munjoy Hill neighbor
“This poignant and deeply moving novel by Michael Coleman Connolly provides a real insight into the lives of Irish Americans through two well-honed characters, Mike Folan and Larry Loftus. The novel transitions from describing a vibrant urban Irish community in Portland to welcoming Norma Twitchell from rural western Maine. It describes the social, economic, and political conditions confronting the Irish through the Depression, World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War as they escaped the harsh living conditions in Ireland. It is a deeply moving novel and the characters will earn a place in readers’ hearts. Connolly is a stylistic storyteller, and it was a real treat to read the novel.”
~ Severin Beliveau – Portland Attorney and son of Albert Beliveau
“Michael Connolly tells a compelling story of the lives of Mainers, from Irish immigrants in Portland to those who lived and worked in the lumber camps of western Maine, during the period from the end of World War I through the end of World War II. His book provides rich details as to the impact on Portland and those who lived there of the Great Depression, the New Deal and the massive shipbuilding effort during World War II.”
~ Patricia McDonough Dunn – Granddaughter of Mike Greene, former Chair of the Board of Directors of Maine Irish Heritage Center
“Michael reminds us that our grandfather isn’t just a figure in family stories but was a real person with a life and reputation that mattered. We appreciate how he acknowledges our grandfather’s legacy as honest and caring husband, father, and police officer, especially in light of the tragic circumstances of his death.”
~ Diane Connolly, Kathleen Connolly Alfiero, Mary Lou Connolly, Joleen Connolly Haffenreffer – Granddaughters of Patrolman Michael T. Connolly
“Vibrant, colorful and engaging. Michael Connolly is a master at describing the Irish heritage and culture of 1930s Portland! Ever The Twain Shall Meet is a wonderful read!”
~ Connie Brennan, wife of Governor Joe Brennan and Munjoy Hill neighbor
