Books published by publisher Mercier P

‘full of the atmosphere of the time...a very engaging read’ Mary Arrigan, Sunday TribuneA fictionalised account of the true story of the young Irish girl who was the first immigrant to land on Ellis Island, New York.Cork-born Annie Moore was the very first immigrant of any nationality to land at the now historic handling station at Ellis Island, New York, on the day it opened in 1892. This first book in the trilogy tells of Annie's new life in New York: her family, their cramped apartment and her working life. Annie's initial disappointment at her New York life soon disappears as she has a series of adventures.

Valley of the Squinting Windows is a classic Irish novel set in central Ireland c. 1914–16. Garradrimna is a tiny village where everyone is interested in everyone else's business and wishes them to fail. Twenty years before the events of the book, Nan Byrne has a relationship with a local man, Henry Shannon, hoping to marry him for his wealth. She falls pregnant but Henry refuses to marry her. After a miscarriage, the baby is buried at the bottom of the garden. Henry marries another woman and later dies, while Nan emigrates to England and marries Ned Brennan. They later move back to Garradrimna, where the villagers rejoice in telling Ned about his wife's past.Ned is now an alcoholic, brought low by the humiliation of his wife's past promiscuity. He makes a little as a labourer, whereas Nan works every day at sewing to support their only child, John, studying in England to become a Catholic priest. However, she has become as cruel, petty and jealous as the rest of Garradrimna, and connives with the postmistress to sabotage Myles Shannon's chance at romance with an English girl, to get revenge on the Shannon family for rejecting her.John returns to Garradrimna for a holiday, where he befriends Ulick Shannon (son of Henry) and falls for Rebecca Kerr, a schoolteacher. Ulick and Rebecca have a relationship, however, and when Rebecca becomes pregnant she is disgraced and expelled from the village. Ulick abandons her and John murders him, weighing the body with lead and hiding it in the lake. Rebecca leaves for Dublin and an uncertain future. An old gossip informs Nan and John that she was there the night Nan gave birth to Henry's child – in reality, the child was born alive and was given to Henry and his wife – who they raised as their son, Ulick Shannon.

Arthur Quinn has defeated the World Serpent. He's come face-to-face with the Fenris Wolf. But now he faces Loki's most powerful child, Hell's Keeper. With his friends Ash, Ellie and Ex, Arthur sets out to stop this new menace. But Loki has a trick up his sleeve, a trick that changes everything.Arthur must confront Loki for a final showdown. But faced with a terrible secret and enemies at every turn, can Arthur find the courage he needs to defeat the god once and for all, or has Loki finally won?

New edition of the award-winning collection, complete with Alan Clarke's witty, eye-catching illustrations • First published in 2006 in hardback, this much sought after book was unavailable for several years and is now available in paperback• The quirky story-telling of Eddie Lenihan and the charming illustrations by Alan Clarke complement each other perfectly• Affordable gift will appeal to both domestic and tourist marketsIrish Tales of Mystery and Magic is a collection of marvellous stories by seanchaí Eddie Lenihan that will charm, entertain and amuse children of all ages. These tales of ancient Irish heroes and druids tell of strange and peculiar adventures at a time when creatures of the night walked the earth and magic was everywhere. Stunningly illustrated, these hair-raising stories capture some of that magic.

This collection contains ten stories which convey the sense of wonder of the world of fairies, where the marvellous and unexpected can always happen. The leprechaun is the shoemaker of the Irish fairy kingdom. He is a solitary, fun-loving and very crafty fairy. Often he is seen sitting cross-legged with a tiny hammer in his hand, working on a fairy shoe. Those who have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him have described his appearance. He is no bigger than three feet tall and sometimes as small as twelve inches. Usually, he wears a suit of green and has fine leather shoes adorned with silver buckles. Sometimes he wears a cap with a feather. The leprechaun is the keeper of the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow and he knows where all the wealth of the world is buried. If you are lucky enough to catch him, you must keep your eyes on him at all times and not allow him to distract your attention or he will disappear. If he does not outsmart you he can make you very wealthy and make your wishes come true!

From his childhood in Cork and early working years in London, through the 1916 Rising, imprisonment in Frongoch, his involvement in the War of Independence, Treaty negotiations and the Civil War, to his untimely death at Béal na mBláth, the full story of Collins' life is narrated in simple, engaging language to appeal to readers in the 9–12 age group.Though only thirty-two when he died, Michael Collins was feared by the British and a central figure in the fight for Irish freedom. In this short biography, his dramatic story is brought to life and a human face is given to the historic figure.

Favourite Irish Legends includes three of the most famous Irish legends in English with parallel text in Irish. 'The Children of Lir' ('Leanai Lir') is accompanied by 'Balor of the Evil Eye' ('Balor Drochshuile') and the beautiful, tragic 'Wooing of Etain' ('Toraiocht Etain'). The book is a unique introduction to the legends, bringing them to life both in English and in Irish.

Arthur Quinn has defeated the World Serpent. He's come face-to-face with the Fenris Wolf. But now he faces Loki's most powerful child, Hell's Keeper. With his friends Ash, Ellie and Ex, Arthur sets out to stop this new menace. But Loki has a trick up his sleeve, a trick that changes everything. Arthur must confront Loki for a final showdown. But faced with a terrible secret and enemies at every turn, can Arthur find the courage he needs to defeat the god once and for all, or has Loki finally won?

Cork-born Annie Moore was the very first immigrant of any nationality to land at the now historic handling station at Ellis Island, New York, on the day it opened in 1892. This first book in the trilogy tells of Annie's new life in New York: her family, their cramped apartment and her working life. Annie's initial disappointment at her New York life soon disappears as she has a series of adventures.

Life is finally back to normal for Arthur Quinn. Three months ago, he and his friends put their lives at risk to stop the trickster god Loki from taking over the world. However, just when Arthur is starting to relax again, the dreams start once more; dreams of gods, dreams of war, dreams of wolves. It can mean only one thing. Loki is back.In the midst of a deep snowfall, Loki plots his vengeance on Arthur. In the months since their last battle, the trickster God has been assembling a deadly army of wolves and he intends to take the world once and for all. Can Arthur trust his two new classmates? Where did Ash's puppy come from? And what is hidden in the National Museum that Loki is so desperate to get? Mysteries and questions arise as, once again, it's down to Arthur Quinn and his friends to save the world. But what they don't know is that this time, Loki has help...

Witty YA novel that deals with serious issues such as depression and teenage suicide written by an exciting new talent in Irish fiction. Funny, diverse set of characters, a compelling premise and unique narrative voice.Shines a light on the topic of teen suicide.Winner of the Mercier Press fiction competition. When troubled teenager Adam wakes in hospital after a suicide attempt, he finds that he has company. A ghost. Or perhaps it's something else. This 'ghost' is as confused as Adam about the whole situation. Narrated from the point of view of this 'ghost', Tuesdays are just as Bad follows Adam as he attempts to return to normal life – whatever that is. When Adam makes new friends via his counselling sessions, he ends up developing a relationship with one of the gang, Aoife. Surrounded by these friends, Adam starts to feel happy again. The 'ghost', however, becomes jealous. In the end, he decides that the only way he can be free of this feeling is to isolate Adam so he can have him all to himself, with catastrophic results. A mix of Louise O'Neill's Asking for It and Nothing Tastes as Good by Claire Hennessy.