Maria’s new book is proving a big hit

The launch of Mayo author Maria Commins-Feerick’s debut book will take place this Saturday, November 25, in Hollymount.

Maria’s charming tale, The Lost Christmas Sock, will launch at the splendid setting of the Old Kirk and Manse in Hollymount at 3pm. There will be lots of kids’ activities and festive fun on the day. All welcome.

Published by Mayo Books Press, the book has proven a big hit since its release last week and Maria says she has been "blown away" by the reaction.

Maria always thought there was a book in her but it was only when she was putting away her washing in spring of 2022 that the idea for her first book came.

As anyone can identify, she found one loose, lonely sock at the bottom of the basket … and her creative imagination took over.

“Out of nowhere I got the idea for a story of a pair of twin socks and how it would feel like for the one left behind if one went missing,” she explained.

Maria works as a general practice nurse in south Mayo and is a native of Murneen, Claremorris. Her father is legendary Mayo journalist and broadcaster, Michael Commins, and Maria did not just get her writing ability from her Dad.

“Myself and Dad both have vivid imaginations and we would have a very similar sense of humour, one that a lot of people might not get! He was the first person I rang when I got the idea for The Lost Christmas Sock. I ran it by him to see if he thought it was a good story before I started writing it but because we are so similar in that way, I nearly knew he’d like the idea before I picked up the phone!” 

Once she had the idea for the book, she was clear she wanted it to be a Christmas story, particularly with the arrival inside the past two years of herself and her husband Kevin Feerick’s two boys, Tom (17 months) and Ollie (seven weeks).

“I always have loved Christmas,” she said. “I think in general people are a bit kinder to each other and there’s that feeling of coming together. Obviously now that we have our two boys Tom and Ollie, Christmas has gotten even more exciting. I think the reason this lost sock was a lost Christmas sock is because Christmas is a time of hope,” she said.

Published by Mayo Books Press, The Lost Christmas Sock is on sale in all good bookshops and online on mayobooks.ie.