Want to see Mary's full face?

Curious about the portrait on the cover of The Oystercatcher of Southwark, conceived by yours truly & designed by the incredibly talented Roseanna M. White? Well, you've come to the right place!

If you have been following along on my journey to publication, you will know that Oystercatcher is based on the true life events of my great-great-grandmother, Mary. Our family heirloom - a portrait of Mary - has been displayed in my Aunt's home my entire life. Before that, it hung proudly above the fireplace in my Nana's house. (Mary was my Nana's mother, from whom she was separated at age five. Read the book to find out why).

Over the years, the portrait fascinated me, but I never knew who it depicted. Until now.

The Second Portrait of Mary

During our research efforts, my mom and I discovered a second, much smaller painting of Mary, done by the same artist - my Great Aunt, Nana's daughter. You can see the artist's developing technique over time.

Mom's cousin Ken sent us this photo of the small, framed portrait and the original photo of Mary.

Mom and I were curious about where the original photo came from. How old was Mary when the picture was taken? Had she already met her husband and started her new, fancy life as a married woman? Was she already a mother? Or was she still a girl in Southwark, living with her beloved parents?

The photo was weathered and torn, but Mom's cousin, Ken, the artist's son, spent countless hours working his magic to create a beautiful digital copy.

And, from here, artist, author, and publisher, Roseanna M. White, took my idea of revealing Mary's portrait on the cover of the book and made it magic. You've all seen the half-visage of Mary on the countless marketing posts for The Oystercatcher of Southwark, but, without further ado…

…I now give you Mary in her fullest and finest.

Isn't she lovely?!

What Readers are Saying

The Oystercatcher of Southwark is a beautiful story where unimaginable struggles, faith, and ultimately redemption weave together into a narrative that's both heartbreaking and inspiring. Colahan's unique voice shines through this debut dual-time novel that will enthrall readers from beginning to end.

~Alyssa Schwarz – April 24, 2024

Pre-order Amazon Kindle here!

Pre-order a paperback copy at Chrism Press here!

Thank you for following along. Oystercatcher releases on July 1st!
Have a lovely weekend, and God Bless.