After a lonely schoolteacher assigns his class an essay about their roots, he realises and is tormented by the fact that he never knew his father. He then decides to head for Ireland in a bid to uncover the hidden realities of his ailing mother's past. His main clue: a love letter addressed to his mother by a man whom he does not know. There he learns the tragic story of how and why his mother left Ireland to settle in America.
Ian Douglas: A touching story which I found very worthwhile, even if the American critics did not like it. The plot structure reminded me of Titanic. Likewise, in both films, disaster comes from blind faith -- either in technology or superstition.
