Dear Great Book Guru, I have been reading lots of the novels you have suggested and have enjoyed them. Now I think I would like to read some non-fiction.  With St Patrick’s Day coming up, I am particularly interested in something with an Irish slant.  In Search of the Green

Dear In Search of the Green, I just read a fascinating story of a woman who figured prominently in modern Irish history, but is known by very few:  THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER by Anthony Amore.  Rose Dugdale was born into incredible wealth - daughter of a fabulously rich London magnate and an aristocratic mother whose family had been involved in the British slave trade.  Educated at exclusive finishing schools, Rose made her debut before Queen Elizabeth in 1958 with 1400 other young women only four of whom went on to college. Graduating from Oxford University with a doctorate in economics, she quickly became involved in political protests around the world, eventually turning her focus on Northern Ireland. In a burst of madcap moves, she led a terrorist helicopter attack on a British police station, and shortly after broke into her family home stealing silverware and jewelry to finance her political activities.  But it was her heist of nineteen Old Masters worth millions of dollars that brought her the most notoriety. One of these paintings was “Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid,” by Vermeer, among the world’s most revered and beloved artists. Despite imprisonment, she continued to fight for Irish freedom with a dedication that is both disturbing and inspiring. An amazing story and highly recommended!