'This is for her': Misstep leads to healing journey for Limerick woman amid release of debut novel

LIMERICK woman and author, Donna Abel, has published her debut book — a deeply personal and moving work written in memory of her late mother, Carmel Hogan, of Ballynanty, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last October.

Donna now lives in Jersey in the Channel Islands, with her husband Chris and four children. Residing in Jersey for 28 years, Donna has a career as a HR director and CEO of Jersey Cheshire home, runs a HR consultancy called AbelHR, and now is also a published author.

Her writing is inspired by family, friendship, and the messy, beautiful process of healing. Her debut novel — Lost and Found: The Misadventure of a Reluctant Trekker — is a heartfelt and often humorous tribute to her late mother, and the book's release coincided with what would have been Carmel’s 71st birthday.

Donna spoke about the experience of her first publication, and how her mother’s loss impacted her writing journey, saying; “I started writing while on holiday, it was my way of coping with grief, it was a great distraction. I used laughter and humour to cope with the sadness I was dealing with following the sudden and very unexpected death of my mother.”

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Speaking more about her mother, she added; “She went on a trip of a lifetime to Rome with her sister-in-law and four friends — on her bucket list was to see the Pope. She saw him on Wednesday and passed away while making a cup of tea on Thursday. A very Irish way to die, like someone switched a light out. It was a heart attack and she died instantly.

“We are very grateful to Mam's friends, the individuals who were with her and tried to help and to family who helped with the repatriation.”

Blending heartfelt reflection with humour and imagination, Abel’s book is a tribute to her mother's love of reading and storytelling, “My mother Carmel loved to read, she always had a book in her hand. I thought it was a nice way to honour her”.

It offers an honest, often funny, and sometimes emotional take on grief, friendship, and the unexpected resilience we find within ourselves during life’s most challenging moments.

The novel follows a businesswoman who accidentally signs up for a jungle trek in Vietnam and stumbles into the adventure, and healing, of a lifetime. Hilarious, heartfelt, and painfully relatable, Lost and Found proves you sometimes need to get lost to find yourself.

The book is a memoir-style story about a grief-stricken, burnt-out businesswoman named Samantha who finds herself thrown into the world of trekking after impulsively bidding on a charity hike through Vietnam, and follows her on her adventure.

But the book isn’t just about trekking, as it takes a further look into grief and healing, burnout and self-discovery, reinvention through discomfort, friendship, and facing your demons.

Samantha is reeling from the sudden loss of her mother and is searching for purpose, laughter, and something to pull her out of her emotional freefall — reflective of Donna's own story.

Talking about the meaningful publication, Donna said; “It’s surreal to think my Mam isn’t here to see this book come to life. She would have laughed out loud at some parts, cried at others, and definitely told me what she thought! This is for her.”

While the title hints at adventure, Donna explains that the book is less about physical journeys and more about the internal journey of coping with loss; “Writing this helped me navigate grief with grit, humour, and heart. Some of the stories are true, some are stretched, and others are completely made up, I’ll leave it to readers to decide which is which. That’s part of the fun, people have been asking me did that really happen or who’s such and such character! My lips are sealed.

“I’ve used family and friends’ names as characters throughout the book too. They enjoyed reading about themselves, as outrageous as it may be.”

“This project means a great deal to me personally, and I believe many local readers may connect with its themes of loss, resilience, and the importance of family and laughter, especially those who’ve lost someone close.”

Despite the laugh-out-loud moments, it’s ultimately a story of emotional resilience about how getting physically lost can help you get emotionally found. Donna hopes her story brings comfort, laughter, and perhaps a moment of escape to anyone who has experienced the chaos and beauty of loss.

She added: “It’s a story of resilience, friendship, love and coping with life's challenges. I hope it resonates with others and brings them some peace of mind and a good laugh.

“The book is most certainly part of the healing journey for me, elements of the funeral eulogy are in there too. It was a great distraction writing, as it gave me a purpose and kept my mind busy.”

Lost and Found: The Misadventure of a Reluctant Trekker by Donna Abel is available now to buy on Amazon.