Virginia RaffertyVirginia Rafferty is a writer of historical fiction focusing on immigration from Eastern Europe in the nineteenth century. Traveling to Slovakia and Hungary to trace her ancestry while working with a Slovak genealogist gave her perspective on the livs of Slovak and Hungarian peasants living in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Her genealogy research culminated in two novels that chronicle her ancestors' struggles as they leave their homes and settle in America. Virginia is a retired middle school science teacher with a BA degree from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. In 2003, she was awarded a Master of Education degree from Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, New Hampshire. She is a member of the South Carolina Writers Association and the Appalachian Writers Association. She is currently living in Aiken, South Carolina, and is volunteer coordinator for McGrath Computer Learning Center, a volunteer organization that offers computer instruction to seniors. Read More Read Less