Audrey Griffin is a teacher, lover of the Irish language and author of the eye-opening, non-fiction book, Hey, Ireland! Israel's on the Line. Her hunger for adventure ushered her down some interesting paths and ultimately led her on a quest for truth. It all began in 2003 when wild and charming Lebanon opened wide its doors of welcome and she succumbed to its embrace. In a home for children nestled in the mountains overlooking Beirut, Audrey spent three happy months. The experience not only nurtured a genuine love for Middle Easterners and their intriguing and hospitable culture (not to mention their amazing cuisine!), but it also exceeded her childhood dreams of working with orphaned children and whet her appetite for similar exploits.Israel was never on her radar until two years later Providence led her to the shores of Tel Aviv, where she would embark on an adventure of a different kind: college in Jerusalem. Of all the places she has been prior and since, including Africa and Mexico, Israel proved to be most unique, a sliver of a tiny country clinging for dear life, as it were, at the edge of the vast Arabian Peninsula. From a college dorm in the heart of Jerusalem - the melting pot of the three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam - Audrey observed what life is really like in what is probably the most misunderstood and misjudged nation in the world. On a daily basis, as she traversed the streets of the ancient city she witnessed Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel interact with one another and engage in business transactions in a very casual and non-hostile manner. Audrey experienced what life was like in the land of Israel during the 2006 war with Lebanon and discovered that the Irish media was not painting an accurate picture of what was truly taking place on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border. It was then that her eyes were opened to seeing how ill-informed people generally are regarding what's really happening on the ground and regarding the policies administered by the governing bodies of Israel, Gaza, the disputed territories and neighbouring countries. It wasn't until she was involved in humanitarian work in Siberia in 2011 that the inspiration came to write the book, Hey, Ireland! Israel's on the Line, with the Irish population specifically in mind. Audrey, a native of Dublin, now happily resides with her husband in rural Ireland. In a former life, she aspired to being a ballerina, but that kind of lifestyle would have been far too claustrophobic for her. Besides, she likes her food too much!
