RTÉ presenter and author of three books, Rachael English, talks to Róisín Ingle about accidentally writing a novel reflecting the news headlines of the day.

English’s voice will be familiar of thousands of people who tune into Morning Ireland every day, but she has many strings to her bow and has just published her third novel, The American Girl.

It tells the story of 17-year-old Rose Moroney from Boston, who is smart, spirited and pregnant.

She wants to marry her boyfriend but her parents have other ideas and ship her off to their home country of Ireland, to a Mother and Baby home where Rose is expected to give up her baby.

This podcast was recorded a couple of weeks ago, as the controversy was starting to erupt over the Sisters of Charity’s ownership of the new National Maternity hospital and just a few months after the horrors of what happened at the Tuam mother and baby home hit headlines.