Journalist Lori McKay’s debut nonfiction work, Searching for Mayflowers: The True Story of Canada’s First Quintuplets, was released by Nimbus Publishing in fall 2024. Set in Little Egypt, NS, in 1880, the book unravels the mystery surrounding the miraculous birth, tragic death, and secret burial of five newborn “curiosities”—babies who became subjects of fascination and exploitation, even after death.
Now Available
Searching for Mayflowers
In the winter of 1880, in rural Nova Scotia, five babies were born to a poor farming family, the Murrays. The quintuplets, consisting of three boys and two girls, lived only a few days. Shortly after their deaths, circus showman P.T. Barnum attempted to buy the bodies. The family refused the offer, but fearing grave robbers, the Murrays dug up and reburied the caskets several times to keep them hidden. Today, no one knows where they were finally laid to rest.
About Lori McKay
Lori was born and raised in Pictou County, NS. It was there that her grandmother first introduced her to the story of the Murray quintuplets when she was seven. She became fascinated with the mystery of their unusual birth and death, and this interest led to a lifelong love of reading and writing. Lori has a journalism degree and an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from the University of King’s College. She worked as a magazine and newspaper editor for more than 20 years and currently lives in Dartmouth with her husband, two kids, a few cats, and a very friendly black lab.