My Irish-born great-grand-mother, “Granny Bridget” was one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. She was a champion Irish step dancer well into her ninth decade—as well as an accomplished amateur philatelist who assembled what many believe was the largest privately-held collection of green stamps in North America.

Granny, I hope you’re dancing a jig about this new book. In any case, you’d better not be turning in your grave. I did my best. Honest, I did…