The Story Collector by Evie Woods, priced at £9.99 and published by One More Chapter, is an enchanting narrative about the transformative power of compassion. Our protagonist, Sarah Harper, finds herself heading to Shannon instead of Boston after her marriage falls apart. She takes shelter in a small Irish village in Co Clare, where she finds solace and laughter among the locals and decides to remain and heal from her traumatic experience, which she refers to as the “Big Bad”. A story within the main plot is about a story gatherer who, a hundred years ago, searched for local fables about the “Good People” – village-beloved fairies who lend their magic to those in need. The unravelling secrets combined with benign magic reignites Sarah’s zest for life.
Colette, penned by Michèle Roberts and published by Oxford University Press for £18.99, is no conventional guide or introduction to the infamous author, Colette. Instead, it is Roberts’s heartfelt homage to her “literary mother”. This book takes a more personal approach, showcasing Roberts’s profound admittance of how much Colette’s work has melded into her own life over the years. Her examination of four primary texts integrates her personal life, like the way her mother’s Catholicism influenced her perception of Colette’s non-judgmental sensuality and how the 70s and 80s feminist wave altered her reassessment of the French author. This unique analysis brings new depth to traditional literary criticism and provides fresh material. Her in-depth readings offer valuable perspective, particularly on narrative structures and gaps. This personal and compelling critique suggests that Colette’s work is darker and more intricate than it is usually given credit for.
In addition to these, the UCD Press has a book worth €29.50, titled Wild-Looking but Fine, authored by Ciara O’Dowd.
Ciara O’Dowd’s Wild-Looking but Fine presents an intriguing exploration of forgotten histories, centred upon the lives of Aideen O’Connor and Ria Mooney, notable Abbey Theatre actresses during the 1930s. O’Dowd painstakingly retells their stories with exquisite and detailed investigation into past records. Despite the pair’s contrasting pursuits and characters, the societal norms of conservative 1930s Ireland and its theatrical landscape consequently drove both actresses along parallel career paths. O’Dowd’s work praises the impact of the era’s distinct peculiarities on individuals’ lives. Her book is a resounding tribute to O’Connor and Mooney, striving to reestablish their significance that the passage of time has eroded.
Naomi Westerman’s Happy Death Club: Essays on Death, Grief & Bereavement Across Cultures (published by 404 Ink) infuses a usually grim topic – death, with lively thought-provoking discourse. Through extensive scholarly research, Westerman delves into diverse aspects from “death saunas” to “grief raves”, the portrayal of female demise in male artists’ work, the ethical issues of true crime, the spellbinding phenomenon of horror films and the crucial role of cost clarity in planning funerals. While her insightful commentary is imbued with humour, it does more than make you laugh; it deeply investigates the rituals and prohibitions related to death and mourning. By the end, she introduces a comforting theory of death that is truly thought-provoking.
Niamh McAnally’s Following Sunshine will be released by Black Rose Writing, priced at £16.95.
Niamh McAnally’s frank memoir is fundamentally about her love for sea adventures coupled with a devotion to volunteering in various roles. Her journeys have led her to far-flung destinations such as Belize, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu where she participated in a project conserving turtles. Despite being the youngest offspring of renowned actors, Ray McNally and Ronnie Masterson, she chose not to leverage her parents’ popularity. Instead, she yearned for diversity and was resolute in moulding her own path in life, which included experiencing novel cultures and adapting to unfamiliar traditions, thereby embodying a “global lifestyle”. Her adventurous narrative encapsulates themes of loss, humour and love that she unexpectedly encounters as a lone sailor in the Bahamas. PAUL CLEMENTS
In ‘The Pages of the Sea’, a commendable first novel by Anne Hawk (Weatherglass Books, £12.99), the narrative deals with the repercussions felt by those left behind by the Windrush Generation – individuals from the Caribbean who were encouraged by the UK government to help rebuild Britain post the Second World War. Specifically, it focuses on a young girl named Wheeler and her large, argumentative family. Hawk gradually unravels the root causes of their familial discord through the innocent curiosity of a child growing up sans her mother. The narrative shifts between the child’s attempts to find a place of love and belonging, to a fearful state of uncertainty at the slightest change in atmosphere. Hawk proficiently portrays the vibrancy of Caribbean life and the underlying tensions within a family ruptured by secrets. NJ MCGARRIGLE.