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A Ghost in the Throat
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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BekaReid
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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And Seren needed to check out some of my top books of the year. These are the ones from my shelf in my #top23of23 list. The others were library/ebooks.

dabbe Hello, sweet Seren! 🖤🐾🖤 11mo
22 likes1 comment
review
BekaReid
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

I've come to adore the writing of Doireann Ní Ghríofa. This book is a hybrid of autofiction and essay, and it's full of so many beautiful, poetic lines.

26 likes1 stack add
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BekaReid
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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I'm absolutely LOVING this one so far. Cannot get enough of Doireann Ní Ghríofa's writing. But also, this cover!!

19 likes1 stack add
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BekaReid
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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"The poem's landscape came to life as I read, it was alive all around me, alive and fizzing with rain, and I felt myself alive in it."

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BekaReid
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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This stack of books is sitting behind me as I plow through a crazy, busy week. Can't wait to dive in with the start of vacation time coming up!

Tamra Ghost in the Throat is fantastic! 1y
BekaReid @Tamra That one is my most anticipated book on the stack! I came across Ní Ghríofa's poetry earlier this year, which was fantastic! 1y
19 likes2 comments
review
Robotswithpersonality
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

Memoir of mother and poet, touching on her passions and ambitions, on her childbirthing and rearing, on her connection to, nigh obsession with, a particular poem and the life of the woman who composed it. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality The book opens with a chapter entitled 'a female text'; this is also a feminist text, focused on both the worth of what have been traditionally ascribed as female roles, wife, mother, keeper of the house and children, but also on the missing pieces in history and scholarship around texts created by or focused on females. 2/? 2y
Robotswithpersonality The message is not one of being content in knowing 'one's place', but rather being certain of one's own agency and choices. It touches on a frustrating reality, that generosity and selflessness in women's personal lives is often an overlooked fact, as accepted as it is praised until it becomes inconvenient, to the point that much of the intensive and repetitive labour of motherhood detailed here regularly goes unnoticed by society, whilst any reckless urge to help a stranger in a dangerous situation, or have yet another child, somehow deserves chastisement, even if it comes from the same instinct previously praised. She worries that her daughter will learn to give too much of her self away, as she herself cannot seem to resist doing. The author appears to lose herself in the role of mother, and has to slowly regain an identity outside it. 3/? 2y
Robotswithpersonality Such empathy is displayed towards the poem as a window into another's life story. Eibhlin Dubh is brought to life through the care of this modern female poet, even as she is continually stymied by how little factual record remains and why *cough*misogyny/patriarchy*cough*.

Heartbreaking to see old patterns repeated, framing Eibhlin's story and her husband's fate in the 18th century: laws put in place by the English to subjugate the Irish, to remove pride, heritage, culture, wealth. 4/6
2y
Robotswithpersonality So much of this book feels slightly beyond my comprehension in my refusal of gender, and with it traditional gender roles and gendered characteristics; in my lack of interest in parenting, but I won't deny the value of people recognizing connections with the past, seeking belonging and pride in their identity, their work. 5/6 2y
Robotswithpersonality ⚠️Vague, poetic reference to suicidal ideation, suicide attempt(?); medical diagnosis of at risk pregnancy and intervention required for at risk infant, detailed recounting of time in NICU, reference to children lost by other other women 6/6 2y
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Robotswithpersonality
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Etymology, my beloved.

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Robotswithpersonality
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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New word alert!
Galacatagogues: foods or supplements thought to increase breast milk production.
[Perhaps only foreign to the non-reproducing 🤷🏼‍♂️].

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Robotswithpersonality
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Poetry translation compared to domestic labour.
I kinda love it.

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Robotswithpersonality
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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🐝

1 like1 stack add
review
squirrelbrain
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

I really wasn‘t sure what to expect from this book; from the blurb I wondered if it might be too ‘literary‘ for me, but it definitely wasn‘t.

This is a very immersive, dark memoir as the author traces the history of a long-gone Irish poet, translating her work, whilst dealing with her own challenges of motherhood.

It‘s very unusual, not like anything I‘ve read before and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for gifting it to me! @Cathythoughts 😘

Cinfhen Gorgeous photo! Sounds great 😊 2y
Cathythoughts Your so welcome! I‘m glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻❤️ 2y
Cathythoughts And yes I agree with @Cinfhen , that‘s a great photo 💫 2y
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Simona I really liked this book. Unique in the form and touching in the content. First a read it and after that I listened audiobook narrated by Siobhan McSweeny and listening was even deeper experience. Audiobook is available on Scribd, if you are subscriber. 2y
LeahBergen What a pretty photo! 2y
squirrelbrain I tried to match the cover to a plant…. I don‘t have a hydrangea (I think that is what is on the cover) but the photinia is flowering and I thought it looked pretty similar! @Cinfhen @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen 2y
squirrelbrain I am on Scribd @Simona so I‘ll look out for it - thank you! 2y
youneverarrived Love the cover and great review! Stacking 🤍 2y
78 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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Zuhkeeyah
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

I found this one via a #bookstagram recommendation. I read the blurb but still had no idea what to expect. As an audiobook it was beautiful. It took a moment to find the rhythm of the book and it was hard to parse out poem from memory sometimes, but I enjoyed this read. The poems were beautiful. I never thought about how the voices and lives of women from the past can often only be found within the words of men.

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blurb
TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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#OnThisDay in 1773 Art Ó Laoghaire was killed after refusing to sell his valuable horse to a local magistrate. Upon his death his wife Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill composed the keening poem Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire. It has been described as the greatest poem written in either Ireland or Britain in the whole of the 18th century. The tagged explores the life of Ní Chonaill, and the passing of womens' words and stories through time #HistoryGetsLIT

TheKidUpstairs (This is the entry for May 4th - I got a bit distracted yesterday by life!) 3y
vivastory Thanks for doing these! Out of curiosity, do you have a personal favorite that you have posted? 3y
TheKidUpstairs @vivastory my favourites so far have been Chaucer's reading of the Canterbury Tales at court (April 17), and Marius and Cosette's wedding/Hugo's affair with Drouet (Feb 16). I like learning the tidbits about why authors wrote the things they did, and why they chose to do things a certain way. 3y
vivastory I was unaware of Chaucer's reading until you posted about it. Really fascinating information in the posts. 3y
TheKidUpstairs @vivastory thank you! It's been a fun research project. 3y
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jlhammar
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

What a spellbinding and original memoir. I found myself wanting to take my time with this one. Read a couple of chapters each evening over the course of a week. A beautiful tribute to womanhood and how literature (poetry in this case) can connect us across centuries.

Addison_Reads Your review is perfection! I loved this book. 3y
jlhammar @Addison_Reads Thanks, Cassie! Yours as well. I could really relate to your general aversion to flowery language. But you were so right, given the focus, it just works like magic in this one. Such a talented writer. 3y
rmaclean4 Just finished this memoir and loved it!! 3y
jlhammar @rmaclean4 Yes! I think it is one that is really going to stay with me. 3y
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rmaclean4
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

"This is a female text." Poetic memoir of motherhood and scholarship. Beautifully written. Highly recommended. 4 ?

jlhammar I‘m reading this one right now and loving it. 3y
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blurb
jlhammar
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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“THIS IS A FEMALE TEXT.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Addison_Reads I loved this book. I hope you do too. 3y
jlhammar @Addison_Reads That is great to hear. I think I'm going to. Completely captivated so far. 3y
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Kazzie
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
Pickpick

This was part memoir part deep dive into the history of an unknown to me famous Irish poet. As always, there is scant info about women, but the narrtest the author weaves or guesses or imagined is wonderful. Her own story is also told with honesty and love. Great writer!

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Simona
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

Beautiful written, as author says, female text in which she is weaving together very intimate thoughts and moments from her life and life of the, lost in history, Irish poet Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill from 18th century. While reconstructing the life of a E.Dubh (through family letters, translating poems, newspaper articles/mentions …) Ghriofa also ponders about her life, which is revolving around motherhood‘s hardships. 5⭐️ without a doubt

BarbaraBB Wow. Stacked. 3y
Simona @BarbaraBB Absolutely worth to read it. It is/was nominated on nonfiction and fiction prizes lists … 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds good….stacking 3y
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Addison_Reads
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

Stunning imagery and prose! I was completely drawn into this book from the first page and it isn't typically something I'd read, our enjoy this much because flowery language often bores me in books. However, it works in this book and the story of a woman who uses an epic poem in order to help her cope with her life was very relatable.

As readers, I think we can all relate to a piece of literature or a character changing our lives.

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ClairesReads
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

A Ghost in the Throat opens with the refrain that “This is a female text” and that is what I loved the most about this enigmatic book. Is it a history, a memoir, literary criticism? what I felt this book did so well was illuminate the lives of ordinary women. Gríofa als explores writerly obsession in a way that I found really engaging. She‘s captured here how books can be our lifeboats, the things we cling to in order to stay afloat.

Cathythoughts I haven‘t read this yet , but I love her new poetry book in English 3y
35 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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#12Booksof2021 #September

I didn't read a many books as usual in September, but 3 of the 5 were among my favourites of the year:

📚 A Ghost in the Throat
📚 Blaze Island
📚 The House in the Cerulean Sea

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monalyisha
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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I don‘t often get books for Christmas, so I‘m thrilled that my family consulted my wishlist this year! The box set at the end is a series I‘ve long loved. The other three are for a special event that‘s upcoming. I can‘t imagine what it is…🤔😜

#NewYearWhoDis
@TheKidUpstairs

TheKidUpstairs Three fabulous choices! 3y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs Thanks! I‘m honestly not sure which titles I‘ll end up reading. My plan is to amass as many as possible & then choose based on my mood. 3y
squirrelbrain I loved Hamnet, and also really liked Your Mother… I have Ghost in Your Throat on my TBR shelf to read. 3y
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JamieArc I just picked up 2 books my my #NYWD list, including Hamnet. Super excited to do some planning in the next two days and acquire some more! 3y
TheKidUpstairs @monalyisha that's my usual strategy, too. Combined with "which library book needs to go back soon?" And "oooh, shiny new hold just came in!" 3y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs Relatable. 👯‍♀️ 3y
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Mitch
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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I dare not click on the link!! 🤣🤣

monalyisha Oh nooo. 🙈😅 I might have to. (edited) 3y
Chrissyreadit Of course I‘m going to stack!! 3y
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TheKidUpstairs Between all these end of year lists and everyone's #NewYearWhoDis lists, my TBR is bursting! I can highly recommend the tagged, it was one of my best of the year. 3y
stevesbookstuf1 read lots of nonfiction, and there's a number here that are new to me! In fact, the only one I've read yet is Osnos's Wildland. Thanks for sharing. 3y
Mitch @TheKidUpstairs soo many good books! 3y
Mitch @stevesbookstuf1 my pleasure. Hope you discover something good 3y
wanderinglynn Same here @TheKidUpstairs 😆Between all the best of lists and everyone posting their #NewYearWhoDis lists, my TBR has expanded exponentially! 3y
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monalyisha
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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I‘m so taken with Megan‘s list!

@TheKidUpstairs , I hope you like my list even half as much as I like yours! The top row is where I‘ll start in January but I hope to read all of the titles pictured (eventually).

I was meant to read Eleanor Oliphant for my IRL Book Club a couple of years ago but skipped out on that month. Time to make it right! The other 2 on top weren‘t even on my radar but I‘m so excited about them now!

#NYWD22 #NewYearWhoDis

Cinfhen This is a fabulous list @TheKidUpstairs enjoy @monalyisha 🙌🏻😄 3y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs We can round out the month with a buddy read, as suggested, or we can wait to do that ‘til February to give us more time with one another‘s lists. I‘m happy to do either! Also, the Rivka Galchen looks SO FREAKING AMAZING…but I won‘t be reading it til later this coming year. My book club has it on our list & I have a feeling it‘s going to get slotted into the October spot. 🔮🖤 3y
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monalyisha @Cinfhen I think I‘ll almost certainly get to that one in January, too. I commute to work (about 45 minutes each way) & memoirs are one of my preferred audio genres. 💯 Thanks for reinforcing the suggestion! 3y
TheKidUpstairs I'm so happy that you're excited for them! Can't wait to hear what you think 😁 3y
TheKidUpstairs @Cinfhen thank you! I had a really great reading year, lots of reads that really left an impression. Narrowing it down to just 20 was the toughest part! 3y
TheKidUpstairs Eleanor Oliphant is a #Newyearwhodis domino read, I picked it up off of @sprainedbrain 's list last year! 3y
Cinfhen Hamnet was great too @TheKidUpstairs I know what you mean!! I‘m gonna start keeping a list in January for 2023 🤓 3y
monalyisha @Cinfhen @TheKidUpstairs Special preview of next year: the requirement's going to be 10-20 books instead of 5-20 (not that either of you will have trouble with that)! The short lists, while impressive & highly cultivated, make it really challenging to create matches. If someone's read even one or two of them, it doesn't leave much room to play! Happy to hear you're already planning to create such healthy lists again! (edited) 3y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs Oh, I like the phrase “domino read!” The gift that keeps on giving. 💖 3y
vivastory Domino read is a great phrase @TheKidUpstairs One of the books I included in my list (Say Nothing) was on the list that I received from @Mitch 3y
BarbaraJean @TheKidUpstairs I love “domino read” too! Several that I put on my list this year were from @MeganAnn ‘s list last year, and at least one of those (tagged) I remember her saying she got from her list the year before. Love it! 😁 3y
Cathythoughts Hamnet ❤️ one of my favorites of this year 3y
Mitch @vivastory love that cascade across the years! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y
MeganAnn @TheKidUpstairs “domino read” is a fantastic term! Three of mine this year are from @BarbaraJean ‘s list last. And I know I had a few on my list last year that came from @4thhouseontheleft ‘s list the year before including both Far From the Tree and 3y
MeganAnn @monalyisha I didn‘t seem to love Eleanor Oliphant as much as everyone else, but I liked it well enough to give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 on GR. I‘ve been eyeing this one which I saw was on your book club list too 3y
monalyisha @MeganAnn I‘m expecting it‘ll be a good palate cleanser; a bit of lightness & levity. We shall see! 3y
monalyisha @MeganAnn Also, my book club‘s informed me that Everyone Knows…was on our list of potential books but it actually didn‘t make the final list. 🤦‍♀️ The good news is: that means I can read it whenever I want! (edited) 3y
MeganAnn @monalyisha oh! Well yay for getting to read it whenever?! I scrolled back to find your correct book club list and this is the one I had seen on there that I really wanted to read. Although, they all look great and I‘ll be watching for your reviews 😊 3y
TheKidUpstairs Hey! I don't know if you read electronically, but I just saw that Interior Chinatown is on sale today for Kindle! 3y
monalyisha @TheKidUpstairs Thanks for the heads-up! I don‘t usually read electronically. But I appreciate it nonetheless! 3y
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review
Tamra
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

I loved the writing, naturally because Ghriofa is a poet! She made her quest to discover Eibhlin‘s story intriguing such that it kept me turning pages. I appreciated the “female text” theme throughout and understand how it applies to more than the written word.

The element I didn‘t fully appreciate was Ghriofa‘s personal melodramas - there was just a tad too much. Felt a little self indulgent, though there is much to relate to re: motherhood.

squirrelbrain Great review Tamra - even more intrigued now! 3y
Tamra @squirrelbrain definitely check it out! 3y
Cathythoughts Great review! I hear you , I only read the first few pages but her ‘personal melodramas ‘ as you say .. they put me off straight away .. husband read on because he loves the poem / lament this book is based on .. and he says the most moving parts in the book were about her own life ( even though some of that was annoying) a funny book in that way , he says. I‘ve yet to read it .. 3y
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Tamra
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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“Caoineadh”

I‘m falling down a rabbit hole instead of working. I also had to check out several audio pronunciations. 🤓

BkClubCare Love-hate when this happens - so much fun but “I have work to do!” 😁 3y
Cathythoughts Keening is such a powerful word … it is that sorrow coming from the throat .. that moaning breathy sound .. I must read this one too ❤️ (edited) 3y
Tamra @Cathythoughts very much so and language is important in this work. I did some cursory Googling and have stickies inside the cover for pronunciations! It led me to wonder about Gaeilge and whether there is any ongoing effort in Ireland to encourage its use and preservation? 3y
Tamra @BkClubCare ugh, like right now! 😬 3y
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TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Pickpick

"This is a female text."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is beautiful and moving and thoughtful. Ní Gríofa shares an intimate portrait of her life, and the life of Eibhlín Dubh, and the power of women's stories, and carving a history out of shadows and glimpses.

TW: birth trauma, suicide attempt

Tamra Can‘t wait to read it myself! 3y
Augustdana Bought this at my favourite book store a few weeks ago! Can‘t wait to get into it!! 3y
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TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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"We cannot know from whose mouths the echoes of our lives will chime. Norrie is the source and the surface from which Eibhlín Dubh's voice reverberates to us. Little starling: she opens her mouth and someone else's words chirp out."

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TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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"She is wearing a bright pink cardigan knitted by her grandmother, a female text in which every stitch is a syllable."

tpixie 💕💕💕 3y
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Tamra
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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Book mail! I‘m excited about this one especially since the author is a poet. I‘m expecting beautiful prose.

Cathythoughts I hope you like it .. I havnt read it yet , but my husband loved it , especially because of the old lament / poem it is based on … 3y
TheKidUpstairs I'm loving this one right now. Her writing is beautiful. 3y
Tamra @TheKidUpstairs it‘s up next in my stack! I‘m glad to hear it. 😁 3y
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TheKidUpstairs
A Ghost in the Throat | Doireann Ni Ghriofa
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"This is a female text, which is also a caoineadh: a dirge and a drudge-song, an anthem of praise, a chant and a keen, a lament and an echo, a chorus and a hymn. Join in."

Oh, this is going to be good...

Tamra I expect this to arrive in the mail today! So excited! 😁 3y
squirrelbrain Look, @Cathythoughts, other Littens are reading the book that you sent me! 😁 3y
Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain Oh Helen , I‘m so glad , I hope you like it too 👍🏻❤️ 3y
57 likes3 comments