I‘m starting this book for #Ireland #foodandlit @Catsandbooks
pickA beautifully told story abt a young Catholic man living with his father in a loyalist community at the height of the troubles. Haunted by his part in the killing of a local police man he tries to get out of more ira activity. When he meets the widow of the victim, a love affair seems inevitable but doomed. A brilliant book that I couldn't put down + was immersed in brilliant writing. I saw the film in the 80s so will be interested to watch again
pickI was drawn into this story of a young schoolteacher in Ireland during The Troubles. Cushla is trying to get by despite her alcoholic mother and love of the wrong man. It all felt very authentic.
pickThis book is beautiful and heart-wrenching through its realistic depictions of normal people trying to live their ordinary lives in extremely violent times.
In 1970s' Belfast, a young Catholic school teacher falls in love with a Protestant married man and we see the tragedy of living during the Troubles unfold.
I enjoyed both this one and "Milkman".
pickI listened to this.
Northern Ireland in the 70‘s is a scary place! I was most affected by the young school children who are forced to grow up way before they should. Their childhoods stolen by the reality of life in conflict. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickA young woman in Belfast, teaching 7 yo‘s at a Catholic school, failing at keeping her mom sober, and helping her brother run the family bar with mostly Protestant clientele- falls for the attention of an older married man. I thought it excellent and learned a lot of Irish slang, tightly plotted, fabulous minor character studies and true sense of place, or seemed - how could I know? Five slices of pie. Read for Tournament of Favorites #ToF2024
“I‘m away.”
“Where are you for?” said Gina.
.
.
“You should be looking a fella a bit more sophisticated.”
Irish grammar!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 24-year old Cushla is a Catholic teacher who lives with her mother and works in the family pub near Belfast during the troubles. The book weaves her affair with an older, married, Protestant barrister, and also her relationships with the troubled family of a young student. The affair was really predatory, and the story took awhile to get into, but I ended up liking it. Bit of a slow burn for me. Soft pick.
bailed49%in I bail. Audio narration by Bríd Brennan is great, Kennedy an outstanding author. I find the relationship at this point not disturbing but gross. He‘s at least 26 years older, knew her father, some of the sex scenes, although not explicit, feel wrong and I‘ve noticed that in Kennedy‘s short stories as well, some of it sounds more like rape but is almost portrayed as passion? I just can‘t …
