Antonia~ St Patrick's Day recommendations
The 17th of March is always a big day in our house, not only because it is my little sister’s birthday but as a family with Irish blood, we of course celebrate St Patricks Day. With this in mind, I put together a few recommendations to add to your reading list this St Patricks Day.
Fiction
Last year I came across this collection of British and Irish Nature writing and I have found myself turning to it on stormy days for respite. This is a beautiful collection of inspiring classics and contemporary passages which celebrate the landscape and wildlife. Organised into themes ranging from birds, woods, and coastlines the reader can pick and choose which passages to dip into based on their mood. If you are struggling for a gift for a loved one or an inspiration for your afternoon reading, I would recommend this book.
The Walking People by Mary Beth Keane
This novel follows the story of Greta Cahill who leaves Ireland in the 1960s to join her sister on a ship bound for New York to make a new life for herself. After many years her children decide to reconnect with their family in Ireland which presents many difficulties for Greta. Capturing the great Irish migration wave to the United States, this engrossing novel is an interesting addition to your bookshelf.
Seanchai by Kathleen Curran
Local author Curran has collected the voices of many individual Irish men and women telling their stories about the home they left in Ireland and the new one that many were forced to make in England in the 1950s. This is a wonderful heart warming collection of stories.
Memoir
Thin Places by Kerri Ni Dochartaigh
This incredible memoir covers Dochartaigh’s life whilst living in Derry at the height of the troubles. Whilst this book conveys the terror or the time, with homemade petrol bombs, and religious instability, Dochartaigh explores the difference that nature and the Irish Landscape made in keeping her sane and helping her heal. This is an interesting and insightful read into Ireland’s history.
The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters, and Elizabeth Bowen by Julia Parry
Newly published Parry reveals the hidden love triangle between novelist Elizabeth Bowen and the Humphry House’s family… which includes the authors own Grandparents. Through a series of never before seen letters detailing the affair this exciting new book will present a new side to Bowen that fans of her work should definitely read.
Pre-order
Beak, Tooth and Claw: Why We Must Live with Predators by Mary Colwell
I wanted to include this title (even though it is not published until 14th April 22) as I am excitingly awaiting its release to read about the diverse range of predators living in Britain and Ireland. In my village we regularly see foxes, badgers and on a dog walk yesterday I had three kites flying high and signing over my head. This new book looks at the reintroduction of predators in our landscape and how farming, fishing, sport, and leisure industries impact these creatures in a clash of worlds. This reoccurring debate on how to control predators has always been one I have been interested in knowing more about. Talking to the scientists and wildlife lovers who want to protect them Cowell explores the issues surrounding this debate and our bittersweet relationship with predators.
To request any of the books discussed above please visit our request page here.