Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 477
15/16 May 2010
Sean Moylan: Rebel Leader by Aideen Carroll
Large Format Paperback; 20 Euro . 28 USD / 16 UK; 320 pages, with an 16-page black-and-white photo insert
"Sean Moylan: Rebel Leader" offers a close and personal look at the man and his life. A fighter of some repute, he led a series of ambushes in Cork as Commandant of the Cork Number 2 Brigade, and was part of the team that captured the only British General to be captured during the War of Independence. Following the War of Independence, he fought for the Anti-Treaty side of the Civil War and remained a senior republican during the conflict. He was elected to the Dail in 1932 and served in cabinet from then until his death in 1957. Featuring previously unpublished letters from key figures in the Republican movement, this new biography offers a crucial insight into the realities of the War of Independence and the founding of the Fianna Fail party.
The Compassionate Intentions of Illness by Tony Humphreys
Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD /11 UK; 150 pages [Add To Basket]
Illness, death and dying are part and parcel of human life. Despite amazing advances in medical science there is never going to be a time when we can prevent against ever having the experience of illness. This book seeks to add to the alleviation of the suffering of illness by finding greater understanding of the psychological meaning and purpose of that experience. Illness, while it manifests physically, also involves deep psychological and social processes on the part of the person suffering the illness. While the book does consider the social processes of illness to the extent that it considers the personal and professional relationships that surround the person who is ill, the main focus of the book is on the psychological meaning and intent of illness. If, as this book sets out to explore, we can find ways of approaching illness that take compassionate account of the different physical, psychological and social processes that are involved, and if we can find ways of responding to those different processes, then we can truly make great strides in alleviating a suffering that is part and parcel of human existence. In order for others to help the person who is ill to respond to the deeper intentions of the illness, it is necessary to have compassionate understanding and to create the physical, emotional and intellectual safety that will enable the person to consciously take up the healing that is being called for. The book provides guidance to enable care professionals to be mindful of their own relationship with self and to see how, out of that central relationship, they then relate to the person presenting with illness.
Dying to Survive by Rachel Keogh
Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 8 UK;
Her addiction to the drug took her to a place about as low as a person can go. She had grown up in Ballymun and had, like many others, succumbed to the lure of drugs during her teenage years. This is Rachael Keogh's own story written in her own words. She is now thirty, a student of psychotherapy, an attractive and optimistic young woman. Her story is a remarkable account of recovery from the very edge of personal destruction. It is a heart-lifting story of human redemption. 'Through sheer grit and determination she pulled herself out of the hell she was living in...what an achievement. She is an inspiration' Alison O'Reilly, Sky News 'After reading Dying to Survive, nobody could think Rachael Keogh's life...is anything but 100% worthwhile' Belfast Telegraph 'A story like that...makes us realise how lucky we are' Amanda Brunker --- 'This is an incredible story, told completely straight -- no sensationalism, no self-pity and plenty of wicked humour thrown in. Gripping, extraordinary and so shocking you have to keep reminding yourself that this really happens -- this is one all teenagers and parents should read. Hell, it should be on the school curriculum' Evening Echo
Boy in the Cupboard by Shane Dunphy
Paperback; 10 Euro / 13 USD / 8 UK; [Add To Basket]
Craig, the little boy who can't speak English, isn't allowed to use his real name and hides food -- afraid he'll be hungry again. His parents, the Tomescus, are trying to make a fresh start, but their gangland bosses are about to catch up with the family and Craig will pay a terrible price ...Gregor Blerinca is Mr Tomescu's boss, and a dangerous criminal. Shane knows, when he asks Blerinca for help, that he will owe the gangster a favour. But when Blerinca comes to him for advice about his fifteen-year-old son, Vinnie, Shane gets more than he bargained for ...Edgar is a twelve-year-old boy whom nobody wants, not even the staff at the residential unit where he lives. Just when it seems that Shane might be getting through to Edgar, his mother reveals a secret that changes everything ...Melanie is Edgar's social worker, and an old friend of Shane's. When he meets her to discuss working with Edgar, Shane begins to realise that her own problems run far deeper ...One man's fight to give these children the childhood they deserve.
In Ma’s Footsteps by Kathleen Doyle
Paperback; 11 Euro / 15 USD / 9 UK; 263 pages [Add To Basket]
In the phenomenal and hilarious bestseller, What Would Ma Say?, Kathleen Doyle introduced us to her remarkable family and their exploits growing up in working-class Dublin in the 1950s and 1960s. Now she is walking In Ma's Footsteps, picking up where the first book left off. Kathleen describes marital bliss with Alan and how they raised their own (smaller) family of three in difficult times. From a shed in her back garden, Kathleen started cutting hair for her neighbours, eventually owning three hairdressing salons. Along the way, Kathleen's sharp tongue brightens up her stories, such as how the family rooster, Dick the Cock, sent her into premature labour; Alan getting 'the snip'; the mysterious vandalising of Kathleen's knickers; and how her daughter Martina ran away from home at the age of 11 but only for the one night, mind. Kathleen herself became a grandmother at the age of 38, and is now a great-grandmother. There were also tragedies, most of them, incredibly, happening in just one year: Da's agonising death from cancer; Ma's operation to remove a brain tumour; Kathleen's own brush with cancer, which resulted in her having her bits taken out; and, most heartbreaking of all, Kathleen's brother Phil dying, also from a brain tumour. Throughout it all, Kathleen remains philosophical, never losing her sense of humour. She's a true survivor.
Sent by an Angel by Kevin Shelton
Paperback; 11 Euro / 15 USD / 9 UK; 220 pages [Add To Basket]
Kevin Skelton watched helplessly as a bomb ripped apart the life he knew. It was 15 August 1998, and the place was Omagh, County Tyrone. Kevin's wife Mena was one of the 29 people killed that day, and his daughter Shauna was horrifically injured. Kevin was just yards away when the bomb struck, and it was he who found his wife's battered body under the rubble. Kevin had lost the love of his life. Kevin sank into the depths of despair after the bomb. At a time when his family needed him most, he turned to drink and self-loathing, often wishing he could have taken Mena s place that day. More than once, he held a loaded shotgun to his mouth, but he could never go through with it. Mena was the angel who saved him. A year before she died, she and Kevin had taken a young girl, Andreea, from a Romanian orphanage for a two-week holiday to their home, and Andreea had returned to Ireland the following year, just a couple of weeks before the tragic bombing. Kevin vowed to keep up these visits for Mena s sake, and he gradually became involved in organising charitable trips to the orphanage. It was there that he met Andreea s mother, Maria, and a new love was sparked. Kevin was convinced that Mena had sent Andreea and Maria to him. He believes Mena has been a constant presence in the family's life since her death, watching over them and protecting them. Sent by an Angel is a true story of love rising from the ashes of tragedy, a romance that reaches beyond the boundaries of this world.
Annie’s Girl: How an Abandoned Orphan Finally Discovered the Truth About Her Mothers by Maureen Coppinger
Paperback; 10 Euro / 13 USD / 8 UK; [Add To Basket]
Maureen Coppinger's earliest memory is of watching the woman she believed to be her mother walk away and abandon her to the care of the nuns at one of Ireland's notorious industrial schools. She was just three years old. She remained in the orphanage until the age of 16, subjected to cruelty and neglect, and starved of love and affection. One of her closest friends was taken away to an asylum after her spirit was broken by repeated beatings, and Maureen herself faced a constant battle against despair. It was an environment from which no one emerged unscathed. Throughout these tormented years, Maureen dreamed only of escape, and when she was contacted again by her mammy she believed all her dreams were about to come true. Life in the outside world brought its own challenges, however, and Maureen was thrown into turmoil when she discovered that the truth about her past was more murky than she had ever realised. "Annie's Girl" stands apart as a poignant testimony to the resilience of the human heart. This touching and evocative memoir is the incredible story of an illegitimate industrial-school survivor's profound struggle to overcome a shame-filled past and solve the mystery of her origins. 7, Sheila Cloney, Protestant wife of a Catholic farmer, fled from her home near the Wexford village of Fethard-on-Sea with her young daughters after refusing to bow to the demands of the local Catholic clergy to educate them as Catholics. In response, the priests launched a boycott of Fethard's Protestant shopkeepers and farmers. The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott subject of the feature film, A Love Divided became a national scandal, prompting intervention by Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera. Tim Fanning tells the story of one of the ugliest sectarian episodes to occur in the Republic. He examines how deep-rooted historical grievances over land ownership on Wexford's Hook Peninsula and the Catholic Church's Ne Temere decree on mixed marriages resulted in one small rural community tearing itself apart and how, during the 1980s, the arrival of paedophile priest Seán Fortune reopened old wounds in the village. Fethard is still coming to terms with its bitter history today.
In the Shadow of Men by Valerie O’Brien
Large Format Paperback; 11 Euro / 15 USD / 8 UK; 353 pages [Add To Basket]
Valerie O'Brien was horrified to discover just how much of a man's world the army was. As one of the first female combat soldiers in the Irish infantry, she suffered sexual harassment, isolation and depression. Behind her blonde façade lay a complex woman driven to succeed against the odds in a macho environment. Ultimately, her ambition would cost her dearly. Valerie's father and grandfather had both been in the Irish Army, so it was inevitable that she would join up herself. Little did she know what she was letting herself in for. The training was excruciating, and she had to fight hard to be seen as an equal with the men. But she passed with flying colours. Along the way, she met and married Andy, another soldier, and they had two children. When Valerie had to go on tours of duty to the Lebanon and Eritrea, she first began to feel she had made a big mistake. She was exposed to sexual harassment, pornography, hate mail and intimidation, at one point having a bottle thrown at her head. In Eritrea, she was shocked by the fact that many of her fellow soldiers were regulars at the local brothel. Being separated from her young son, Alex, for six months during her trip to Eritrea was also heartbreaking for her. The struggle to be a mother and keep up her army career took its toll on her health and she developed an eating disorder, viral encephalitis and fibromyalgia (ME), while her marriage also broke up. Finally, it became too much, and she left the army in 2007. She is now a qualified beautician a far cry from army fatigues, punishing training and the shadow of men.
The Miracles of Mary by Bridget Curran
Large Format Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 224 pages [Add To Basket]
Although she lived two thousand years ago, the Virgin Mary continues to inspire countless generations with miracles large and small. This wonderful collection of accounts by everyday people includes stories of the silently weeping statues of Mary in Japan; apparitions of Mary in Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Poland and Portugal; and, of the statue of Mary in Sri Lanka that has been at the centre of a number of miracles, including one during the 2004 tsunami. Mary also appeared to millions in Zeitun, Egypt uniting Muslims and Coptic Christians, and was the inspiration to a young Polish boy who went on to became Pope John Paul II. Told simply and honestly, these remarkable stories by everyday people allow the reader to experience the beauty and grace of these miraculous events, regardless of their religious background.
An Irish Voice by Niall O’Dowd
Large Format Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 296 pages [Add To Basket]
From emigrant house painter and part-time Gaelic footballer to confidant of Bill and Hillary Clinton and guest of President Barack Obama at the White House on St Patrick's Day is an extraordinary journey by any standards. To be also recognized by "The New York Times" as 'the authentic voice of the Irish in America, who has more knowledge of this community than almost anyone else alive' is an extraordinary endorsement. How Niall O'Dowd achieved this standing is a tale of adventure and misadventure, of hard work and hard drinking, of initiative, determination and sometimes great risk-taking. His insider's view of the Clintons, Ted Kennedy, Gerry Adams and major players in the world of Irish-American politics on both sides of the water, coupled with his authentic recounting of the often harsh reality of emigration and the immigrant's lot in trying to realize the American dream makes revealing and compelling reading.
SESSION: Irish Stories by Mick Fitzgerald and edited by Gabriele Haefs
80 Pages / Softcover 12 Euro / 15 USD / 10 UK [Add To Basket]
Mick Fitzgerald, was born in 1951 and raised and still lives in Dublin, He is a man of many talents. Besides working as a journalist for many years he was a member of bands like Tipsy Sailor and The Wild Geese, still performs as a musician in Dublin, but mainly works as an actor these days. And as an author, of course. His short stories and his poetry have been published in magazines and various collections, his story “The Fiddle Lesson” was nominated for the prestigious Irish Hennessy Award. “Session” is his first collection of short stories.
He has also issued two solo-CDs of his own songs: Light Sleeper, 2003 and Damage Limitation, 2009, both on Mogg Records. (These can also be ordered via Read Ireland)
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
Gregory Carr, Independent Bookseller
Read Ireland
392 Clontarf Road
Dublin 3
Ireland
Tel + Fax: +353-1-853-2063
Customer Services Comments, Criticism and Questions
Subscribe to Read Ireland Book News - Our Free Weekly Email Newsletter