Book Reviews.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
Set in Northern Ireland in 1975, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy is a beautiful novel that weaves a complicated love story amidst the backdrop of the Troubles. Kennedy masterfully portrays the challenges of living a normal life while surrounded by violence and political unrest.
How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee
How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee is a powerful piece of historical fiction that rightfully deserves a place in your TBR pile. Just make sure you actually get around to reading this one!
It weaves the stories of Wang Di, a former 'comfort woman' during the Japanese occupation, and Kevin, a young man combing through his family's history. As their stories criss-cross past and present Singapore, you'll discover a touching narrative about resilience and healing.
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Weyward by Emilia Hart is a fluffy bit of fiction that’s worthy of a place in your beach bag. It weaves the lives of three women over five centuries into one over-arching narrative about the grit of womanhood and the stirring power of Mother Nature.
We start with Kate, who bolts for Weyward Cottage to escape her abusive husband. This cozy, crumbly Cumbrian place comes courtesy of her Great Aunt Violet, a lady she barely remembers. Now, Violet is an interesting bird, more keen on bugs and climbing trees than being the dainty lady society wanted her to be…
When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté
This April, which is Stress Awareness Month, we read When the Body Says No and it’s safe to say it was a fitting choice. In the book, Gabor Maté draws on his years of experience working as a GP in Canada and the many patients he’s seen, alongside a body of evidence from countless studies in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI for short) which back up the anecdotal stories he shares. In very basic terms, PNI is the idea that your psychological state and your immune system are not separate and unrelated, instead the former has a significant impact on the latter. As someone who seems to live in a constant state of stress, emotional upset, and anxiety, my increasing reaction as I got through each chapter was ‘I am so screwed’.
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing tells the story of an unnamed female protagonist living in Ireland with her older brother - whose childhood brain tumour casts a long shadow over the family - and her fanatically religious mother. As she grows up and moves away from home, the girl navigates abuse, sexual assault and the stress of her brother’s failing health; as well as the relentless double-standards imposed on her by both her family and wider society.
The book’s experimental writing style proved to be divisive among book club members. It is written in a stream-of-consciousness, disjointed style with no speech marks and sparse punctuation. It is also distinctly Irish in both its dialect and themes, leading some members to feel that they were missing out on important context.