Annie Dunne
- Brand: Unbranded
Description
Her flawed understanding of others, means that other characters are not so fully drawn, potential plots appear not to develop beyond perception and misperception, but this is the world through Annie’s eyes.
Her grand niece and nephew are visiting for the summer while their parents look for work in England. My crab-apple tree seems to watch over their coming, like a poor man forever waiting for alms with cap in hand. I actually have had The Secret Scripture on my list of books to acquire and read for a couple of years now, but haven’t felt particularly motivated. Day by day, they toil away, trying to understand and adjust to the progress sweeping across Ireland.
Both become more self-aware as the story progresses, and the reader sees the softer side of these very human women. When Annie's nephew and his wife are set to go to London, their two small children are brought down to spend the summer with them. Like "The Idea of Perfection" (Kate Grenville) this is a book about ordinary people living out their daily lives.
Egolf won praise for his first novel, ''Lord of the Barnyard,'' and he has a gift for down-and-out imagery. A summer of adventure pain delight and ultimately epiphany unfolds for both the children and their elderly caretakers in this poignant and exquisitely told story of innocence loss and reconciliation. The marriage coverlet is woven and embroidered for the happy pair, the house is built in a few summer weeks by the meitheal of neighbours, the last twist and stitch is put to the thatch, and in they go, the fortunate couple, with strength and purpose – and at length the house is desolate and empty with only rain for a roof, the stranger comes and opens the rotted hope chest, and puts their fingers to the folded coverlet, which falls from their hand in mouldy fragments.Annie had sought refuge on the farm after being forced to leave the house of Matt, her brother-in-law, when he re-married. Thank you, Sebastien Barry for creating this wonderful character and for preserving her, along with her rural Wicklow life, for future generations. Although I struggle with phrases like ‘tired as a wolf’ and ‘pensive as daffodils’, at least his writing gives me pause for thought. But when June is queen, eternally in the grasses, in the wood pigeons, in the dank rooks, in the potato gardens, in the cabbage patches, wild dreams are given birth to with all the mighty energy of the full-blowing year.
- Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
- EAN: 764486781913
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