Well done on bringing this brave nun’s story into the public arena
This week there’s a mix of stories about addiction and its consequences, about extreme bravery and survival, about the world of the Brontës and what happens when a murder is committed there. There’s also Catherine Ryan Howard’s latest and another fantasy novel set in a fantasy land with fantastical creatures.
Somewhere, Jessamine O’Connor, Lilliput, €16.95
A story about addiction and its effect on loved ones, Somewhere follows Clodagh, at something of a loose end after ending her relationship with Seamus, both addicted to heroin. Clodagh has somewhere to go, as her mother is amenable to her staying over. Seamus, on the other hand, is on the streets. There are several shades of Trainspotting here; the relentless grip of addiction and the vain hope of those caught in it that some day things will be different.
But, of course, they’re never different. While painting a vivid picture of addicts in the throes of their illness, O’Connor also depicts the anxiety of Sylvia, Clodagh’s mother, who’s hoping that Clodagh can make some kind of a life for herself.
An issue this reader had is that Clodagh is only 20 years old. Things may be ruinous for her, but there are plenty of 20-year-olds out there who are not fully formed. It might have been easier to fully invest in her had she gained some life experience, and this reader is not quite sure why she’s so young. Who knows what they want at 20? That said, it’s a vivid portrait of the horror of heroin and its profligate use on the streets of contemporary Dublin.
The Nun of Ravensbrück, Cathi Fleming, Hachette, €16.99
This novel is based on fact and tells the story of Sr Marie-Laurence, Franciscan nun and French resistance fighter who was born in Cork in 1895, as Kate McCarthy. She joined a convent outside of Paris at 18 years of age and nursed the sick and the dying during the First World War.
She then travelled to the US, returning to France in 1940 after the start of the Second World War. She was approached by the Resistance but was hesitant at first, but seeing the horrors of the war unfolding in front of her galvanised resolve. She, like Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty in Rome, helped many people escape the clutches of the Nazis until she found herself on their radar.
She was captured, tortured and eventually sent to Ravensbrück death camp. To say more would be to spoil, but the author is to be commended on bringing this brave nun’s story into the public arena. Joe O’Connor’s My Father’s House and The Ghosts of Rome have enjoyed huge public acclaim, and Fleming’s book, in my opinion, deserves the same amount of exposure.
The Haunting of a Brontë, Amelia Blackwell, Macmillan, €22.99
Both cosy murder mystery and historical novel, this story opens in 1799 with time-traveller Georgiana Darcy (from Pride and Prejudice) leaving a message for her lover Quinn, who’s living in 1995. She’s waiting on her Motorola pager to once more transport her through the centuries so she can return to Quinn but, unfortunately, she’s only been transported to Thorp Green Hall in 1845, where Branwell, the only brother in the Brontë family, believes he is being haunted.
There’s further trouble afoot when Georgiana discovers the cook’s father murdered on a chopping block. With lots of literary allusions to the Brontës and plenty of excitement in the plot, this isn’t just a book for Brontë fans but for anyone looking for a historical crime novel with an amusing twist.
Buyer Beware, Catherine Ryan Howard, Bantam, €16.99
When Ellie moves into 1 Delaney Row in Dundrum, she realises the house is harbouring secrets. But then so is she. What she doesn’t know is there are people invested in making sure the secrets of the old house don’t come to light. And Ellie is to caught in this particularly dangerous web.
The house has been uninhabited for a number of years and has not been looked after, but it is what Ellie can afford. The day she moves in, with just a suitcase, no other luggage or furniture and a just few hundred quid to her name, she gets talking to the next door neighbour, which is not a situation she wanted at all. Because like the house, Ellie has her own secrets. And they are somehow entangled with what has happened, years before, here in this house. It’s a slow-burning creepy mystery that’s impossible to put down once you’ve started, from one of our top-tier thriller writers.
Ravenous, Kresley Cole, Head of Zeus, €21.75
This is one for the growing number of fantasy/romantasy readers out there who enjoy a good long read. Far beyond our material world lies the world of the Skein, where vampires, witches, demons and wolves reside. The story is set in the time of the Accession, a cycle of chaos that stokes up old hostilities and rivalries. There’s a witch queen, a wolf king and old enemies become lovers. There’s a vampire princess and an oddball called Beserker, there’s a whole lot of characters in this novel, all vying for control, revenge, love… you get the idea. It’s rather racy as well, which means it’s not YA fantasy, but only just. It’s definitely for younger readers, but those in the 18+ market.
Footnotes
The big event this weekend is, of course, Electric Picnic. With a great selection of music, art, theatre, comedy, food and holistic health, it’s the most delightfully diverse end of summer party on the Emerald Isle. Or so says the website! To check what’s on and who, and if there are tickets left, see electricpicnic.ie.
The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is one of the weirder festivals, but it’s running for the whole month of September, so there’s plenty of time to find a soulmate if that’s what you’re after. See matchmakerireland.com for details.
The Dublin Fringe Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival running for two weeks and offers a platform for new and emerging artists in Ireland to showcase their work, alongside trying out new styles and practices. This year it’s on September 5-20. See fringefest.com for details.