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The Making Of Her

By Bernadette Jiwa

Growing up in Dublin in the 1960s was hard for Joan. After losing her mother at a young age, she did everything to hold the family together. Her dad barely worked and mostly drank, and her younger siblings needed more care than she could provide. Slowly, all but her sister Teresa were sent away for adoption. Working in the local candy factory left little for Joan to look forward to day in and day out, with no hope on the horizon. One day she meets Martin. Handsome, smart and sweet but completely out of her league, Joan cannot take her eyes off the young man. Martin’s meddling mother makes their lives unbearable and their secret dalliance leads to the biggest regret of Joan’s life. Years later, Joan is confronted with her past, which has been haunting her dreams for decades and must finally come out of the closet. Narrated between life in the ’60s and the ’90s, this heartbreaking novel is filled with the struggles of class, marriage and motherhood as Joan contemplates whether it is too late to set things right. This Irish-born author debuts with a powerful story.

... a reader and now a writer, has hundreds of book reviews at: www. readingandeating.com. For questions and comments, email karen@newfield. org.

CHECK OUT THREE EXTRAORDINARY IRISH AUTHORS TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY

All The Broken Places

By John Boyne Gretel Fernsby

keeps to herself. At 91, she lives quietly in the London apartment she has resided in for more than 60 years. Her neighbor Heidi is a lovely woman suffering from dementia and her son Caden visits sporadically. When a new family moves into the apartment building, Gretel becomes curious about the 9-year-old boy named Henry who reminds her of a name she will not mention. Gretel has spent her life hiding, taking many surnames while suffering from memories of a place she will not name. Haunted by her father, a highranking Nazi officer who did unspeakable things, Gretel has lived in vain to find the ending she deserves. Consumed with shame and fearing consequences of discovery, she is exhausted by her own ghosts. When Henry threads his way into her heart, she learns he is in danger and can no longer be a bystander. Narrated by Gretel’s past and present, this sequel to “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” explores guilt, punishment and grief.

FOSTER

By Claire Keegan

After attending Sunday Mass, an unnamed young girl is driven by her father through the beautiful Irish countryside to the home of distant relatives she has never met. The girl’s mother is about to give birth to yet another baby, and the girl is to be looked after by the Kinsellas. Upon arrival, her father departs with barely a glance and she bashfully faces these tall strangers. Helping Edna in the home while the man works outside becomes not a chore but a comforting routine where the girl receives gentle instruction and basks in this newfound attention. As the girl senses their affection, her eyes open wide to the world around her. She slowly becomes comfortable and is surprised by emotions she has never experienced. The girl doesn’t know how long she will be staying with these lovely people, but starts to think it would be okay if she never left. As if someone is gently lulling you to sleep, this novella is quietly whispered. A small book with a big impact and words chosen so carefully it doesn’t need a single additional page to feel complete. A stunning Irish author, not to be missed.

WATCH TIP: “Bad Sisters” on Apple TV+ is a dark (dark) comedy set in Dublin. The five inseparable Garvey sisters will do anything for each other – and I mean anything.

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