The Irish immigrant experience is no stranger to the world of fiction, but in The Walking People, Irish American Mary Beth Keane captures the nuances of one woman’s journey in this promising first novel. Protagonist Greta Cahill, cast aside early in her life as a “simple girl,” is destined to face gross underestimation not only of her intelligence but of her ability to lead a … [Read more...] about A Trip to the Bountiful: Mary Beth Keane
Literature
Review of Books
Recommended T he Brightest Star in the Sky is another good romp by Dublin-based writer Marian Keyes. Keyes first burst on the scene with Watermelon in 1995 and went on to write several bestsellers including This Charming Man (2008). In her latest book, Keyes uses the interesting literary device of a wandering ghost to give us an inside look at the residents of a block of … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Patrick Farrell Wins 2009 Pulizter
In April, second-generation Irish American Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, for his incredible and moving photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and the other serious storms of the hurricane season in Haiti. In a recent conversation with Irish America, Farrell discussed his Irish heritage and his … [Read more...] about Patrick Farrell Wins 2009 Pulizter
Column McCann Wins 2009 National Book Award
Colum McCann’s newest novel, 'Let the Great World Spin,' was announced November 18 as the winner of the 2009 National Book Award for Fiction during a black-tie ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. In his personal history and in his writing, he is a man of many different places. McCann is an Irish writer, born in Dublin, partly educated in Texas and Japan, who has … [Read more...] about Column McCann Wins 2009 National Book Award
A Journey Beyond Imagination
Brian Keenan, Belfast-born, was teaching English at the American University of Beirut when he was kidnapped by fundamentalist Shi'ite militiamen on April 11, 1986. It was during the Lebanese Civil War. His captors mistakenly took him for British. Released in August, 1990, he went on to write an acclaimed memoir about his captivity, called An Evil Cradling. He was in New York to … [Read more...] about A Journey Beyond Imagination