In this affecting anthology of fiction by Irish-American women, the voices of some of our most important writers are finally celebrated. These 25 pieces, more than half of which have never before been published in book form, include selections by such established, award-winning authors as Anna Quindlen, Alice McDermott, Mary McCarthy, and Mary McGarry Morris, as well as promising newcomers.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Tucked away in Cabbage and Bones is a clutch of compelling, neatly polished stories published by Irish American women writing between 1938 and 1997. The earliest tale, "Noel Coward and Mrs. Griffin," is a great bit of old-fashioned, wide-eyed fun. In it, two sweetly hell-raising sisters appall sanctimonious neighbors with such exploits as burying their doll Joe in the garden on Good Friday. As their infuriated father digs it up late Saturday night, the younger girl moans tearfully, "He'll rise tomorrow and you won't have to trouble." Later stories echo different sentiments: bleak depression, black humor, and an enjoyable sentimentality that teeters on mawkishness. Binding ties of religion and family are spotlighted and politics run passionate or wry. "'Better to be a communist when you're poor, right? What's to lose?'" says the father of the 17-year-old who narrates "How Ireland Lost the World Cup."
From Library Journal
Irish American fiction has rarely been presented as a genre separate from Irish fiction, and in the instances when it has been, the focus is primarily on male writers. Inspired by the historical Irish women's immigration experience and the resulting literature, Kearns has compiled the first collection of Irish American women's fiction. The 24 contributions, from both well-known and obscure authors, are filled with recurring themes of family, immigration, and religion. What makes these stories memorable are the depth and variety of emotions that each writer brings to her subject matter. A true celebration of Irish American women's fiction and an affirmation of this unique perspective in American literature; highly recommended.?Dianna Moeller, St. Martin's Coll. Lib., Lacey, Wash.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cabbage and Bones: An Anthology of Irish American Women's Fiction (Hardcover)
I enjoyed many of these stories, especially "How Ireland lost the World Cup", the excerpt from "At Weddings and Wakes" (one of my favorite books ever) and "Famine Fever". One story which bothered me, however, was "the Map of Ireland" by Stephanie Grant, is set in South Boston, where I live. She apparantly is not from South Boston, because she has made geographical errors (Gate of Heaven School and church are no where near the MaryEllen McCormack housing development). Ms. Grant should be aware that there are no projects in Gate of Heaven parish, but rather it is a solid middle class urban neighborhood!! We are not poor!! I wish people would stick to writing about what they know. You can't pretend to know a life that you don't. Otherwise, the stories are great and I think it was a great idea to put together an anthology of Irish-American women.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
