This is lockdown is an unusual collection of diary entries, discussions, poems, and a few short stories written by a variety of people from different countries and backgrounds and recording their experiences and emotions during the 2020 lockdown.
The book is divided into three sections: Family Diaries of the author MJ Mallon, No More which contains poems and pieces from a number of different contributors, and Part 2 which comprises of short stories by MJ Mallon.
The Family Diaries is just what is says, a collection of diary entries from 28 February 2020 to 1 June 2020, setting out the author's emotions and experiences during the first three months of lockdown. The author was in lockdown with your two daughters and her husband and her entries extend to cover some of their feelings and reactions to being confined to home for an extended period. I enjoyed the family's attempts to stay cheerful and to make the most of their time through exercising, walking, and reading. Simple joys like cooking and finding a new statuette on a walk are highlights of this period, as is the pervasive underlying anxiety about the illness and the future. The author has also recorded some of the politics of the time and how the actions of leadership impacted on the psychology of the nation.
The contributions from other authors were equally interesting as the contributors were from all over the world. Some of the contributors are known to me through my blog and I really sympathized with their circumstances and anxieties. Some were new to me, but their stories were no less interesting. I found the contribution by Beaton Mabaso from Zimbabwe of particular interest as I live in neighbouring South Africa. Beaton's experiences and anxieties about food supply, medical treatment, the ability to social distance in crowded communities and a government with limited ability to financial aid its citizens are similar to the circumstances of the vast majority of people in my country. The different impact of the lockdown and pandemic on developed countries where people fight the psychological battle of loneliness and fear, and developing countries were people face poverty and physical deprivation were highlighted for me. There are also beautiful poetic contributions from Sally Cronin, Debby Gies, and Frank Prem. Willow Withers wrote a powerful and overarching poem about the impact of "the plague" on society and the economy of Britain.
Part 2 set out some excellent short stories by MJ Mallon, my favourite of which was The Poet's Club Fictional Short Story. This story illustrated the diverse impact of coronavirus and lockdown on teenagers and how it impacts on their socializing, learning, and ability to cope. If found this story to be insightful and realistic.
This is Lockdown is and excellent and well-rounded depiction of lockdown and the pandemic of 2020.
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This Is Lockdown: COVID19 Diaries Flash Fiction Poetry Kindle Edition
by
M J Mallon
(Author),
Jackie Carreira
(Author),
Ritu Bhathal
(Author),
Tracie Barton-Barrett
(Author),
Sharon Marchisello
(Author),
Anne Goodwin
(Author),
Marian Wood
(Author),
Willow Willers
(Author),
Sally Cronin
(Author),
D G Kaye
(Author),
Frank Prem
(Author),
Sherri Matthews
(Author),
Fi Phillips
(Author),
Chantelle Atkins
(Author),
Adele Park
(Author),
Richard Dee
(Author),
Katie Hutton
(Author),
Catherine Fearns
(Author),
Miriam Owen
(Author),
Lynn Fraser
(Author),
Jeannie Wycherley
(Author),
Peter Taylor-Gooby
(Author),
Alice May
(Author),
Ceri Williams
(Author),
Drew Neary
(Author),
Samantha Murdoch
(Author),
Beaton Mabaso
(Author),
Jane Horwood
(Author),
Melissa Santiago-Val
(Author)
&
26
more
Format: Kindle Edition
|
M J Mallon
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D G Kaye
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Frank Prem
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Beaton Mabaso
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LanguageEnglish
-
Publication dateJuly 20, 2020
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File size6076 KB
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Product details
- ASIN : B08CD1MCFB
- Publisher : Kyrosmagica Publishing (July 20, 2020)
- Publication date : July 20, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 6076 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 250 pages
- Lending : Enabled
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Best Sellers Rank:
#1,949,831 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,666 in Letters & Correspondence (Kindle Store)
- #13,165 in Literary Diaries & Journals
- #25,947 in Family Life Fiction (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021
I have been trying to read some of the books published by some of the authors whose blogs I have been reading. I grabbed This is Lockdown by M.J. Mallon on K.U. It is a collection of short stories, journal entries, and poems that were written during the world wide lockdown. Most of the collaborators, included Marje herself, live in the U.K, so this gave me insight into how those from another country from me, are dealing with this continued way of life. In This is Lockdown, she explores the impact of COVID-19 on her UK town and home life.
Hearing the perspective of another person's life during COVID-19 is inspirational and concerning... only because you feel for them and what they're going through. Hearing how this impacts her older parents and also her teenage daughters you can see differing effects. The addition of short stories and poetry from other bloggers was very insightful and enjoyable as well. I enjoyed the various flash fiction stories near the end. A great addition to this anthology were the numerous links to websites and blogs of various contributors. I spent time looking at various sites and bookmarking them. Now, some people may ask why they should read this collection, aren't we all dealing with the same thing? My answer is to see that we are not alone. Everyone is dealing with things in their own way. The poetry is inspirational, thought provoking and emotional. Although we are still dealing with lockdown here in Southern Ontario, I can see the end is coming and I am ready. My life will be forever changed due to the pandemic, and it is nice to see how others are also dealing with this.
Hearing the perspective of another person's life during COVID-19 is inspirational and concerning... only because you feel for them and what they're going through. Hearing how this impacts her older parents and also her teenage daughters you can see differing effects. The addition of short stories and poetry from other bloggers was very insightful and enjoyable as well. I enjoyed the various flash fiction stories near the end. A great addition to this anthology were the numerous links to websites and blogs of various contributors. I spent time looking at various sites and bookmarking them. Now, some people may ask why they should read this collection, aren't we all dealing with the same thing? My answer is to see that we are not alone. Everyone is dealing with things in their own way. The poetry is inspirational, thought provoking and emotional. Although we are still dealing with lockdown here in Southern Ontario, I can see the end is coming and I am ready. My life will be forever changed due to the pandemic, and it is nice to see how others are also dealing with this.
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
This is Lockdown is a new collection of short stories, journal entries, and poems that were prepared or collaborated by MJ Mallon. I've previously read one of Mallon's books, The Curse of Time, and recommend her writing style and storytelling capabilities. This book was my first introduction to her poetry and journals, other than following her interesting and varied blog. In This is Lockdown, she explores the impact of COVID-19 on her UK town and home life.
Mallon kicks off the book with a handful of tributes and mentions to a dozen or so wonderful bloggers and writers, many of whom I've gotten to know in the last year. While I won't name everyone, as there are a couple I haven't had the privilege of meeting, you can see them all in the author link here in Goodreads or on Amazon. I can tell you this is a great way to get to know new writers, especially with the helpful author bios near the end.
Hearing the perspective of another person's life during COVID-19 is inspirational and concerning... only because you feel for them and what they're going through. To see the impacts on MJ's family, in particular her parents, is hard to witness in writing. I can't imagine what they felt outside of these journal entries. Between a plumbing flood, insect bites, and grocery store insanity, there was a ton of road blocks in the UK. I know we felt them here in the US too, but to see the differences, and to watch the rising counts of deaths and infections, is scary. I felt a few problems here in NYC, but we were lucky enough to get delivery on everything (except sanitizer and toilet paper!). I also had grocery store delivery each week, which meant I didn't have to venture out.
MJ surprised me in some of her journal entries too. What a wonderful mention of my book and our interviews together - I am grateful. Hearing what she was doing day by day helps you feel like part of her life. Rather than judge true 'writing' here (while it's good... and some of the poems and stories make you think critically)... I'd rather recommend this for the personal connection levels MJ offers... from her family's way of dealing with hibernation to how difficult it was to hear bad news from others... or if you suddenly felt warm or had a cough, what did it mean? This is a relatively quick and easy read because it's broken down in small pieces and allows you to read in sections without forgetting about past plot or specific characters. Wonderful insight into what it might be like to have lunch with her one day!
You'll find some poetry and short fiction from a few amazing writers, links to helpful sites and informational places, notes on other blogger's posts about COVID, and upcoming news about all these great authors. It's a collection that allows you to decide which most interest you and to find bunches of more books to read. I look forward to visiting more blogs as a result of this collection. I hope you do too!
Mallon kicks off the book with a handful of tributes and mentions to a dozen or so wonderful bloggers and writers, many of whom I've gotten to know in the last year. While I won't name everyone, as there are a couple I haven't had the privilege of meeting, you can see them all in the author link here in Goodreads or on Amazon. I can tell you this is a great way to get to know new writers, especially with the helpful author bios near the end.
Hearing the perspective of another person's life during COVID-19 is inspirational and concerning... only because you feel for them and what they're going through. To see the impacts on MJ's family, in particular her parents, is hard to witness in writing. I can't imagine what they felt outside of these journal entries. Between a plumbing flood, insect bites, and grocery store insanity, there was a ton of road blocks in the UK. I know we felt them here in the US too, but to see the differences, and to watch the rising counts of deaths and infections, is scary. I felt a few problems here in NYC, but we were lucky enough to get delivery on everything (except sanitizer and toilet paper!). I also had grocery store delivery each week, which meant I didn't have to venture out.
MJ surprised me in some of her journal entries too. What a wonderful mention of my book and our interviews together - I am grateful. Hearing what she was doing day by day helps you feel like part of her life. Rather than judge true 'writing' here (while it's good... and some of the poems and stories make you think critically)... I'd rather recommend this for the personal connection levels MJ offers... from her family's way of dealing with hibernation to how difficult it was to hear bad news from others... or if you suddenly felt warm or had a cough, what did it mean? This is a relatively quick and easy read because it's broken down in small pieces and allows you to read in sections without forgetting about past plot or specific characters. Wonderful insight into what it might be like to have lunch with her one day!
You'll find some poetry and short fiction from a few amazing writers, links to helpful sites and informational places, notes on other blogger's posts about COVID, and upcoming news about all these great authors. It's a collection that allows you to decide which most interest you and to find bunches of more books to read. I look forward to visiting more blogs as a result of this collection. I hope you do too!
Top reviews from other countries
Adele Park
5.0 out of 5 stars
What we did in the Lockdown
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2020Verified Purchase
This is lockdown is a collection of diary entries, poems and photos from a collection of authors under the umbrella of M J Mallon. This is a definitive look at what the real people did during the lockdown, which is still in place in certain parts of the country. The writings and musings offer a real look at how people felt, what they did or couldn't do and all delivered from different voices. From the day to day struggles, worries, and laughter to poems which will make you laugh, think and cry. This is a wonderful book I thoroughly enjoyed and I will keep going back to read again and again.
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