Bøger om Irland

The Celtic Twilight (1893) is a collection of stories written and edited by W.B. Yeats. Compiled at the height of the Celtic Twilight, a movement to revive the myths and traditions of Ancient Ireland, The Celtic Twilight captures a wide range of stories, songs, poems, and firsthand accounts from artists and storytellers dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture. In "Belief and Unbelief," a story is shared about a village at the foot of Ben Bulben. One day, a young girl disappears while walking through a local field. Fearful that the faeries have gotten her, the townspeople conduct a search of the village, checking every home while burning ragweed and reciting spells to ward off the mischievous spirits. "Mortal Help" discusses the interdependence of humans and faeries, who require the presence of the living in order to play games in the physical world. As evidence, an old ditch digger tells a story from his youth, when he witnessed a group of faeries playing the game of hurling not far from the field where he was working. In "A Knight of the Sheep," an old farmer faces off with the local tax collector, and both struggle to maintain respect for one another while trading shrewdly concealed insults. "The Devil" discusses several demonic sightings among Irish peasants, who claim to have met Lucifer by the side of the road by day and under the bed at night. The Celtic Twilight captures the collision of ancient and modern Ireland, preserving its legends while ensuring their mystery remains. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of W.B. Yeats's The Celtic Twilight is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.

Poems (1920) is a collection of poems and plays by W.B. Yeats. Containing many of the poet¿s early important works, Poems illuminates Yeats¿ influence on the Celtic Twilight, a late-nineteenth century movement to revive the myths and traditions of Ancient Ireland.The collection opens with Yeats¿ verse drama The Countess Cathleen, which he dedicated to the actress and revolutionary Maud Gonne. Set during a period of famine in Ireland, The Countess Cathleen tells the story of a wealthy landowning Countess who sells her soul to the devil in order to save her starving tenants. The Land of Heart¿s Desire, Yeats¿ first professionally performed play, follows a young fairy child who disrupts the lives of two newlyweds and shakes a simple village to its core. The Rose contains some of the writer¿s most beloved early poems, including ¿To the Rose Upon the Rood of Time¿¿a symbolist lyric alluding to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn¿and ¿Fergus and the Druid,¿ a dialogue in verse. In ¿Who Goes With Fergus,¿ a poem blending ancient legend with modern Irish nationalism, Yeats asks the youth of his country to ¿brood on hopes and fears no more,¿ to follow Fergus who ¿rules the shadows of the wood, / And the white breast of the dim sea / And all disheveled wandering stars.¿ Yeats¿ writing, mysterious and rich with symbolism, demonstrates not just a mastery of the English language, but an abiding faith in the cause and principles of Irish independence.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of W.B. Yeats¿s Poems is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.

Selected Poems (1923) is a collection of poems by American poet Robert Frost. Dedicated to Edward Thomas, a friend of Frost¿s and an important English poet who died toward the end of the First World War, Selected Poems is a wonderful sampling of poems from Frost¿s early collections, including A Boy¿s Will and North of Boston. Known for his plainspoken language and dedication to the images and rhythms of rural New England, Robert Frost is one of Americäs most iconic poets, a voice to whom generations of readers have turned in search of beauty, music, and life.¿Mowing¿ envisions the poet¿s work through the prism of rural labor. ¿There was never a sound beside the wood but one / And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground. / What was it it whispered?¿ The speaker does not know, but continues his task, hypnotized by its rhythm and simple music. In ¿After Apple-Picking,¿ as fall gives over to winter, the poet remembers in dreams how the ¿Magnified apples appear and disappear, / Stem end and blossom end¿ as he climbs the ladder into the heart of the tree. Both a symbol for life and a metaphor for the poetic act, apple picking leaves the poet ¿overtired / Of the great harvest [he himself] desired¿, awaiting sleep as he describes ¿its coming on,¿ wondering what, if anything, it will bring. ¿The Road Not Taken,¿ perhaps Frost¿s most famous poem, is a meditation on fate and free will that follows a traveler in an autumn landscape, unsure of which path to take, but certain he cannot stand still.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Robert Frost¿s Selected Poems is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

This collection of Jonathan Swift¿s poetry is separated in three parts, according to their subject matter. The first section are poems addressed to a woman named Stella. Based off a real-life close friend of Swift¿s, Esther Johnson, the portion of poetry addressed to Stella contain beautiful tributes to this woman, with simple titles such as Stelläs Birthday March 13, 1727. Though these poems display a tender amount of intimacy shared between the two, Esther Johnson and Jonathan¿s relationship is shrouded in mystery, leaving readers and historians to debate if they were just friends or something more romantic. The next section of The Poems of Jonathan Swift are dedicated to a woman called Vanessa, who was based off of one of Swift¿s lovers, Esther Vanhomrigh. Their correspondence and his poems about her suggested a more romantic relationship than the one he shared with Stella. With elegant word choice and masterful form, both women and their relationships with Swift are well documented in this book of poems. The final part of The Poems of Jonathan Swift is dedicated to the love of Swift¿s career¿the satirization of politics. All of Swift¿s poems are written in iambic tetrameter and end rhyme, creating a fun and quick reading experience. This is a large collection of poetry covers a wide variety of topics with the humor and satire that Jonathan Swift was famous for. With these attributes, readers are welcome to enjoy Jonathan Swift¿s mysterious and passionate relationships as well as his humorous and intelligent criticism of politics. Now presented in an easy-to-read font and with an eye-catching cover design, this edition of The Poems of Jonathan Swift is perfect for a contemporary audience. With the decadent style of classic poetry combined with topics that are both entertaining and relatable, along with this edition¿s new features, this classic collection is restored for modern readers.

The Hunting of the Snark (1876) is a poem by Lewis Carroll. Filled with many of the portmanteau words developed for his poem ¿Jabberwocky,¿ The Hunting of the Snark is a delightfully strange tale of mystery and adventure. Often read as an allegory for everything from tuberculosis to the endless quest for happiness itself, The Hunting of the Snark, much like the Snark itself, refuses all description. ¿¿Just the place for a Snark!¿ the Bellman cried, / As he landed his crew with care; / Supporting each man on the top of the tide / By a finger entwined in his hair.¿ Driven more by rhyme than reason, the adventure opens in medias res, introducing its varied crew of men and beasts of questionable use: a Boots, a Barrister, a Broker, a maker of Bonnets and Hoods, a Billiard-maker, a Banker, and, of course, a Beaver. Sailors all, they sail into the unknown. The Snark they search for may not be a Snark, could be a Boojum, and may very well be deadly. Intrepid and wisely foolish, they set out to comb the island for the Snark, armed with tricks and bribes, ¿smiles and soap,¿ and all the other instruments of hope. Playful and strange, the Snark eludes us all. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lewis Carroll¿s The Hunting of the Snark is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Burning Wheel (1916) is a collection of poems by English author Aldous Huxley. Published when the poet was only twenty-two, The Burning Wheel captures the mind of an artist at its earliest fertile stage, enthralled with a world either blooming with change or wilting with all-out war. Although Huxley is known foremost as a novelist, his poetry exhibits a mastery of language and an uncommon sense of the music inherent to words.¿The Burning Wheel¿ opens the collection with a kaleidoscopic vision of life and creation, illuminating the poet¿s debt to the French Symbolists. ¿Weary of its own turning,¿ the burning wheel slows for a moment¿s rest. This wheel, both machine and pure, wild flame, is the poet compelled to create, the mind that ¿[w]akes from the sleep of its quiet brightness / And burns with a darkening passion and pain.¿ In ¿Quotidian Vision,¿ Huxley returns to earth to remark: ¿There is a sadness in the street / And sullenly the folk I meet / Droop their heads as they walk along.¿ In these simple, rhyming couplets, the poet channels the verse and vision of William Blake to see, despite the ¿mist of cold and muffling grey,¿ a ¿dead world move for him once more / With beauty for its living core.¿ The Burning Wheel is a compelling collection from an artist whose poetry is no less remarkable for having gone mostly unnoticed.With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Aldous Huxley¿s The Burning Wheel is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Gerald Arbuthnot receives a promotion from Lord Illingworth, a worldly politician who has a sordid history of women, one of whom is Gerald¿s widowed mother. When their connection is revealed, the young man questions his past, present and future aspirations.A Woman of No Importance opens with a high-class party featuring a group of society¿s most illustrious citizens. In the midst of the event, Gerald Arbuthnot enters and announces his new position as secretary to the renown, Lord Illingworth. It¿s an exciting opportunity that pleases Miss Hester Worsley, an American visitor and admirer of Gerald. What should be a cause for celebration becomes an awkward moment of truth between Lord Illingworth and Gerald¿s mother, Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot.Set in the late-nineteenth century, A Woman of No Importance is a commentary on contemporary English society. One family¿s façade is broken by a hidden truth testing the relationship of mother and son. It¿s a provocative tale about the power of seduction and political ambition.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of A Woman of No Importance is both modern and readable.

Lady Windermere misinterprets her husband''s interest in an older woman, Mrs. Erlynne, causing a rift that could lead to both marital and societal ruin. Lady Windermere''s Fan Is an intriguing tale that examines intention versus outcome in a world driven by perception. Lady Windermere is a young wife who''s concerned by her husband''s connection to the mysterious, Mrs. Erlynne. She believes the woman is a threat to her marriage and livelihood. Despite her husband''s denial, Lady Windermere decides to entertain the attention of another suitor--Lord Darlington. In the heat of the moment, she engages in reckless behavior that could cause irreputable damage to her name. A sudden act of kindness from an unexpected source spares Lady Windermere a harsh fate. Like many of Wilde''s works, Lady Windermere''s Fan highlights the hypocrisy and oppression of high-class society. It creates an environment of secrets that can free or destroy its keepers. This is a thought-provoking story with a resounding a message. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lady Windermere''s Fan is both modern and readable.

While traveling to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket and receive blessings, a group of colorful strangers ranging in social class compete to tell the best story leading to laughter, offense, fights and comradery. Written by the Father of English literature, > is Geoffrey Chaucer¿s exploration of love, religion, and class.

When the prophet Jokanaan is brought to the attention of the princess Salomé, he rebukes her interest, which causes her to make a brutal declaration.Oscar Wilde¿s one-act tragedy explores the repercussions of her horrifying decision.Originally composed in French in 1892, Salomé is a controversial tale full of cruelty and retribution. Wilde expands on the Biblical story of John the Baptist, whom was captured and beheaded by Herod Antipas. It explores the interaction between the characters showing Salomé¿s spiteful nature and Herod¿s growing concern. It¿s a bold adaptation of a somber tale that leaves a mark on all who read it. Salomé¿s one-act story structure immediately dives into the strange dynamic amongst Herod and his family. Once Salomé¿s bloodlust is apparent Herod¿s forced to reconcile both of their futures. It¿s a haunting drama that¿s amplified by its Biblical setting and notable characters.With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Salomé is both modern and readable.

Twenty (1918) is a poetry collection by Stella Benson. Largely recognized for her work as an activist in the women¿s suffrage movement and for her popular novels, Benson was also an accomplished poet. Twenty, her debut volume, is a collection indebted to symbolism in which Benson reflects on her experiences as a young woman in a rapidly changing world. In ¿The Secret Day,¿ Benson muses on the impossibility of peace in a time that refuses to slow: ¿My yesterday has gone, has gone and left me tired, / And now to-morrow comes and beats upon the door / [¿] / So I have built To-day, more precious than a dream; / And I have painted peace upon the sky above.¿ Responding to the horrors of a decade torn by war, Benson does what she can to maintain her own personal calm, to build a safe space apart from the world. In ¿Redneck¿s Song,¿ she laments the years of her life spent obeying ¿the laws of men / Who worshipped law,¿ declaring instead that ¿Those laws are dust / To-day¿¿ In these poems shaped by her experience as an activist and pioneering feminist, the personal is inseparable from the political. Benson¿s identity, her present and her future, depend on this revolutionary thrust¿no longer will she ¿shut [her] eyes¿ and ¿hold [her] tongue.¿ It may be ¿their path,¿ but she will make her own ¿groove,¿ her own way through life. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Stella Benson¿s Twenty is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

First performed in 1908, How the Vote Was Won is a one act play by actress Cicely Hamilton and Christopher St. John. Set in England during the early 18th century, How the Vote Was Won uses comedy to tell a story in support of women¿s suffrage. In this one act the English government tells its people that women do not need to worry about having the right to vote because the men will be in charge of taking care of them. This was part of the ridiculous idea held by the United Kingdom, and the world at the time. Women were held under the authority of their husbands, and would be solely supported by them. This allowed them no place in politics and took away their autonomy. The play stars Horace, an anti-suffragist, who is confronted by many of his female relatives demanding that he start supporting them since they have no rights. Many of these women formally held jobs, financially supporting themselves but have quit in protest and support of the movement for women to have voting rights, the same as men. Now, Horace is forced to either support each of these women, practicing what he preaches, or admit to his hypocritical beliefs. Written by two of the most notable champions in literature for women¿s rights in the United Kingdom, How the Vote Was Won by Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John served as a clever and humorous way to address the inequalities women suffered. Today, the work of these two passionate activists still provides an accurate portrayal of the political landscape they lived in. This edition of How the Vote Was Won by Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John features an eye-catching new cover design and is presented in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition is accessible and appealing to contemporary audiences, restoring How the Vote Was Won to modern standards while preserving the clever comedy and impact of the work of Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John.

To prolong the inevitable, a king attempts to preserve a painter''s life when he discovers, through his astrological chart, that their fates are suddenly intertwined. The monarch is forced to keep him alive for his own personal reasons. King Ouf is a powerful leader with a weakness for astrology, myths and superstition. During a reading, it is revealed that he is spiritually linked to a traveling painter named Lazuli. If any harm comes to Lazuli, the same fate will befall the king. Therefore, King Ouf declares that when he dies, his astrologer Siroco must also be killed. In an attempt at self-preservation, both men work tirelessly to keep Lazuli alive. Originally composed by Brookfield and Caryll, The Lucky Star was later revised by Helen Lenoir. It''s a witty comedy known for its intricate plot and memorable music. Following its debut, the opera ran for more than 140 performances at London''s Savoy Theatre. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Lucky Star is both modern and readable.

”Det siges, at kelternes magi døde ud …” Leija kan ikke slippe tankerne fra den artikel, hun har læst. Er der stadig mytiske væsner gemt i de tågeklædte bakker mod vest? Folk, der kan huske historierne om slottet i dets storhedstid, hvor keltiske og nordiske riddere blev uddannet til at beskytte deres lande? Hun må se stedet med egne øjne. Billetten bliver bestilt, og hun skal på eventyr! Det ser ud til, at en profeti venter på netop hende. Gåderne hober sig op, og nogen gør alt, hvad der står i deres mag,t for at forhindre hende i at opdage sandheden. Den skjulte vej inviterer læseren ind i en verden fuld af eventyr, kærlighed og magiske væsener.

Maeve McKenna er på randen af et sammenbrud. Hun har arbejdet sig halvt ihjel som en af de mest eftertragtede indretningsarkitekter i London, og hun har desperat brug for ferie.Philomena Duffy er lidt ensom. Siden hun mistede sin mand, føles deres faldefærdige villa, Willow-huset, frygteligt tomt. Irlands barske kyster kalder, og Maeve besøger sin tante Philomena i Sandy Cove, hvor hun engang som teenager kyssede en mystisk dreng – et kys, hun stadig kan huske. Stjerner funkler på den smukke nattehimmel, lige så langt øjet rækker, og Maeve er verdener væk fra sit kaotiske liv i byen. Maeve kaster sig ud i at lære Sandy Cove at kende igen, og der udvikler sig et dybt venskab mellem hende og Philomena. Men med den gamle villas afskallede vægge og falmede tæpper omkring dem, snubler de over en hemmelighed, der vender op og ned på deres familie.Maeve kan samtidig ikke lade være med at tænke på den vilde, gådefulde dreng fra hendes fortid og det fortryllende kys ... Bor han mon stadig i Sandy Cove? Netop som hun begynder at føle sig hjemme, kalder virkeligheden. En del af Maeve kan ikke bære at forlade Willow-huset og den fantastiske stenstrand. Har hun modet til at forlade sit trygge liv og slå nye rødder i Sandy Cove, eller bliver det aldrig til mere end en dagdrøm? Bestsellerforfatteren Susanne O'Leary står bag mere end 20 bøger. De fleste er kærlighedsromaner, men hun har også skrevet tre krimier og to historiske romaner. Hun er gift med en tidligere diplomat og har før arbejdet som både fitnessinstruktør og oversætter. Nu skriver hun på fuld tid fra ét af to steder – sit hus i Tipperary i Irland eller sit sommerhus med udsigt over Atlanterhavet i Dingle, i Kerry-området."Åh, det var en dejlig historie ... Dejlig ferielæsning med masser af hjerte og håb, valg og chancer, og spandevis af latter og heling, der alt sammen gør dette til en bog, der er svær at lægge fra sig og sværere at glemme. Lade den tage dig med til steder, som alle drømmer om at besøge… Tidløs, forstående og støttende, med hjerte, latter og kærlighed, som helt sikkert vil give dig et smil på læben." – I Am, Indeed"Jeg elskede min tid i Willow-huset ... Endnu en fortryllende bog fra Susanne O'Leary, og jeg er glad for at høre, at det er starten på en serie. Jeg kan ikke vente med at vende tilbage til Sandy Cove." – Rachels Random Reads"Willow-husets hemmeligheder var en smuk og engagerende historie fra start til slut. Det er den første bog i Sandy Cove-serien, og jeg glæder mig helt sikkert til at se, hvilke andre fortællinger vi får." – Robin Loves Reading "Den her roman efterlader helt sikkert én med en ’feel good’, opløftende, styrkende følelse ... En dejlig, hjertevarm roman til at hygge sig med i sengen." – The Writing Garnet"En fabelagtigt fængslende bog ... Jeg var godt underholdt, og jeg tror, at jeg har besluttet mig for, at jeg bliver nødt til at besøge Irland i løbet af min levetid." – Digital Reads Media

Irland i 50’erne: Den unge pige Eilis bor sammen med sin mor og søster i en lille by. Faren er død, og livet er hårdt for familien. Eilis møder en præst, som er på besøg fra New York, og han lover at skaffe hende et job. I Brooklyn begynder Eilis at arbejde i en tøjforretning, og hun finder sig hurtigt til rette, især da hun forelsker sig i italieneren Tony. Da hun bliver kaldt til begravelse hjemme i Irland, står hun pludselig over for et stor valg: Skal hun blive i Irland, hvor hun har sine rødder og gifte sig med Jim - eller skal hun tage tilbage til Amerika og en fremtid sammen med Tony? Om forfatteren: Colm Tóibín (f. 1955) er en af vor tids vigtigste irsk forfattere. Han bor i Dublin og New York, hvor han underviser på Columbia University. Han har modtaget adskillige priser, bl.a. IMPAC Award og været shortlistet til Booker Prize tre gange.

Mange døde efter et angreb på et fodboldstadium. En række gamle voldtægtssager i Irland. En kendt animationsfigur og en flygtet livstidsfange på hævntogt. Det er centrale begivenheder, som politiet og efterretningstjenesten beder Jacob Detlev om hjælp til at opklare i sin egenskab af ekspert i biologiske våben.Det viser sig hurtigt, at det er alt andet end en enkeltstående terrorsag, og hævngerningerne kommer uhyggeligt tæt på Jacob og hans familie. Konstante farer lurer, og hævnen bliver personlig.Hvem gemmer sin hævngerrighed bag karakteren ’det ikoniske røde lyn’, McQueen, fra animationsfilmen ’Biler’? Hvorfor er fodboldverdenen pludselig et mål for dødbringende terror? Og hvilken rolle spiller den tidligere sektleder Søren fra ’Guds Sande Genfødte’?’Hævnen fra Irland’ er foreløbigt sidste bog i serien om virologen og videnskabsmanden Jacob Detlev, som indgår i det danske terrorberedskab i kampen mod biologisk og kemisk terror i Danmark og resten af verden. Læs også den forudgående mini thriller ’Truslen fra Kina’ og bøgerne ’Døden fra Syrien’ og ’Virussen fra Svalbard’.Plottet i bøgerne er skruet sådan sammen, at læseren sidder med en følelse af, at det godt kunne ske i virkeligheden.

Four years before the publication of the First Folio, a group of London printers and booksellers attempted to produce a "collected works" of William Shakespeare as a series of quarto pamphlets. Zachary Lesser examines more than three hundred surviving copies of these "Pavier Quartos," revealing they are far more mysterious than we thought.

A lyrical portrait of a young Irish woman reinventing herself at the turn of the twentieth century in America Ellen O'Hara was a young immigrant from Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century who, with courage and resilience, made a life for herself in New York while financially supporting those at home. Hereafter is her story, told by Vona Groarke, her descendant, in a beautiful blend of poetry, prose, and history. In July 1882, Ellen O'Hara stepped off a ship from the West of Ireland to begin a new life in New York. What she encountered was a world of casual racial prejudice that characterized her as ignorant, dirty, and feckless, the butt of many jokes. From the slim range of jobs available to her she, like, many of her kind, found a position as a domestic servant, working long hours and living in to save on rent and keep. After an unfortunate marriage, Ellen determined to win financial security on her own, and eventually opened a boarding house where her two children were able to rejoin her. Vona Groarke builds this story from historical fact, drawing from various archives for evidence of Ellen. However, she also considers why lives such as Ellen's seem to leave such a light trace in such records and fills in the gaps with memory and empathetic projection. Ellen--scrappy, skeptical, and straight-talking--is the heroine of Hereafter, whose resilience animates the story and whose voice shines through with vivid clarity. Hereafter is both a compelling account of an incredible figure and a reflection on how one woman's story can speak for more than one life.

Studies in the Age of Chaucer is the annual yearbook of the New Chaucer Society, publishing articles on the writing of Chaucer and his contemporaries, their antecedents and successors, and their intellectual and social contexts. More generally, articles explore the culture and writing of later medieval Britain (1200-1500). Each SAC volume also includes an annotated bibliography and reviews of Chaucer-related publications.

The T. S. Eliot Studies Annual is the leading venue for the critical reassessment of Eliot's life and work in light of the ongoing publication of his letters, critical volumes of his complete prose, the new edition of his complete poems, and the forthcoming critical edition of his plays. All critical approaches are welcome, as are essays pertaining to any aspect of Eliot's work as a poet, critic, playwright, or editor. This Waste Land centenary volume of the Annual appears at a crossroads in Eliot studies. In recent years, editions of his prose, annotated poems, and letters have vastly expanded what we know about Eliot, his life, oeuvre, composition practices, and circle of acquaintances. Further, in January 2020, over one thousand letters by the poet to his muse Emily Hale were opened at Princeton University Library, where they had been sealed when Hale donated them in 1956. Articles re-examine the Waste Land in light of these new insights, as well as looking at drama and performance, and Eliot and Europe. John D. Morgenstern, General Editor Editorial Advisory Board: Ronald Bush, University of OxfordDavid E. Chinitz, Loyola University ChicagoAnthony Cuda, University of North Carolina-GreensboroRobert Crawford, University of St AndrewsFrances Dickey, University of MissouriJohn Haffenden, University of SheffieldBenjamin G. Lockerd, Grand Valley State UniversityGail McDonald, Goldsmiths, University of LondonGabrielle McIntire, Queen's UniversityJahan Ramazani, University of VirginiaChristopher Ricks, Boston UniversityRonald Schuchard, Emory UniversityVincent Sherry, Washington University at St. Louis

The follow-up to Booker-listed literary sensation Solar Bones is a terse metaphysical thriller, named a most anticipated book of the year by The Guardian, The Irish Times, and The New Statesman. Nealon returns from prison to his house in the West of Ireland to find it empty. No heat or light, no sign of his wife or child. It is as if the world has forgotten or erased him. Then he starts getting calls from a man who claims to know what's happened to his family-a man who'll tell Nealon all he needs to know in return for a single meeting. In a hotel lobby, in the shadow of an unfolding terrorist attack, Nealon and the man embark on a conversation shot through with secrets and evasions, a verbal game of cat and mouse that leaps from Nealon's past and childhood to the motives driving a series of international crimes launched against "a world so wretched it can only be redeemed by an act of revenge." McCormack's existential noir is a terse and brooding exploration of the connections between rural Ireland and the globalized cruelties of the twenty­first century. It is also an incisive portrait of a young and struggling family, and a ruthless interrogation of what we owe to those nearest to us, and to the world at large.

Ella Brady vil lave en dokumentarfilm om den berømte restaurant Quentins i Dublin. I de ti år restauranten har eksisteret, har den dannet rammen om mange spændende begivenheder – og det er, som om hvert enkelt bord har en historie at fortælle. Der er historier om tvillingerne fra Scarlet Feather, Signora fra Den italienske Klasse, Ria fra Tara Road og om en række nye bekendtskaber som bl.a. Mona, den altid smilende og glade tjener fra Australien, og Bluse Brennan, hvis simple fremtoning dækker over et skarpt intellekt og et hjerte af guld. Over det hele svæver Brenda og Patrick Brennan, som har gjort Quentins til den legendariske restaurant, den er i dag.Men selv de har oplevet sorger, som de ikke har indviet andre i. Efterhånden som Ella Brady opstøver nogle af de hemmeligheder, som Quentins gemmer på, begynder hun at tvivle på det kloge i at gå videre med filmprojektet. Er der mon nogle af historierne, som man er bedre tjent med ikke at kende helt til bunds?MAEVE BINCHY er opvokset i en forstad til Dublin og debuteredesom forfatter i 1978. Siden har hun med en lang række internationale bestsellere slået sit navn fast som en af Irlands mest læste forfattere.