Belinda McKeon Livres

Reissued to celebrate Maeve Brennan’s centenary, this work offers a snapshot of New York through the eyes of a woman navigating the city’s complexities. The author describes her experience as a long, slow journey filled with humor, confusion, and humanity. Brennan portrays New York not just as a backdrop but as a character itself, likening it to a capsized city where its inhabitants cling to life with laughter despite their struggles. Through her persona as the "long-winded lady," she captures the essence of daily life, revealing the beauty in mundane activities and the art of observation. Her columns in The New Yorker reflect her unapologetic curiosity and the charm of everyday moments, inviting readers to share in her solitary experiences. Critics have praised her for bringing authenticity back to the magazine, highlighting her sharp eye for the small, often overlooked details of city life. Born in Dublin and later settling in Manhattan, Brennan contributed significantly to The New Yorker, writing essays, reviews, and stories. Her legacy continues to resonate, bridging her Irish roots and American experiences, making her a cherished figure in both cultures. Belinda McKeon’s new introduction further emphasizes Brennan’s impact and the enduring relevance of her work.

Catherine and James are as close as two friends could ever be. They meet in Dublin in the late 1990s, she a college student, he a fledgling artist - both recent arrivals from rural communities, coming of age in a city which is teeming - or so they are told - with new freedoms, new possibilities. Catherine has never met anyone quite like James. Talented, quick-witted, adventurous and charismatic, he helps Catherine to open her eyes, to take on life with more gusto than she has ever before known how to do; she begins to enjoy her new home, to find her voice as a writer and to meet with the people who will shape her new world. But while Catherine's horizons are expanding, James's own life is becoming a prison; as changed as the new Ireland may be, it is still not a place in which he feels able to truly be himself

Mark Casey has left home, the rural Irish community where his family has farmed the same land for generations, to study for a doctorate in Dublin, a vibrant, contemporary city full of possibility. To his father, Tom, who needs help baling the hay and ploughing the fields, Mark's pursuit isn't work at all, and indeed Mark finds himself whiling away his time with pubs and parties. His is a life without focus or responsibility, until he meets Joanne Lynch, a trainee solicitor whom he finds irresistible. Joanne too has a past to escape from and for a brief time she and Mark share the chaos and rapture of a new love affair, until the lightning strike of tragedy changes everything. Solace is a work to be admired for its spare, intense lyricism, its range, and its deeply compassionate portrayal of life as it is lived now. 'An elegant, consuming and richly inspired novel. A superb debut. This one will last' Colum McCann 'A novel of quiet power, filled with moments of carefully-told truth . . . this book will appeal to readers both young and old' Colm Tóibín 'A story of clear-eyed compassion and quiet intelligence' Anne Enright