Gemma Jackson Livres

Georgina Corrigan is worried. The first women sent to her Percy Place home by the BOBs - an organisation which supports women escaping difficult home lives - are ready to step out into the world again. Some have found opportunities in Dublin, others will travel across the sea to New York. Will those travelling to America find employment with the Harvey Company? Thousands try every year to become Harvey Girls - young women who serve in restaurants and hotels set up to serve travellers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway line. Will they be successful when so many fail? Meanwhile, at home complications multiply. Georgina is surprised when a strange young man appears, claiming the BOBs have sent him - but shocked when he reveals why. Then Flora Kilroy escapes a life of virtual slavery and appears on Georgina's doorstep, claiming to be a relative. What can Georgina do? She is helping strangers - she can't turn family away. As the people who serve in the house struggle to meet the demands of each new arrival, Georgina wonders if she will ever know peace again. The women of Percy Place greet each new day with fortitude. Failure is not an option. They are determined that they can, and will, not only survive but thrive.

Ivy Rose Murphy dreams of a better future. For years she has set out daily from the tenements known as ‘The Lane’ to beg for discards from the homes of the wealthy – discards she turns into items to sell around the Dublin markets. And now she has grander schemes afoot. But, as her fortunes take a turn for the better, there are eyes on Ivy – and she is vulnerable as she carries her earnings home through the dark winter streets. And, to add to her fears, a well-dressed stranger begins to stalk her. Ann Marie Gannon, a wealthy young woman who has struck up an unlikely friendship with Ivy, wants to protect her. But will the stubborn woman she admires allow her to do so? Jem Ryan, who owns the local livery, longs to make Ivy his wife, but she is reluctant to give up her fierce independence. Then a sudden astonishing event turns Ivy’s world upside down. A dazzling future beckons and she must decide where her loyalties lie.

In 1920's inner-city Dublin tenements, Ivy Rose Murphy struggles to survive and thrive in the harsh poverty-stricken environment she was born into. She is trying to adapt to her new role as a married woman. There are those jealous of the improvements she has managed to make in her life. To Ivy it seems everyone wants a piece of her. She is stretched to breaking point. Ivy's old enemy Father Leary keeps a close watch on her comings and goings. She has attracted the attention of people willing to profit from the efforts of others. She needs help. Ivy's friends gather around to offer support - but somehow Ivy is the one who gives hope to them. Ivy's husband, Jem Ryan, is a forward-thinking man. He is busy making a better life for the family he longs for - but can he protect Ivy when her enemies begin to close in?

1938 - Krista is living and working in the tiny village of Metz on the French-German border. The world she has lived in all her life is changing. There is a feeling of oppression in the air. People no long stop to chat with their neighbours. Young men she grew up with are joining Hitler's Youth - becoming disruptive bullies. Then Krista overhears a conversation that will change her life. She must escape. Without a plan and with no time to think, she hides in the back of a car driven by an Englishman - and finds herself being driven through France into Belgium and finally sailing to Great Britain. Will this new life be any better than the one she left behind?

Experimental poetry takes center stage in this pamphlet, which embraces a fluid, stream of consciousness style while forgoing traditional titles and capital letters. The work, titled after the Italian verb for "open," showcases a variety of forms and unexpected content, inviting readers to explore the boundaries of language. Gemma Jackson's unique approach challenges conventions and provides a fresh perspective on poetic expression, encapsulating the essence of what unfolds when language is freely given.

In 1898 three young girls leave a Dublin orphanage to enter a life of domestic service. They are placed in the home of Captain Charles Whitmore but soon discover that the household is in turmoil. Charles, hoping to amass a fortune, is preparing to set off on a long sea voyage, deliberately leaving his wife Georgina almost penniless to fend for herself and the servants. Georgina, who has been desperate to break free from a life of violent marital abuse, is relieved that he will be gone for some years, but nevertheless the future is frightening. Then help comes from an unexpected quarter. An organisation that helps women escape lives of abuse or genteel poverty makes Georgina an offer. They propose that her house should become a school designed to train such women to seek employment in the American West. The very idea is at once shocking and appealing. Can Georgina step into the unknown and lead the women under her care into the future? The orphan maids listen and wonder. Can they too dare to dream of a better life for themselves?

Finn Brennan, the woman who has everything. Her handsome husband, a radio personality, is beloved of the women of Ireland. Her two gorgeous sons are making a name for themselves in films. She has a lavish house in Dublin. What does she have to complain about? Finn eagerly anticipates her 40th birthday but spends the day alone and crying, forced to realise that she is literally a housewife. She has married a house! For over twenty years she has supported her husband in his career. She has raised two sons to manhood. She practically rebuilt the family home with her own sweat and labour. Her one escape is the garden workshop where she beats metal into fantasy figures. The day after her birthday she resigns her position as wife and mother. Her husband and sons fight the change in their lives but she holds firm. She locks herself in her workshop. Her fantasy figures don't care if she looks a mess and can't stop crying. Dare Lawrence, a wealthy Irishman living in America, discovers her secret world and wants some of it. He insists she puts a price on her figures, something Finn finds impossible to do. He shows her work to his friends in Hollywood. After years of her husband demanding that she hide her 'little hobby' suddenly the world comes calling. They want what she has created.

Exploring themes of femininity and identity, this collection blends experimental poetry with striking visual art to delve into the complexities of the female body. It challenges conventional representations and invites readers to engage with the multifaceted experiences of womanhood through innovative language and imagery.