Irish Scene May/June 2022

Page 80

Book Reviews Will Tabitha get the cor rect result? by Paula Xiberras

HOUSE OF CORRECTION BY NICCI FRENCH Sean French and Nicci Gerard, the authors that together make up the moniker, Nicci French are feeling the constricts of COVID on their craft with their book House of Correction had to be launched online.

Here, There and Eve rywhere by Paula Xiberras

Pierre’s Not There BY URSULA DUBOSARSKY This story has long been a desire for Ursula Dubosarsky. It had its origins in when she visited Paris 30 or 40 years ago and literally walked backstage into a puppet show. Since that time she has yearned to write a story about puppets.

I’m delighted to hear of a Tasmanian In this story the protagonist n Fre and he Niccand connection when Sean Sea tells mench that Nicci i Gerard, story has the authors that Lara goes along with herThis mother to clean an long bee toge n aold ther mak French are feeling the desire for Ursula Du e up the monikershe constric , Nicc ts of a visii ted Par are keen to visit Tasmania someday having heard COVID onhouse is 30 at thethei edge of the harbour. The cleaning their craf or 40 yeahas Correct t with rs ago and literall ion had to be launche r boo k Hou sesho of w. Since that d onli ne. lot about it from Peter Conrad who taught Sean at timecleans she has yearned to writ the feeling of an exorcism as the woman e I’m delighted to hear of a Tasmanian connection Oxford. In this thewhe house, Lara witnesses atago marble story the pro n Seanmeanwhile Nicci are keen to visit nist Lara goes along wit tells me that he and Tasmania someday hav the edg e of the har ing heard a lotroll seemingly itself along the ground to her. From Con bou rad who taug r. The about The authors usually plan together the details oford. their cleaning has the fe it from ht Sea Petclea n at Oxf er ns the houwho se, mea the shadows appears a young boy sent nwhthe ile Lara witnesses a novel then research and write independently. They The authors ground to her. From the usually plan together the details ofmarble herrese direction. The boy, Pierre tellssha her he is ears a you dow s app their novin indeoff el then pento deneach send their chapter drafts tly. Theother arch and dire y send to writctio theiedit. e n. The boy, Pierre tells her he r chapter drafts off to each for looking his grandmother and that wolves ate his is looking always know where thei othe r to edit ate . The writ The writers always know where their story will end r stor ershis mother and father. His y will end and because of the y is a warped complexity need this care usual mother and father. story a d. warped nod to stor such AgathaHis Riding is Christie Hoo ful planning. Both authors Our her and because of the usual Agatha Christie complexity oine accompanies Pierre to have bac and psychology which kgro unds Red as Little in socRiding iology Hood. Our heroine is helpful in their craft. fairy tales Along the way Lara is need this careful planning. Both authors have transformed into a dog accompanies Pierre to find his grandmother. Sean and Nicci believe and tale, this time Sleeping thatwhich thrillers is backgrounds in sociology and psychology are popular with adults Beauty is and gho st stories to frigh as chil dren witch Along thejust way Lara islike transformed into a dog andinvolved in help helpful in their craft. the themes of everyday ten them. Creepy stories are an interesting way The boo k starts off in prose but explore fairy life in a safe way. again with a nod to to another this time changes to poetr puppet show.tale, In the puppet show ther Sean and Nicci believeThe that with storthrillers y is set in aare e is a pupp Sleeping Beauty is involved in helping wake a Agapopular tha Christeque style villa Pie rre. ge where the aptly nam s. Tab itha isand adults just as childrenlive like witch ghost stories to a mis ed Tabitha fit, an outs sleeping ider who does not fit into thebear. a surprise when she is com munity, so itWh en Pierre does find his accused of mur is not frighten them. Creepy stories are an interesting way grandmother his family dering a man her hou Theinbook starts butnchanges to poetry se. off in prose being eate by the wolves . It is at this point that to explore the themes of everyday life in a safe way. L with the transformation to the puppet show. In the Was it a dream? She is told bylike The story is set in a Agatha Christeque style village her mot puppet show there is ais puppet that looks just the her that the cleaning had kept pup pets. His family had bee where the aptly named Tabitha lives. Tabitha is real life Pierre. n a misfit, an outsider who does not fit into the When Pierre does find his grandmother his family community, so it is not a surprise when she is magically transform too, alive after being eaten by accused of murdering a man in her house. the wolves. It is at this point that Lara returns home. We learn that the murdered man was her former Was it a dream? She is told by her mother that the teacher who took advantage of her during her school old man who had the house she is cleaning had years. In the course of the book Tabitha sacks her kept puppets. His family had been killed in the war. The man was the boy Pierre, whom Lisa had lawyer and attempts to argue her case alone. accompanied on the search for his grandmother. A House of Correction by Nicci French is out now toenail reminds her of the validity of her experiences. published by Simon and Schuster.

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McCabe Cup

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pages 90-91

Irish Dancing

2min
page 85

Family History WA

3min
pages 86-89

Book Reviews

13min
pages 80-84

Comhaltas

2min
page 79

Fred’s Nifty Fifty

2min
pages 76-77

Irish Choir Perth

2min
page 78

Oral History of Seniors in WA

8min
pages 74-75

G’Day from Melbourne

7min
pages 69-71

The Australian Irish Heritage Association of WA

5min
page 68

Whale story

8min
pages 62-67

Isteach sa Teach

15min
pages 54-61

Matters of PUBlic Interest

6min
pages 38-39

Meeja Watch

11min
pages 50-53

Q&A with Audry Magee

6min
pages 48-49

‘Once’ the musicial

5min
pages 33-36

Shamrock Rovers

2min
page 37

Smoke along the Valley Floor

6min
pages 27-29

The Cross

2min
page 26

Arthur Fields ‘Your man on the bridge’

3min
pages 24-25

Ulster Rambles

7min
pages 20-23

Ulysses

4min
page 17

Bloomsday 100

12min
pages 10-15

McGregor & Putin

4min
pages 8-9

Perth Consulate

10min
pages 4-7

Chernobyl Clonmel Connection

3min
pages 18-19

Climb with Charlie

0
page 16
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