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Customer Review
Deirdre:
A Woman from Clare
by Chick O'Brien.
Item ISBN # 1-60836-100-4
Overall:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irish stew,
rich flavors. March 6, 2009
By
Ann
Gurley
Chick has woven ALL his Irish into a rich stew of visuals
and intrigue about war times in Ireland after the sinking
of the Lusitania. His heroine is an early feminist. The men
around her daring and clever evaders of the corrupted powers
that be. Chick is a movie writer. In that medium he can force
us to move slowly through the parts of building suspense.
In the book, I started rushing past the rich descriptive sections,
just to find out what happened next. Well written, well researched,
full of colorful characters.
***
"I find it hard to believe this story was written by
a man." Lori
***
"Chick:
your story, DEIRDRE, was very heartwarming...a great read...and
one that I would highly recommend to all my Irish folks back
home.
I
wish you the best of Irish Luck!!
Cliona
Nestor 16th Aug. '08 Well Done "
(Cliona read an unpublished manuscript and gave me many
valuable tips on Irish words and spelling.)
***
"Wow!....Chick.....
I just finished your book and cannot tell you how amazed I
am.....I was immediately drawn into the plot. You have a natural
story-telling ability! (Two weeks ago I saw Garrison Keiler).
It's a talent that is rare and one which has the charming
capability of leaving its listeners with a treasure of visual/mental
imagary....How I wish Patrick could have read this.
Because
I teach languages I realize how difficult it is to capture
a dialect, especially in written form. It can come off fake
so easily. Chick, the moment you created your characters,
they came alive. How do you do that? Did you and Grace live
there? I thought maybe visits...maybe tales of your ancestry...
but your characters were incredibly vivid. I know in your
acknowledgment you give credit to many sources but I think
you did more than story-tell. It was a beautiful combination
of songs, poetry, and personal expression. Well Done!
I
also think you're brave...to put your story in a context of
history...the Lusitania...the Irish Rebellion...you run the
risk of coming off artificial or superficial if you ..'play
it safe'.. but to have real people feeling the effects of
history around them...that's gutsy. It's an area I know so
little about and your story made me want to know more.
Good scenes. The wedding...both...I never had heard of The
Mass Rock. The beauty of describing the mistletoe, the scenery,
the vows...beautiful. I loved the bartering for the car...
And yes Rory and Rene...I think the mirrored image of Deirdre
and Fiona was inspired...almost a message that life never
stands still...it continues on...we can look ahead to what
Deirdre will be. Nice. Really nice.
And
Deirdre...by the time I had finished the book she had become
so real...she became 'herself', complex, beautiful...in her
own way preparing for change, but needing to say good-bye
before beginning her life in America.
Take
pride in the fact that you have created such a wonderful tale,
and others will find joy in reading it. The best kind of gift.
My
best to you and Grace, Marilynn"
(Marilynn Garzione is the author of "RELEASED to
the ANGELS", a caregiver's journey...Discovering the
Hidden Gifts of Alzheimer's. Her husband Patrick, an old and
dear friend, succumbed to the disease. Pat was instrumental
in getting my play "IRISH LEGACY" produced in New
York.)
***
"I thought the strongest element was your descriptive
passages about life in Ireland. The landscapes, the clothes,
the houses, furnishings and food etc. were so well described
it was easy to visualize them, to hear them,
to smell them. And the descriptions of the manners and customs
of the times and culture were all so very well drawn that
I felt that I was experiencing them.
I
was never good at descriptive passages, so the few attempts
I
made a novels were quickly discarded. I found it was best
for me to stick with dialogue.
As
for your command of language, I could hear the Irish lilt
in every phrase. Fabulous.
And you know how to bring alive the visuals and sounds and
smells of daily life- a real gift! You certainly absorbed
a great deal during your time in Ireland, and I can tell you
did a tremendous amount of research. All very well realized.
It
is easy to see why you were so disappointed with the artists
image of Deirdre of the cover. Deirdre is so strong and mature
with sharp-featured "grown-up" beauty. The artist's
concept is not right. She is too soft and delicate and immature.
Just a girl, whereas Deirdre is a gorgeous, fully developed
woman.
One
of my favorite lines came from one of the minor characters,
Florrie, who said, 'My old mother, Lord have mercy on her,
she always held that food was God's reward to us for having
to be here in this world.' My grandmother, my mother's mother,
was Scottish, and held a similar view.
I loved Jay's philosophical musing from Wan Lee '...that we
control our thoughts, but feelings just happen. We are not
responsible for them. We are responsible only for how we deal
with those feelings.' Quite a different take from the typical
religious guilt trip of '...if you have committed a sin in
your mind...'
Well,
I have to run, but I wanted to share these thoughts with you.Hope
you and Grace are well.
Love,
Dan
(Dan
Jesse is an actor, a playwright and a public relations spokesman
for a Florida utility company.)
^
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