BOOK OF THE WEEK
A Line Made By Walking by Sara Baume, published in hardback by William Heinemann
CORK writer Sara Baume's work does not rely on narrative. Her writing flourishes because instead of depending on plot devices, it takes time to thoroughly explore the minds of its protagonists. Her first work, Spill Summer Falter Wither, focused on the mind of a man who socialised predominately with his dog. Her second, A Line Made By Walking, focuses on that of Frankie, a young artist who, failing to master city life, retreats to her deceased grandmother's bungalow in the countryside. While there, Frankie finds herself achieving very little, her days passing by, but eventually she begins to seek comfort and artistic inspiration in nature. Baume's sophomore effort is a masterclass in the power of prose. Frankie's depression and insecurities unfold in three dimensional ways. They do not feel like plot devices, but instead permeate the novel as they do life. A brilliant work that will likely resonate with anyone who's ever felt a little lost in their twenties and beyond.
Sam Prance
Under The Almond Tree by Laura McVeigh, published in hardback by Two Roads
"WE DON'T choose the stories we tell," writes Rostrevor native Laura McVeigh in Under The Almond Tree's afterword, "they choose us." The story that has chosen McVeigh concerns a family of Afghan refugees fleeing the wreckage of their country following the Taliban's uprising. Seen from the viewpoint of Samar, a young girl with a passion for Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, they eventually find sanctuary in two cabins of the Trans-Siberian Express, travelling back and forward on the line, making a home of perpetual movement. In her former work, McVeigh was Executive Director of PEN International, and her belief in the power of literature to transform lives shines through. A novel look at displacement and belonging, and of how we make sense of the world through story, it falls short through McVeigh never quite managing to believably bridge the gap between her own world and Samar's.
Adam Weymouth
City Of Friends by Joanna Trollope, published in hardback by Mantle
EMOTIONAL turmoil – often hidden beneath a facade of brave faces and stiff-upper-lip normality – is among the trademarks of Joanna Trollope's contemporary work, be it affairs of the heart, family issues, bereavement, betrayal or social dilemmas. Her 20th novel centres on four ambitious female friends who have shared joys and heartache since university and are now nearing their 50s and in high-flying careers. But the dynamics of the group change when one is sacked and there follows a series of complications arising from betrayals, interwoven through both their professional and private lives, which threaten the future of the friendships. Told in chapters focusing on each of the four protagonists individually, Trollope's work cleverly tackles contemporary issues and raises the age-old question: can women have it all? Her observations are as astute as ever, as female friendships, fractured families, elderly relatives and workplace issues are all thrown into the mix. She makes an excellent case for the viewpoint that having an enjoyable job can save a woman's sanity.
Hannah Stephenson
NON-FICTION
Felix The Railway Cat by Kate Moore, published in hardback by Michael Joseph
COVER-based book-judgers rejoice: here we have a cat, in a railway porter's hat. Felix is the Huddersfield station's Senior Pest Controller, and Kate Moore's account of her Facebook-fuelled rise to international stardom expands on this photo in high spirits and good faith, with royalties supporting a cancer charity. Felix's arrival as an objectively adorable kitten and subsequent winning over of staff and passengers is a success story of treats, pigeons and extensive napping for cat and reader alike, the lives of those lucky enough to serve alongside her forming an inoffensive backdrop of human highs and lows, captured through railway's agreeably rose-tinted lenses. Hearts may or may not be warmed: train nostalgists can reminisce of an era when station mogs were not uncommon (and passengers weren't called 'customers') while the rest of us might marvel at how potently social media and photos of cats unite the masses, gently sedating us against the next post down...
Michael Anderson
Megatech: Technology In 2050, published by Economist Books
EXECUTIVE editor of The Economist Daniel Franklin edits and writes the introduction to this collection of essays from highly respected scientists, business leaders, academics, journalists and science-fiction authors. Each discusses the big technology trends which shape our lives and the future of the planet in the decades ahead, while asking what policies we might need to make the most of opportunities ahead, but also to tackle environmental, economic and social challenges. Contributors include Melinda Gates, co-founder and chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Economist deputy editor and head of digital strategy, Tom Standage. Another is scientist and entrepreneur Robert Carlson, who examines how a research arm of the US Defence Department is already experimenting with ways to hook up the human brain directly with the internet. The result is a series of tantalising glimpses into all our futures, but there are chilling reminders of what could go wrong, both in terms of unintended consequences and deliberate manipulation.
Gill Oliver
CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
I Don't Want Curly Hair by Laura Ellen Anderson, published by Bloomsbury
ALL girls (and let's face it, most boys too) grow up with bits they don't like. For me, like the corkscrew-bonced narrator in Lauren Ellen Anderson's charming new picture book, it was my curly hair. "It's messy and silly and just plain UNFAIR!" she moans, adding the mantra for all curlytops around the world: "I want my hair STRAIGHT. I want my hair... smooth. I want it to flow through the air when I move." So she tries everything – books, balloons, sticky tape – to tame her frizzy locks, before meeting a straight-haired girl, who (guess what?) wants BIG hair. And together, the new friends discover they actually have more fun when they like their hair. Anderson's cute and brilliantly funny illustrations make our protagonist bounce off the page and at it's core, is a message of learning to accept our looks, however old we are.
Kate Whiting
