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David Jordan
, June 12, 2018
(view all comments by David Jordan)
I found myself in the Shannon, Ireland airport looking for a book to purchase since my carry-on had been confiscated and checked (too heavy). All my books and entertainment were in that bag, so I set about the task of choosing something new from a selection of surprisingly unfamiliar titles in the airport bookstore. Upon closer inspection, I realized that nearly every book for sale in that store was written by an Irish author. Therefore I was excited to make a new literary discovery and I chose this title by Marian Keyes, who is apparently a hugely popular bestselling author in Ireland and the UK. I get it: the book is funny, touching, and impressively well-written. The author has a gift and the large library of successful title under her name is no fluke. I didn't immediately understand every cultural reference and I wan't always familiar with the slang or local dialogue, but the story is universal and very relevant. There is even an abortion subplot that deals with Ireland's prohibition of abortion, which caught my attention since Ireland voted to lift that ban while I was there purchasing this book. I might even buy another book by Keyes, because I'm interested to know what else she has done.
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