New Canadian Library S.
3 total works
Female desire and sexuality, and the elusive nature of identity are brilliantly explored in this novel which glimmers with insight and truth. A beautiful woman in her early thirties, Mary Lavery, nee Dunne lives in New York and is happily married to a much feted British playwright. But before this there have been other lives, two previous husbands, and a Catholic girlhood filled with suppressed passion. A brief encounter with an old friend brings back a sudden flood of memories from the past - memories which confuse and disturb...
James Mangan, a none too successful poet, finds he has also failed in love when his beautiful acclaimed actress wife suddenly deserts him. Seeking solace in his father's country lodge, Mangan comes across a mysterious photograph of his doppelganger, and Irish ancestor who was also a poet. Excited at he prospect of uncovering a previously hidden lyrical past, he sets off for Ireland, but is shocked to discover instead a violent history of intrigue, incest and madness...