Maeve Noonan - Bookseller in Saratoga Springs
Submitted by mnoonan@northsh... on Tue, 10/29/2013 - 6:02pm
"I live in a house that is held together by books - literally" - KMNoonan
The Forgotten Kingdom is the second volume in the The Lost Queen Trilogy and it picks up right where The Lost Queen ended. Get a cup of tea and a scone and a comfy chair and be prepared to get lost in the dark, peaty Scottish mists of the 6th century British Isles and ancient poetry. Based on years of research and scholarly material that has been largely ignored or forgotten, this is for anyone who loves The Mists of Avalon. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
The Exiles explores the plight of women and children before the 20th century in so many ways, but especially widows, orphans and single women not born to privilege. The sheer will and tenacity of life is told through the stories of different characters (Evangeline, Olive, Hazel and Mathinna) each of whom will tear at your heart. Beyond that the Exiles deals with the perfidy and prejudice and the violence not only of the penal system but also of Colonialism in Australia, all in a beautifully rendered novel where I fell in love with women who could have been my ancestors or yours. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
This memoir left me with a choking knot in my throat because of the life the author has led so far. The power of Wayetu's wordcraft is so strong that she sweeps you up and holds the reader rapt to the point where I had to reread passages because the construction was so beautiful that I missed the action. It also happened in reverse and, believe me, you don't want to miss any part of this painful, powerful, and regenerative odyssey through the life of a child in war torn Liberia and as an immigrant. One of the most important memoirs I have read in a long time. Comparable to A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
I did not want to like this book, but I ended up loving it. It is hauntingly, powerfully, and even fiercely written. The book is told by the widow of Jesus of Nazareth. However, He is not the subject. This is about women who dared to live outside the boundaries of men and society. They were devoted to their faith and to each other, as well as to learning and creativity even though they understood the consequences. If you love Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, you should read this book. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
This is a perfect follow-up to the author's Barrytown trilogy. The storyline is quirky and the gnarly characters, Davey and Joe, have not aged gracefully nor necessarily wisely, but they have retained all the wry humor and angst that make them alive, real, and enormously loveable. This is a story about dreams lost and found, sometimes mislaid and redeemed--not always to the good. The novel is also a love letter not just to Dublin, but to pub life. ~ Reviewed by Maeve Noonan
Northshire Manchester
4869 Main Street
Manchester Center, VT 05255
ph. 802.362.2200
ph. (toll free) 800.437.3700
Daily 10am-6pm
Directions to Manchester
Northshire Saratoga
424 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
ph. 518.682.4200
ph. (toll free) 855.339.5990
Daily 10am-6pm
Directions to Saratoga Springs