Alice Taylor (1)Critiques

3.5 This is a charming read that takes you to life in the Irish countryside of the early-mid 1900s.

This short collection of stories is a feel good reminiscing of growing up in the Irish countryside. Alice Taylor recalls her childhood, her marriage, her neighbors, her children, and her faith in often times hilarious and insightful clarity and the reader is stuck wishing that they too lived in a quaint little village in Ireland. At least that's how I felt. When I finished listening to the audiobook, I wanted to pack up my suitcase and head over. Such a serene sounding life, beautiful and filled with wonder. Listening to the audiobook was also nice because the narrator had such a wonderful voice (anyone with an Irish accent has a nice voice, but that's beside the point).

This is a must read or listen for anyone obsessed with the Irish countryside or small village life. It's a quick read (only a 4 hour audiobook, so I can only imagine how short the actual book is), easy to put down, because each chapter is a short essay or remembrance.

You can turn to any page and read aloud a rhyme that is fresh and something to ponder.

I tend to romanticize certain things citydwellers are ignorant about, like milking cows and village life. But Alice Taylor describes how tough farm work can be and how petty village life can be while still giving it all a wistful and comforting sense. This author was recommended to me by someone in a position to confirm that she really does write with accuracy about her subjects. This novel centers around a family that undergoes some tragedies, with highlighting of the importance of the role of the woman of the house. In the end, it wasn't the woman I was expecting. Everything wraps up tidily but I imagine in a small community, being forced to actually be a community, this isn't unusual.

Although this wasn't as good to me as the first two books, I really enjoyed Country Days for its short views into everyday life. I missed the lovely detailed descriptions of how things were done that the first two books had.

What a delightful book this was - a wonderful portrait of Irish childhood. Her memoirs of going to school in the 40's and 50's and Irish country life.

This Irish author has opened up a new line of books for me. I will definately be reading more by her - a lovely book.

Back Cover Blurb:
It is a story of love for the land, love for the Irish countryside and village life of over 40 years ago. This love is handed down from generation to generation but that love can cause jealousy between neighbours, which can turn to violence. The family - the Phelans. The house - Mossgrove.

This is the second book in the series and I've grown to love the Phelan family. The characters are very well developed and although flawed are very likeable. Across The River continues the story began in The Woman of the House about a family in rural Ireland and their internal feuds as well as the feuds with their neighbors the Conways.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, it's an easy read, not a lot of action but a nice relaxing book.

Great book about the ups and downs of a farm family in Ireland. The book can be a little slow so this is one you want to read when you're relaxed and have patience to get through it. The Woman of the House is a sweet story set in Ireland about the Phelan family and their neighbors the Conways. I look forward to the 2nd book in the series.

2497 To School Through the Fields: An Irish Country Childhood, by Alice Taylor (read 8 Mar 1993) This is an account of an Irish girl's childhood in rural Cork. It is touching and some things reminded me of my childhood on the farm, though of course there were also a lot of differences. This book is blurbed as "the biggest bestseller in Ireland's history" and I can surely see how it would deeply touch the tenderest chords of nostalgia.

2498 Quench the Lamp, by Alice Taylor (read 11 Mar 1993) This is the author's second book on growing up in Ireland. [the first is To School Through the Fields: An Irish Country Childhood, which I read 8 Mar 1993] This one It is just a nice book of sketches, and one is pleased so much happy time existed in County Cork. A very pleasant but not too enthralling book.

Taylor, Alice. To School through the Fields.