Dancing With Minnie The Twig by Mogue Doyle
Set in the rural Ireland of the 1960s, this is the story of a young boy who is killed in an accident. On the day of Tony's funeral, he watches his family, friends and the rest of the farming community arrive at the church and get ready for the service that will end his all-too-short existence.
A remarkable first novel from Irish writer Mogue Doyle - fresh, imaginative and brimming with childhood insightSet in rural Ireland during the 1960s, it is one boy's view of his childhood from his first memories to his early teens. The household is ruled with an iron hand by the 'old lad', his father. His long-suffering mam is the comfort pillow for little Tony, his elder brother Aidan and younger sister Cissy. His father's rages and easy temper overshadow the sensitive Tony's childhood, bringing out an anger in him that he has yet to recognise as his fathers, at the unfairness of his mam's life. His best friend, Mikey, who lives down the road, has no such problems. An angelic cherub with his dark curls, he elicits female attention from his first day at school much to the chagrin of Tony. Together they learn about life in the small village in which they live: school days, local hurling matches and general young lad's mischief. However, it is through this mischievousness that the road to tragedy is begun. Intrigued by sex and what it is, Mikey discovers the widow Rourke, a woman not averse to giving sexual favours to the men in the area. He also discovers a way of watching the proceedings from within the house itself and it is that reveals a family secret that Tony cannot hide from. From the opening chapter, set at a funeral, the novel grips the reader with its lilting, almost hypnotic, words, painting a picture of the characters and era so common at that time in the Irish countryside. A haunting tale, which will tally in the mind long after the last page has been reached, it is an extraordinary work from someone who has never written before. - Lucy Watson
Mogue Doyle is in his fifties and has always lived in Co Wexford, where this novel is set. He has been in the building trade all his life. Dancing with Minnie the Twig is the first thing he has ever written.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780593049235 |
| ISBN 10 | 0593049233 |
| Title | Dancing With Minnie The Twig |
| Author | Mogue Doyle |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Transworld Publishers Ltd |
| Year published | 2002-02-06 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |