Step by step we follow Nora's life after the death of her beloved husband. She's no stereotyped weeping widow - Tóibin's inside knowledge (his father died when he was twelve) illuminates her fierce clinging to her own dignity, her stunned incapacity to be close to her children and her gradual discovery of another possible self. Written with quiet poetry and without obvious drama this intimate exploration of Nora's reality is nevertheless a subtly dramatic story. Compelling.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 75 Winter 2015 ) |
