In this collection of fifteen original tales, Ireland's master storyteller and playwright, John B. Keane, portrays the rich folk culture of southwest Ireland which is now rapidly disappearing. More than just tales for reading at Christmas, these are stories about the lives of ordinary Irish country people during the holiday season that provide delightful reading any time of year.
Editorial Reviews
"Those who believe in the universality of the Irish spirit will be especially touched and delighted by these original, gentle and wry holiday stories. Keane (Durango), a popular Irish playwright and storyteller, is at his best when combining an intriguing conceit with descriptions of the customs and rituals of the Emerald Isle. "The Scubblething" tells of a Christmas party that evolves around an annual vitriolic argument between Martin Scubble and his wife, Mary. "The Miracle of Ballybradawn" is one of several humorous morality tales about poaching, describing the transformation of a poacher who discovers the sanctuary of the Church while on the lam. "Groodles" traces the journey of an old tomcat who ends up taking a fatal dip in the holiday soup. The lesser stories meander a bit, although even in those outings the strength of Keane's regional prose rarely flags. Country humor, holiday spirit and insightful characterization are found in abundance in these 15 stories." —Publishers Weekly
"Sulking, squabbling, toasting, poaching, and praying--that is how the Irish celebrate Christmas, at least in John Keane's collection of 15 original stories. A hint of the innocence and enchantment of the collection can be gleamed from a few titles--'Twelve Days' Grace,' 'The Magic Stoolin',' and 'The Great Christmas Raid at Ballybooley.' His Irish villagers revel in the holidays, sharing turf fires and fine food (some illicitly obtained). Plenty of humor in these pages along with some new fables to share over the holiday season." —Denise Perry Donavin, Booklist
About the Author
John B. Keane, one of Ireland's most prolific and respected literary figures, died on 30 May 2002 at the age of 73, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. John B. Keane was born in 1928 in Listowel, County Kerry and it was here that he spent his literary career, running a pub which provided him with inspiration for his characters and ideas. His first play, Sive, was presented by the Listowel Drama Group and won the All-Ireland Drama Festival in 1959. It was followed by another success, Sharon's Grave, in 1960. The Field (1965) and Big Maggie (1969), are widely regarded as classics of the modern Irish stage and jewels in a crown which includes such popular hits as Many Young Men of Twenty, The Man from Clare, Moll, The Chastitute and The Year of the Hiker. His large canon of plays have been seen abroad in cities as far afield as Moscow and Los Angeles. Big Maggie ran on Broadway for over two months in 1982 and The Field was adapted into an Oscar-winning Hollywood film, starring Brenda Fricker and Richard Harris, in 1991. But it was not just in his plays that John B. Keane managed to portray all aspects of humanity with both wit and truth. He also wrote many fine novels, including The Contractors, A High Meadow and Durango. Durango was adapted for the big screen, starring Brenda Fricker and Patrick Bergin. A writer of essays, short stories and letters, his humorous words live on in Celebrated Letters of John B. Keane, More Celebrated Letters, The Best of John B. Keane and The Short Stories of John B. Keane. In 1987 John B. Keane received a special award for his enduring place in Irish life and letters from the Sunday Independent/Irish Life. In that year he also won a Sunday Tribune Arts Award and in 1988 he was chosen as the recipient of the Irish-American Fund Award for Literature. In 1999 he was presented with a Gradam medal, the Abbey Theatre's highest award. He was a member of Aosdana and the recipient of honorary doctorates from Trinity College, Dublin, Limerick University and Marymount College, New York. John B. Keane remains one of Mercier's best-loved and best-selling authors.
