Ritorno a Fascaray

(3.5) I previously knew of Annalena McAfee only as Mrs. Ian McEwan, though she has a distinguished literary background: she founded the Guardian Review and edited it for six years, was Arts and Literary Editor of the Financial Times , and is the author of multiple children’s books and one previous no Leggi tutto

I think this book was written specifically for me. :D Might be five stars. (This is a lot more fun if you're interested in history writing, identity, nature writing, poetry, and Scots.)

Schottland – dieses kleine, dünn bevölkerte Land am Rande des europäischen Kontinents, arm, stolz, traditionalistisch, geschichtsbewußt, unwirtlich und wunderschön – kam spätestens Mitte der 1980er Jahre durch Hollywood-Filme wie LOCAL HERO (1983) und vor allem HIGHLANDER (1986), der mit Mittelalter Leggi tutto

I admit to two personal reasons for reading this book. 1) I am going to Scotland next year, and I wanted to get some insight on the culture, geography, and anything that would be helpful. 2) Annalena McAfee is married to one of my favorite authors, so was hoping the electric charge is in the very ai Leggi tutto

Perhaps because both the author and her spouse are bright lights of the literary world (rolls eyes), her editor was timid in editing this. Too bad, because this book is a mess. We have Mhari, an unhappy whiner, who to me must have fit better into the Brooklyn hipster scene than she thinks she did (ro Leggi tutto

Con quanta creatività, eleganza e ironia Annalena McAfee esplora in questa sua opera un tema complesso come l'identità. La protagonista del romanzo decide di tornare nella piccola isola della Scozia da cui la sua famiglia è originaria, avendo accettato l'incarico di curare l'istituzione di un museo Leggi tutto

This was a birthday present from my wife, who picked it up from the bookshop in Morningside when we were in Edinburgh this summer. The combination of literary mystery and Scottish language just seemed like it would add up to a winning read for Steve, and so it did. Mhairi McPhail is getting in touch Leggi tutto

A narrative that explores identity, love, belonging and the universal search for home. Mhairi McPhail very tidily packs up her life and relationship in New York and moves to the remote Scottish island of Fascaray in the Hebrides with her nine year old daughter, Agnes. She has accepted a commission to Leggi tutto

When Mhairi McPhail's relationship with Marco breaks down she uproots herself and her daughter to the desolate island of Fascaray in Scotland. Taking a job to archive and oversee the setting up of a museum dedicated to the island's most famous resident, Grigor McWatt the poet is a difficult and daunt Leggi tutto

Hame is a satirical takedown of romanticised Scotticism with its bards, bagpipes, and tartan trews.  The basic premise is that Mhairi McPhail, a Scot by birth but with a New York accent, is returning to her homeland to establish a museum on the Isle of Fascaray dedicated to the Isle's famous son, the Leggi tutto