Edna O’Brien stands as one of the foremost chroniclers of the female experience in the twentieth century. Her body of work, encompassing novels, short stories, and plays, delves deeply into the intimate lives of her characters. O’Brien fearlessly tackled themes of female sexuality and societal constraints, earning both acclaim and controversy. Her distinctive voice and profound understanding of human psychology make her an enduring literary figure.
The acclaimed author describes her convent school education in Ireland, the scandal that ensued upon the publication of her first novel, and the wild 1960s parties that introduced her to people from all walks of life.
O'Brien's latest novel charts the quick and critical demise of relations between "the warring sons of warring sons" fighting over inherited land in the countryside of western Ireland.
From eccentric Joanna's boarding house, predatory Baba roams Dublin looking for men to give her a good time - and dragging with her a reluctant Cait, worrying about her figure and wanting to talk about books. Then she meets dark, long-faced Eugene Gaillard, a film director, and for a while Cait's romantic dreams seem to be fulfilled. But Eugene Gaillard is a Protestant divorce, and when Cait's drunkard father gets to hear of it, he summons a lynch mob.