Alice Taylor is a beloved Irish author whose work is deeply rooted in her connection to rural life in County Cork. Her writing is characterized by an authentic portrayal of human relationships, landscapes, and traditions, often focusing on themes of family and community. Taylor possesses a unique ability to capture the essence of the Irish countryside, offering readers a poignant and relatable glimpse into life. Her narratives resonate with a broad audience due to their sincerity and warmth.
Exploring the theme of belonging, this narrative delves into the lives of characters who navigate the complexities of having two homes. Each location offers distinct memories and experiences that shape their identities and relationships. The story intricately weaves together personal struggles, cultural differences, and the quest for connection, highlighting how the notion of home can be both a comfort and a source of conflict. As the characters grapple with their dual identities, readers are invited to reflect on what home truly means.
Am I cocooning or self-isolating? In today's climate both words mean the same
thing, but it's amazing the different picture each word paints in our
subconscious. Alice Taylor explores wellbeing, what community now means and so
many other topics thrown into sharp relief by the arrival of COVID19.
Some people are home alone by choice, while others, like Alice, journeyed into
it through a change of circumstances. Alice discovers the challenges and
pleasures of living alone.
Alice Taylor takes a journey back to the 1940s and 1950s in rural Ireland
through the well-used schoolbooks that she has kept from that time. Poetry,
legends, stories and history evoke a way of life, and pace of life, that's
long changed.
An extended memoir with reminiscences about the Author's friends, family
members and even beloved animals that have passed away. A therapeutic book
demonstrating a compassionate way of dealing with bereavement.
A classic memoir from Ireland’s favourite storyteller. Here Taylor follows To School Through The Fields with these equally captivating recollections of family life in pastorial County Cork. Infused with wit and lyricism, the story centres on the 1950's when the author and her friends were teenagers. She describes the past vividly and without complaint as the years of hard labour for herself, parents and siblings, were also filled with fun in the close knit community.
This photographed survey chronicles the appeal and charm of the cottage in Ireland. Photographs capture these simple structures, often in wild and spectactular settings, in all their variety and elemental beauty. Alice Taylor's foreword paints a moving portrait of traditional cottage life, while the main text offers an analysis of a peculiarly evocative idiom.
The attraction of THE VILLAGE, more perhaps than its illustrious predecessors, lies in the fact that Alice Taylor has captured it so well. Leave aside for a moment the extraordinary commercial success, which any author worth his or her salt would envy, and you still have a memorable book of memoirs, another little gem from an accomplished weaver of tales.' - Cork Examiner
This sequel to The Woman of the House and Across the River is a story of love
for the home place and of the passions and jealousies it can inspire. A story
of grief and trying to cope with loss, but also of resilience in the face of
family tragedy.
Alice Taylor remembers her childhood home - the farm with all its tools and animals, the home with its equipment for living, its daily challenges, constant hard work, and its comforts too. She describes the huge open fireplace where all the cooking was done, where the big black kettle hung permanently from the crane over the flames; here the family sat in the evenings, talking, knitting, going over the events of the day, saying the rosary. She experienced the sow being brought indoors to have her precious brood of bonhams. She recalls the faithful, beloved horses and their wonderfully varied outfits - one set of tackle for each job they did on the farm; the ritual of lighting the oil lamps - from the fancy one in the parlour to the tiny one under the Sacred Heart picture; the excitement of threshing day and the satisfaction of a good harvest - the stations, the neighbours, and later the local dancehall and cinema. All the jobs and tools of a way of life long gone live on in the hearts of those who were formed by it. Here Alice Taylor celebrates them all with love. 'magical ... reading the book, I felt a faint ache in my heart ... I find myself longing for those days ... it is essential reading.' Irish Independent
