“It’s about family, in a nutshell, families in all their shame and their glory” – Roisin Meaney
A RELIABLE on the best seller list and ever a bright spark, in print and in personality, Róisín Meaney strikes her quill across the page again. Her 12th novel, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ is published and her launch event begins this Thursday October 22 at 7pm at O’Mahony’s Booksellers, O’Connell Street.
“Friends, Romans, countrymen” and I suspect, their women-folk, are invited to this reading and book signing and she is most grateful to O’Mahony’s for the wine reception. (Part 1 of hooley – there’s more later)
“‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’ is my second book this year, coming after ‘Two Fridays in April’,” admits Róisín with a laugh. “This is my second book of three in a two-year deal with Hachette Ireland and it is my eighth with them altogether. I moved to Hachette after my third book and have had the one editor all this time, Ciara Doorley – whom I find very, very good”.
The daughter of a schools’ inspector, Ms Meaney is a Limerick woman who left behind a career in teaching after a decade to work at being a novelist full time. This October launch of “450 pages or so” was begun as far back as January or Christmas last year.
She usually makes the Best Seller listings with each novel but on to the story beyond that of success through hard graft. “It’s about family, in a nutshell, families in all their shame and their glory. It’s about a girl, April, and her journey, aged 17, on an odyssey to discover hers. There is lots of trauma and some good stuff along the way”.
April is born of Irish parents who separate prior to the birth in Australia. Her mother, anxious for distance, puts her up for adoption. The child grows into young adulthood and her search for place and connection leads her to mosey out antecedent family back here on the oul’ green Isle.
It sounds explosive. And lonely.
(Part 2 of hooley): Róisín Meaney’s ability to deliver a good book and commensurate launch party are long confirmed. After the O’Connell Street introduction, fans and followers are invited to the elegant, floral Library room at Savoy Hotel for “mulled wine, canapés and cake”.
Reader, stay home if you dare… but for this ‘Christmas’ in print, it could be time to follow your nose for a good story.
