Forty-Seven Roses - Softcover

Sheridan, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330374397 ISBN 13: 9780330374392

Publisher: Pan MacMillan, 2002

Synopsis

With his trademark wit and honesty, Peter Sheridan has written an enthralling account of his parents` relationship, from their first encounter over a poker game in a Dundalk canteen to their final, happy days together in retirement. But all was not as straightforward as it appeared for when Peter`s father died suddenly, it became painfully evident that an awkward situation needed to be resolved. Since the 1940s, Peter`s father had maintained a relationship with another woman, Doris. Their correspondence spanned five decades and Doris had long harboured the secret hope that Peter`s father would one day be hers. Someone would have to tell her about the death of her old friend... At turns humorous and heartbreaking, Forty-Seven Roses is the unforgettable tale of a love that can transcend even overpowering odds. It`s the account of a marriage dogged by a shadowy third partner, of fierce family pride and of how sometimes the pain of grief can re-ignite the vital spark of love.

`Sheridan`s writing is in a class of its own... this is a memoir to make you laugh and cry` - Sunday Express

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Sheridan is the author of 44: Dublin Made Me. A leading figure in Irish theatre, he has served as director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, the Irish Arts Center and Irish Repertory Theatre in New York, and the Los Angeles Theater Center.

From Publishers Weekly:

Irish playwright Sheridan returns to the same themes of his debut memoir, 44: Dublin Made Me, further exploring his childhood, family and city. The plot focuses on a complex m‚nage ... trois between his parents and a British woman named Doris, a relationship that spanned 47 years and two countries. Intriguingly, this plot is never resolved: the deeper Sheridan explores, the more elusive the characters and their motivations become. He does not unearth Doris's intentions nor does he delve into why his mother, Anna, allowed another woman in her marriage. Sheridan approaches these mysteries with a combination of temerity and timidity: he'll ask Doris why she used contraceptives when she slept with his father yet shy away from confronting his mother with similar personal questions. Sheridan thus creates a joyfully uneven experience, leaving readers to discover the small details gradually, the entire story never revealed until the very end. The narrative proceeds primarily through Sheridan's own flashbacks or through long, italicized segments delivered in first person by Anna or Doris. These segments, though sometimes cumbersome and detached from the main narrative, provide the reader not only with shifting points of view, but also with rich Irish and British vernacular. Sheridan's secondary characters are the members of his extended family, including his alcoholic aunt and uncle from Australia. Another key character is the city of Dublin, with its songs, customs and politics. Although at times burdened by excessive sentimentality, Sheridan does succeed in conveying an Irish atmosphere and the more worldly issues of fidelity, betrayal and unrequited love.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pan MacMillan
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0330374397
• ISBN 13: 9780330374392
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 356