When Summer's in the Meadow: Our Life in Clare - Hardcover

Williams, Niall; Breen, Christine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0939149230 ISBN 13: 9780939149230

Publisher: Soho Pr Inc, 1989

Synopsis

Details the experiences of two novice farmers on a farm in western Ireland, relating their experiences at animal husbandry, their attempts to have a child, and their assimilation into Irish life

About this title

Reviews

In 1985, this Irish-American couple moved from the hectic world of New York book publishing to a small farm in Ireland, attempting to recapture the simpler life of their ancestors. In O Come Ye Back to Ireland, they chronicled their first year. Here they continue the account of their lives as novice farmers in County Clare, describing their successes and failures, the crops and animals they learn to nurture, and the caring neighbors who are always ready to help and instruct. Most poignantly, they tell of their bitter disappointment at learning that they cannot have a child of their own, and of the difficult decision to begin the adoption process. At the heart of the book is the story of a year of waitingwaiting to be approved by the Irish Adoption Board, waiting for a baby, waiting for the baby to be legally theirs. When Deirdre is finally their own and the farm begins to thrive, their contentment is complete. This is the unassuming tale of two people who return to the land and succeed.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The authors made their debut with O Come Ye Back to Ireland ( LJ 10/15/87), a quaint account of their first year in Ireland after moving from the Big Apple. This sequel is equally successful. It focuses on the couple's attempt to adopt a child. Though they recount various incidents--the shock of a return trip to New York, the scare of a major storm hitting western Ireland--the pending adoption overrides all other concerns. Still, they go on with their pastoral lives: farming, tending livestock, the sharing of a community spirit not found in New York City. Breen and Williams have used a unique format in both books. The text is primarily the product of Williams, while the narrative is interspersed with entries from Breen's diary. Another charming account; recommended for most libraries.
- Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ . Lib . , Ala.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Soho Pr Inc
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0939149230
• ISBN 13: 9780939149230
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224