First published 1978
These nine stories follow women navigating love, loss, and identity across different landscapes and circumstances. In the title story, a woman confronts the weight of motherhood and marriage. Another tale follows characters learning language and connection in "First Conjugation." The collection moves from Ireland to Turkey, exploring how women adapt to new places and old patterns. A protagonist in "Turkish Delight" discovers unexpected pleasures and complications abroad. Other stories examine the rituals of healing in "A Pot of Soothing Herbs" and the burden of reputation in "Her Trademark." The final story, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," brings the collection full circle to Irish soil. O'Faolain writes women who are neither victims nor heroes, but people making choices within the constraints of their time and place. The stories reveal how geography shapes identity, how relationships shift across cultures, and how small moments carry the weight of entire lives.
Genres: 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ireland, Turkey
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
155 pages · Paperback · Poolbeg Press Ltd