Recommendations from Woodbine Books
A gripping (excuse the pun) account of the first successful ascent of the north face of the Eiger written by Heinrich Harrar who was part of the climbing team. Its vivid description of the hardships and triumphs experienced by the climbers makes this a great fireside read.
J.M.W. Turner, considered to be one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscapes led an unconventional life and left a legacy mired in controversy. January is the 'Month of J.M.W. Turner' in Ireland as the National Gallery as there is a free exhibition of his work there every year when daylight is low and least damaging to the paintings. This book is a fascinating account of his life and work and legacy.
Molly Keane, a famous and accomplished novelist was born in Ryston Cottage in Newbridge. She became a leading playwright in the 1930s and wrote many novels under a pseudonym as to be recognised as a writer would have been social death in the Anglo-Irish social circles in which she moved. She was later nominated for the Man Booker Prize for her novel Good Behaviour. This book, written by one of her daughters, describes in great detail the Anglo-Irish world that her mother inhabited and her complex relationships which inspired so many of her novels.
