Member Review
Review by
Stephen D, Educator
I absolutely loved this book, in which husband and wife Niall Williams and Christine Breen describe a year in their garden in Kiltumper, County Clare. The major events which shape the book are the arrival of two wind turbines 500 metres from their garden, and Christine's recovery from bowel cancer, but the book ranges much more widely than this, looking back on the life they have built together since arriving in Kiltumper, describing the texture of their days through the changing seasons, and reflecting on what sort of future exists for their way of life.
I had read several of Niall's novels before, so was used to the beauty of his writing, which was likewise in evidence here: I can't think of any other writer who could suffuse descriptions of eating a home-grown tomato or washing a woollen hat with such lyricism and grace. However, Christine's voice adds so much to this book (she is also a writer as well as being the chief gardener, and they have co-authored a number of books about their early years in Kiltumper), particularly her affectionate teasing of "Himself" for his occasional mistakes in the garden, which he accepts with good grace. So much of their writing is about each other, and this book is thus a deeply moving tribute to the strength of their relationship and to what they have built together. By hearing both of their voices we also get to know them in a way that wouldn't be possible with just a single voice; it is almost like we have been welcomed into their home.
Like most nature writing, this book is deeply concerned with the state of our planet, the arrival of the wind turbines prompts a nuanced consideration of how "the human and spiritual value of the countryside is too great to be spent simply as a resource for energy." They acknowledge the necessity of renewable energy whilst lamenting the destructive consequences of the wind turbines in their community, such as the demolition of a two-hundred-year-old stone wall to make the road wide enough to transport the turbines - and the fact that these were approved by planners who had never visited Kiltumper. As Niall reflects, "in places like Kiltumper, the future will be much less green for going Green." Niall and Christine show that they are seriously engaged with environmental issues and their their objections to the turbines are not based on NIMBYism but a genuine concern for rural Ireland and its future.
Although nature is the focus of the book, many of the most touching descriptions are of human encounters - from an open-air Mass celebrated in their garden, to the first writers' workshop they hosted, to everyday encounters with their neighbours. These, too, add to our sense of the magic which Kiltumper exerts on all who visit it.
Even though I have very little horticultural knowledge, I found this a brilliant read and would highly recommend this book - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
I had read several of Niall's novels before, so was used to the beauty of his writing, which was likewise in evidence here: I can't think of any other writer who could suffuse descriptions of eating a home-grown tomato or washing a woollen hat with such lyricism and grace. However, Christine's voice adds so much to this book (she is also a writer as well as being the chief gardener, and they have co-authored a number of books about their early years in Kiltumper), particularly her affectionate teasing of "Himself" for his occasional mistakes in the garden, which he accepts with good grace. So much of their writing is about each other, and this book is thus a deeply moving tribute to the strength of their relationship and to what they have built together. By hearing both of their voices we also get to know them in a way that wouldn't be possible with just a single voice; it is almost like we have been welcomed into their home.
Like most nature writing, this book is deeply concerned with the state of our planet, the arrival of the wind turbines prompts a nuanced consideration of how "the human and spiritual value of the countryside is too great to be spent simply as a resource for energy." They acknowledge the necessity of renewable energy whilst lamenting the destructive consequences of the wind turbines in their community, such as the demolition of a two-hundred-year-old stone wall to make the road wide enough to transport the turbines - and the fact that these were approved by planners who had never visited Kiltumper. As Niall reflects, "in places like Kiltumper, the future will be much less green for going Green." Niall and Christine show that they are seriously engaged with environmental issues and their their objections to the turbines are not based on NIMBYism but a genuine concern for rural Ireland and its future.
Although nature is the focus of the book, many of the most touching descriptions are of human encounters - from an open-air Mass celebrated in their garden, to the first writers' workshop they hosted, to everyday encounters with their neighbours. These, too, add to our sense of the magic which Kiltumper exerts on all who visit it.
Even though I have very little horticultural knowledge, I found this a brilliant read and would highly recommend this book - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
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