This is a mystery starring a bunch of Irish people with a taste of the possibly-supernatural thrown in. It reads like Tana French wrote it when she was in eighth grade, before she learned to actually be good. Nora’s sister Triona was murdered five years ago. She suspects her sister’s husband Peter, but the rich golden boy was never charged, and the murder is still unsolved. Nora fled home to Ireland to recover, but returns to her family’s relocated home in the States when she […]
Give Me ANY Word, and I’ll Tell You How It’s Irish
Faintingviolet is awesome and always on the hunt for research books for me. She sent along “How the Irish Invented Slang: The Secret Language of the Crossroads” and I was excited to read this since etymology is something I really enjoy. I was not disappointed. Daniel Cassidy began his interest of the Irish influence on the American language after inheriting a Gaelic dictionary from a deceased relative and realizing how many American words in modern language link back closely to the Gaelic. The book is […]
Reading about Ordinary Days, Looking for Extraordinary Times
Sometimes it’s tough to read a historical monograph and keep my own training out of the mix. I’m simultaneously a professional historian, and not. I do not hold advanced degrees in History, but I work at bringing history alive for visitors at my museum job. I spend the winter reading and researching various topics to prepare for the oncoming season of programs. This year my main research thrust is immigration and domestic servants. That led me to reading Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Times: Morristown New Jersey’s […]