Islands Ever After product reviews

It was interesting to discover a story collection that mirrors many of my own life experiences. I too have lived in Europe (in the Gaeltacht, on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland) and have since returned to Aotearoa New Zealand. The sea played an important role in my life in both countries; this was a further link to my empathy with the characters in the various stories since it is a constant presence for anyone who lives on an island. Even the backstory of the relevance of an indigenous language alongside the language of the conqueror is relevant. My own children grew up speaking both English and Gaelige, and others in my extended family are bilingual in English and Te Reo Maori.

So with this background I was prepared to enjoy these stories - and I was not disappointed. What they have in common is an examination of aspects of human life in a contained society, the ability to fit in with others and the way those who are isolated are able to cope with loneliness. The stories range from historical fiction (Pull For The Shore, Once Did I Pass My Hours) to social issues (The Long Way Home, Falling Softly) and everything in between. I appreciated the way that Majella Cullinane adjusted the dialogue to match the setting of time and place in each story; it added authenticity without the need for other explanation.

The descriptive passages are a delight to read, fluent and expressive. In Night of the Vixen Cullinane writes of a band of aliens gobbling up the trees, while in How to Kill the Queen Bee a row of books on a shelf is likened to gannets resting on cliffs. There are also occasional references to writers of long ago, like Ovid (as translated by Dryden), and Cellach who was guilty of making notes in the margins of manuscripts! While some readers may not recognise these mentions, it is not essential for the understanding of the story. Besides, it is fun to spot the equivalent of a gamer's Easter Egg in the middle of a story about something else entirely.

My personal favourite in this collection is Longest Day, Shortest Night. So many children leave home to travel abroad as soon as they are adult, leaving parents and other family members with just their memories. In the past, a son or daughter might emigrate and never return. There was no Zoom or Skype in those days to help maintain contact, and travel from one side of the world to the other was a huge undertaking. This story is set in modern times where flights are quicker and much more accessible than the old sailing ships, but the barriers imposed in the past by the length of time to reach a destination are replaced now by the fear of leaving the familiar. A fear that grows daily as Mammy grows older and less likely to venture outside her familiar surroundings.