| The
Gingerbread Woman by Jennifer Johnston
Published by Review, 2000
On
a rainy afternoon on Killiney Hill a young man walking, without
his overcoat, happens upon a woman gazing out over Dublin Bay, standing
perilously close to the edge. From their rather testy encounter
develops a
remarkable friendship which will enable each to face afresh their
very different, damaged pasts, and to look, however tentatively,
towards the future.
Jennifer
Johnston has written a wonderful portrait of two uncompromising
individuals recovering from personal tragedy and the contrasting
ways in which each attempts to cope with their loss. It is an exploration
of the relationship between man and woman, and of the troubled bond
between parents and children.
‘Written
in Johnston's usual haunting prose... no word is unnecessary' Maeve
Binchy, Sunday Times
‘A
new Jennifer Johnston is always a treat. I have loved every one
of her exquisitely written books through-out her long career. I
adore her effortless style, and her characters, who are endearingly
happy in their oddness and isolation. The Gingerbread Woman is a
glorious study of the way loss can affect people. It is one I will
return to again and again.’ Sue Leonard, Books Ireland
‘With
Jennifer Johnston, even the worst suffering is redeemed by wit,
good humour and a sense of fun…. You will enjoy The Gingerbread
Woman’ Daily Mail
‘I
was entranced….An abrasive study of love and grief’
Elspeth Barker, Independent on Sunday Books of the Year
Jennifer
Johnston was born in Dublin in 1930. Her book Shadows on our
Skin was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1977. She is a
member of Aosdána and lives in Derry.
Jennifer
will read from her work in Shannon Library on Friday, May 20th at
7.30 p.m. as part of the Writers in Libraries Programme.
By
the same author:
The Captain and the Kings
The Christmas Tree
Fool’s Sanctuary
The Gates
How Many Miles to Babylon?
The Illusionist
The Invisible Worm
The Old Jest
The Railway Station Man
Shadows on Our Skin
This is Not a Novel
Two Moons
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