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There are currently 23 member reviews
for The Irish Goodbye
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Ann B. (Kernville, CA)
A collection of micro-essays that perform "tremendous acts of perception"
The Irish Goodbye is a collection of micro-essays wherein author Beth Ann Fennelly performs high-wire acts of perception. These brief pieces move nimbly through marriage, motherhood, grief, and faith, never overstaying their moment yet leaving a distinct emotional imprint. Fennelly's prose is lucid and generous, intimate without exhibitionism, reflective without blur. She trusts compression, allowing ordinary scenes to carry their own resonance. Some of my favorites are "Tree Pose," "My Mother-in-Law in the Mirror," and the final piece, "Dear Viewer of My Naked Body." In that essay, she mentions liking someone for their "tremendous act of perception," and Shwabam! I realized. This is what I like about Fennelly, … bunions and all. These micro-essays remind us that empathy often resides in noticing, and that noticing, done well, is its own form of art.
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Julie Z. (Oak Park, IL)
The Irish Goodbye
Beth Ann Fennelly has written an exquisite collection of what she calls micro-memoirs. Some entries are a number of pages in length, where others may be only one sentence. Fennelly is a poet, and her careful use of words is apparent in these memoirs. Her writing brought me to tears more than once- she talks of her mother-in-law Betty's battle with Alzheimer's. My mother Betty died from the disease.
The death of her sister as a young woman devastated her- "How without farewells you slipped out the back door of the party of your life, O my sister." My own daughter died suddenly at age 32. So many parallels, and such a gift this book was to me.
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Jeanne S. (Ashland, OR)
Irish Goodbyes Well Chosen
Beth Ann Fennelly has crafted a collection of stories and poetic reflections that immediately hook the reader as she revisits moments from her childhood, college years, marriage, career, motherhood, friendship, and aging. With humor and striking turns of phrase, she lifts the veils of fear and falsehood she once carried, inviting readers to look just as clearly at their own experiences with family, friends, children, and colleagues. I plan to gift this book to my sisters and my adult daughter, and I'll be encouraging my women friends to do the same.
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Stephanie K. (Glendale, AZ)
The Irish Goodbye Is a Compelling Hello
The Irish Goodbye was my introduction to the works of Beth Ann Fennelly, and it was a touching and stunning read. How surprising that chapters so small, and even tiny, could be that moving and impactful! The author demonstrates, through vignettes of her life, how alike we all are in our reactions to and handling of our ordinary existence. Though her and my upbringings and subsequent times of growing up and then aging are very different, Ms. Fennelly manages to find not one but many common threads. It was inspiring reading the ways in which her regular/irregular life intersected with mine at unexpected angles, and I think other readers will find the same to be true.
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Jean F. (Cary, NC)
Reflections on Life Well Lived
The Irish Goodbye is a collection of short to extremely brief writings by former poet laureate of Mississippi Beth Ann Fennelly. It ranges from quick thoughts on married life (a cracked knee when presenting a 25th anniversary ring to folded oven mitts), to contemplating friendships old and fresh, to mourning the sudden death of a sister, to facing the deaths of other family and friends. Much space is devoted to Fennelly's recollections of her sister and the deep hole she has left in Fennelly's life. Mixed with the sadness and the wondering, there is also humor and wit.
I found this book a delight. As it progresses, Fennelly removes a few more layers and candidly exposes more of herself. Her prose is succinct and pithy and often sparkles. She makes you smile as you admire her adept turn of phrase. Recommended for book clubs looking for a short powerful punch!
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Vicki F. (Olympia, WA)
The Irish Goodbye
The Irish Goodbye by Beth Ann Fennelly is a collection of micro-memoirs. The short selections range from a single sentence to several pages and touch on family, friendship, joy and grief. Do not think "micro" means slight or trivial. A one-sentence comment on her long marriage had me laughing in recognition and then a few pages later a short essay on her mother's decline and death from dementia during the covid pandemic had me in tears. This is life – the ordinary or eventful described with understanding and empathy, humor and sadness. I seldom read memoirs by "ordinary" people but I will keep this book on my shelf to dip into when I need to pause, take a breath and move on, I hope with her humor and compassion.
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Marie P. (Danbury, CT)
The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
Beth Ann Fennelly is by far one of the most impressive authors I have "met" through the written word! "The Irish Goodbye: Micro-Memoirs" has introduced me to an incredibly gifted and insightful person whose writing radiates her humanity in a powerful and unforgettable style. Her messages validate and celebrate the years that we have lived and the mileage that our human bodies have accrued. Every word seems carefully chosen. Each sentence appears crafted to become indelibly imprinted on a reader's mind and heart. I laughed. I cried. I felt joy. I grieved. I pondered. I understood. She reached me in countless ways with each and every micro-memoir. Now I want to share this precious gem of a book with everyone I know!
