Author: Marjan Kamali

Since their first day of school in a poor neighbourhood of Tehran, Ellie and Homa have been friends. Homa is a communist, as is her jailed father. A change in their circumstances leads to their separation for several years but, back in high school, the two meet again and it is as if there has never been a break in their friendship. When they enter university, Homa studies law because she wants to become a judge, while Homa studies English but all she really wants to do is marry Mehrdad. When Homa is arrested for her communist activities Ellie is mortified that she might have been the cause.

It didn’t take me long to read this because I loved the story. It ended a bit too quickly for my liking because I wanted more and more detail about the lives of these women.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *

Author: Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s 

This was the March book from The Modern Literature Society, a Facebook group I joined. I was skeptical but she is an Irish writer so how bad could it be? I expected a novel but was pleasantly surprised that it is history and autobiography all wrapped up in one book.

The author sets out to explore the life of the 18th century Irish poet, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill. There are gaps in the written history of Eibhlín’s (Eileen’s) life and the author imagines and fills in plausible details. All of Doireann’s research is done as the backdrop to her very busy life – raising four children and publishing a few translations of Eileen’s best know poem, Lament for Art O’Leary, which was written for her murdered husband in 1773. The story bounces back and forth between Doireann’s and Eileen’s life.

Goodreads Rating: * * * *