Always the islands of memory

by Noel Virtue

Parnell Lark and her sister live alone with their beloved dogs, Queenie and Quincie, their aged cow, Edna, and their memories, preserved in stacks of old newspapers, records, furniture and photographs. Parnell reckons she can learn from the past by remembering what she has survived, although it is the past that makes Sister's mind work strangely. Sister's behaviour is Parnell's burden. She loves Sister, looks after her, and remembers. But several events stir up deeply buried griefs that force the sisters to seek not the past but a new future.

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991