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No Ordinary Bread
A village somewhere in rural China in 1949 and a ten-year old boy recounts a story, the effects of which are with him today.
The story he tells is of a European, a foreigner – the Laowai, who comes to the village while most of the remaining men are away fighting the Civil War.
Through his sermons and stories, the Laowai, who is a Belgian Jesuit, captivates the young boy’s imagination as lives are permanently altered, and the Civil War eventually comes to the village.
No Ordinary Bread explores the dynamics of a power struggle not only confined to political and military affairs but to philosophical and existential ones as well, and through knowledge cruelly learned, another paradise is lost.
Jim Ward is an Irish writer published for poetry and stories in Irish and English in various publications. His play Just Guff won 'Best in the West' award at Galway Fringe Festival, 2017 and has toured nationally. His poem 2016 Proclamation was runner-up in the Galway Bay FM/Thoor Ballylee Yeats Poetry Challenge, 2017. His poetry has twice been runner-up in award categories, including the Bobby Sands Creative Writing Contest, 2021. A second play Three Quarks was performed live via Zoom on February 2nd 2021, Joyce’s birthday, by The James Joyce Centre in Dublin. A memoir piece Begging from Beggars was published in The 32: Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices, edited by Paul McVeigh, in 2021. Jim is also a published cartoonist.
The story he tells is of a European, a foreigner – the Laowai, who comes to the village while most of the remaining men are away fighting the Civil War.
Through his sermons and stories, the Laowai, who is a Belgian Jesuit, captivates the young boy’s imagination as lives are permanently altered, and the Civil War eventually comes to the village.
No Ordinary Bread explores the dynamics of a power struggle not only confined to political and military affairs but to philosophical and existential ones as well, and through knowledge cruelly learned, another paradise is lost.
Jim Ward is an Irish writer published for poetry and stories in Irish and English in various publications. His play Just Guff won 'Best in the West' award at Galway Fringe Festival, 2017 and has toured nationally. His poem 2016 Proclamation was runner-up in the Galway Bay FM/Thoor Ballylee Yeats Poetry Challenge, 2017. His poetry has twice been runner-up in award categories, including the Bobby Sands Creative Writing Contest, 2021. A second play Three Quarks was performed live via Zoom on February 2nd 2021, Joyce’s birthday, by The James Joyce Centre in Dublin. A memoir piece Begging from Beggars was published in The 32: Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices, edited by Paul McVeigh, in 2021. Jim is also a published cartoonist.
263 pages, Paperback
Published December 5, 2024
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May 24, 2025
No Ordinary Bread is a fascinating look at pre and post war China ( 1927 to 1949) thru the eyes of a young boy. I love how the author chose a young boy as a lead character since most literature neglects the viewpoint of young children during this time period. I think it would make a wonderful film as Mr. Ward manages to create a visual world which would be stunning and very easy to reimagine as a movie for streaming companies such as Netflix or Amazon. I hope others will read it, especially talent agents and explore this period drama for a bigger audience. It is not just for history buffs, but I imagine those for enjoy historical fiction will enjoy it!
Displaying 1 of 1 review