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Four Green Fields: Wild Irish Banter & Stories, Shenanigans & Poetry.
Welcome Home to the Emerald Isle!
The authors of Four Green Fields have gone above and beyond on their promise to bring us "wild Irish banter and craic." They have literally thrown open the doors of their collective closets and introduced us to the family skeletons, put flesh back on their bones and made them dance! Not only do we get a glimpse into the wacky world of their Irish upbringing, but we are introduced to fathers, grandfathers and uncles - utterly devoid of any sense of political correctness - who at times went about their daily lives oblivious to the havoc they wreaked around them, but at other times knew full well the embarrassment they were causing their families.
***
"There are perhaps hundreds of thousands of books inspired by the emerald isle and I’ve certainly read my share. Stories from ’the old country’ that warm the heart, spark the imagination and reaffirm the human spirit. And although fantastic reads, many have left me feeling as if I'd just read a grand and glorious obituary.
Not with Four Green Fields. It’s less a ticket back to a world long gone by than a reminder that such magic is still very much alive right here and now.
Four Green Fields is not an epitaph but an invitation to seed your own patch and to watch it grow."
Colin Cunningham
American Television and Film Actor, Writer, Director
Falling Skies (John Pope), Stargate SG-1 (Major Paul Davis)
***
“Greg McVicker, J.P. Sexton and Mark Rickerby have created bridges between the old world and the new. The use of lyrical language in phrases and stylistic devices helps direct their readers through the adventures of the heroes and heroines, blending together in seamless tales of humor and sadness - the cornerstones of Irish storytelling.
The reflective poetic anthems and prose hold deeper messages about love, loss, war and self-acceptance."
Stacie Y. Guerin
Chairperson of Children’s and Culture
Maryland Irish Charities
***
“The stories and poems in Four Green Fields are told with a rare honesty tinged by wit and melancholy. Those who leave Ireland carry bits of the country with them wherever they go. The authors of Four Green Fields have more bits than most.”
Frank Vizard
Journalist and Author of “Why a Curveball Curves”
and “The 21ST Century Soldier” (co-author).
***
“The read is an exhilarating seesaw of emotions that straddles both sides of the Atlantic covering immigration, family survival in a war zone and a playful indulgence in Irish culture lessons on perseverance. The ‘voices’ induce a knack for storytelling to a cooperative experience. The universal theme of cultural nourishment is central to the remembered stories and circumstances of growing up with the otherness of one’s inherited bloodline.
There is a sagacity of self-analysis that becomes apparent with a reflective nod to the fourth voice as a muse. Apparently, all three voices echo individual tales, but the reflection morphs into a conventional attitude and universal sameness that becomes an important gift of friendship.
My experience in reading this was the acknowledgement of what was learned and what should never be forgotten. The collaboration brewed up a special blend of memoir that resonates in my mind and will continue to give me laughter and some tears, even as I write here.”
Barbara H. O’Daly
Entertainment Properties Holding, Ltd.;
Trustee
The Television Distribution Company;
C.
The authors of Four Green Fields have gone above and beyond on their promise to bring us "wild Irish banter and craic." They have literally thrown open the doors of their collective closets and introduced us to the family skeletons, put flesh back on their bones and made them dance! Not only do we get a glimpse into the wacky world of their Irish upbringing, but we are introduced to fathers, grandfathers and uncles - utterly devoid of any sense of political correctness - who at times went about their daily lives oblivious to the havoc they wreaked around them, but at other times knew full well the embarrassment they were causing their families.
***
"There are perhaps hundreds of thousands of books inspired by the emerald isle and I’ve certainly read my share. Stories from ’the old country’ that warm the heart, spark the imagination and reaffirm the human spirit. And although fantastic reads, many have left me feeling as if I'd just read a grand and glorious obituary.
Not with Four Green Fields. It’s less a ticket back to a world long gone by than a reminder that such magic is still very much alive right here and now.
Four Green Fields is not an epitaph but an invitation to seed your own patch and to watch it grow."
Colin Cunningham
American Television and Film Actor, Writer, Director
Falling Skies (John Pope), Stargate SG-1 (Major Paul Davis)
***
“Greg McVicker, J.P. Sexton and Mark Rickerby have created bridges between the old world and the new. The use of lyrical language in phrases and stylistic devices helps direct their readers through the adventures of the heroes and heroines, blending together in seamless tales of humor and sadness - the cornerstones of Irish storytelling.
The reflective poetic anthems and prose hold deeper messages about love, loss, war and self-acceptance."
Stacie Y. Guerin
Chairperson of Children’s and Culture
Maryland Irish Charities
***
“The stories and poems in Four Green Fields are told with a rare honesty tinged by wit and melancholy. Those who leave Ireland carry bits of the country with them wherever they go. The authors of Four Green Fields have more bits than most.”
Frank Vizard
Journalist and Author of “Why a Curveball Curves”
and “The 21ST Century Soldier” (co-author).
***
“The read is an exhilarating seesaw of emotions that straddles both sides of the Atlantic covering immigration, family survival in a war zone and a playful indulgence in Irish culture lessons on perseverance. The ‘voices’ induce a knack for storytelling to a cooperative experience. The universal theme of cultural nourishment is central to the remembered stories and circumstances of growing up with the otherness of one’s inherited bloodline.
There is a sagacity of self-analysis that becomes apparent with a reflective nod to the fourth voice as a muse. Apparently, all three voices echo individual tales, but the reflection morphs into a conventional attitude and universal sameness that becomes an important gift of friendship.
My experience in reading this was the acknowledgement of what was learned and what should never be forgotten. The collaboration brewed up a special blend of memoir that resonates in my mind and will continue to give me laughter and some tears, even as I write here.”
Barbara H. O’Daly
Entertainment Properties Holding, Ltd.;
Trustee
The Television Distribution Company;
C.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2018
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Greg McVicker
12 books7 followersI was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At age fifteen, my parents decided to relocate their children to Canada due to the political and religious persecutions our family experienced within our native homeland. During our young lives, we were exposed to bombings, attacked for our religious upbringing or the schools we attended, and the destruction of our childhood innocence while caught in a war of which we had no interest. A life left behind yet the scars remain.
I received my Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba. Through the Eyes of a Belfast Child is my first book. I've written a series of children’s books: The Adventures of Silly Billy. I hope to work with an illustrator and publish these soon.
I received my Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba. Through the Eyes of a Belfast Child is my first book. I've written a series of children’s books: The Adventures of Silly Billy. I hope to work with an illustrator and publish these soon.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 24, 2019
As an American of Irish descent who has visited Ireland twice, in the 1980s and 1990s, I felt like this book’s stories, insights, and modern poetry very much reflected the Ireland that I knew back then. These three writers have let us into their worlds, both the ones in which they grow up and the ones they are living in now. I did spend some time in Northern Ireland when The Troubles were making an impact on daily lives in numerous ways; this certainly brings back those struggles and gives them a face and voice (so to speak). This book is not wholly focused on Northern Ireland, but a lot of it is about that small patch of the island. We learn a bit about republic sections of Ireland; we also hear stories from a person who is now a part of modern Irish diaspora. The authors have a way of writing that draws you in, whether narrative or poetic, and I can actually hear the words spoken in an Irish brogue; I think the words make more sense if your brain hears them that way! And it is more engaging. While the contents of this book are not always easy ones, I enjoyed this little literary trip back to Ireland.
I received a free copy of this book from #NetGalley, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
I received a free copy of this book from #NetGalley, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
July 19, 2019
Bit long, but I'll happily browse the book for a log time to come. Not for the faint of heart-there's lots of swearing. Fun tales from the family and I am sure all the descendants will love this book immensely!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews