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Edith
Martina Devlin, an award-winning columnist for the Irish Independent and podcaster for Dublin City of Literature #CityofBooks, has delivered a new novel based on the life of Irish novelist Edith Somerville
In this work, set during the turbulent period of Irish Independence 1921–22, Somerville finds herself at a crossroads. Her position as a member of the Ascendancy is perilous as she struggles to keep her family home, Drishane House in West Cork, while others are burned out. After years in a successful writing partnership with Violet Martin, Edith continues to write after her partner’s death, comforted in the belief they continue to connect through automatic writing and séances.
Against a backdrop of Civil War politics and lawlessness erupting across the country via IRA flying columns, people across Ireland are forced to consider where their loyalties lie.
In Edith, Devlin limns a vivid historical context in this story of proto-feminist Edith Somerville courageously trying to keep home and heart in one piece.
The story of Somerville and Ross is unique in the history of Irish women writers. Academic Shawn R. Mooney described these best-selling authors as ‘undeniably New Women: single, educated and economically independent writers whose lives and literary collaboration were unique manifestations of late-nineteenth century feminist strivings toward political and sexual equality’. Devlin depicts Edith in the round, suffering from loss, striving for safety, and keeping hold of hope in this captivating narrative set in the early years of a nascent state — a triumph of ventriloquism rooted in a society on the cusp of change.
In this work, set during the turbulent period of Irish Independence 1921–22, Somerville finds herself at a crossroads. Her position as a member of the Ascendancy is perilous as she struggles to keep her family home, Drishane House in West Cork, while others are burned out. After years in a successful writing partnership with Violet Martin, Edith continues to write after her partner’s death, comforted in the belief they continue to connect through automatic writing and séances.
Against a backdrop of Civil War politics and lawlessness erupting across the country via IRA flying columns, people across Ireland are forced to consider where their loyalties lie.
In Edith, Devlin limns a vivid historical context in this story of proto-feminist Edith Somerville courageously trying to keep home and heart in one piece.
The story of Somerville and Ross is unique in the history of Irish women writers. Academic Shawn R. Mooney described these best-selling authors as ‘undeniably New Women: single, educated and economically independent writers whose lives and literary collaboration were unique manifestations of late-nineteenth century feminist strivings toward political and sexual equality’. Devlin depicts Edith in the round, suffering from loss, striving for safety, and keeping hold of hope in this captivating narrative set in the early years of a nascent state — a triumph of ventriloquism rooted in a society on the cusp of change.
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2022
6 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Martina Devlin
19 books36 followersMartina Devlin is an Irish novelist and journalist. She lives in Dublin with her husband David and their cat Chekhov - the latter snoozes at her feet and keeps her company while she writes. It's all a far cry from her Fleet Street days, when she went to Parkhurst (a maximum security prison) to meet gangland leader Reggie Kray, was shown how to do The Twist by the maestro Chubby Checker, and kept watch while Anthony Burgess of 'A Clockwork Orange' filled his pockets with all the uneaten cakes at their interview over afternoon tea. She has had nine books published, beginning in 2000. Her work has won a number of prizes including the Royal Society of Literature's VS Pritchett Prize and a Hennessy Literary Award, and she was twice shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. A current affairs commentator for the Irish Independent, Martina has been named columnist of the year by the National Newspapers of Ireland. She is vice-chairperson of the Irish Writers Centre, and has a certificate as a chartered director from the Institute of Directors. But none of that impresses Chekhov the cat.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 12, 2024
Drum roll please 🥁 I am back with another ‘library blind-pick’ 📚
This book was a bit of a change of pace. I had to really try hard to reset my expectations of what I might find between the covers and settle down into the book in front of me; all in the interest of reading more books written by Irish authors about Ireland, my home country.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Martina has delivered an incredibly insightful novel based on the life of Irish novelist Edith Somerville. It is set during the turbulent period of Irish Independence 1921-22. After years in a successful writing partnership with Violet Martin, Edith continues to write after her partner's death, comforted in the belief they continue to connect through automatic writing and seances. Against a backdrop of Civil War politics and lawlessness erupting across the country via IRA flying columns, people across Ireland are forced to consider where their loyalties lie…
Edith’s priority lies in protecting Drishane from going up in smoke. She courageously tries to keep her home and heart in one piece. It is a rollercoaster of emotions as we get a real insight into the hardships of Irish life during this time but the strength of Edith’s character really shines through and is a testament to all the strong, independent women at this time.
Edith gains some of her strength from ‘talking’ to Martin - Edith senses her presence from beyond the grave. She has intimate conversations with her via pencil and paper; the pencil is propelled towards the paper and words spill out…”You must be brave and resourceful a challenging time lies ahead, but you are not alone. Tap into your reserves of courage believe and all shall be well.”. Violet Martin was Edith’s co-author and continues to fill pages with wisdom and advice for Edith as she goes on living without her partner by her side. This became an ever-growing theme as the story went on and it really added a unique spin to the novel.
I also loved Edith’s connection to her animals. Especially her dog, Dooley. She very wisely says “Dogs - they burrow through your defences and plant themselves in your heart. After they’re gone, a piece of your heart is lost with them…” 🐶 She nearly had me in tears 😭 The genuine love that Martina creates is so pure and feels SO real.
Honestly, it took me a while to warm up to this book. The first 50 pages were a bit of a struggle but in my effort to read more Irish books, I was determined to see this one through and I am very glad I did. In the end there was a lot of love about this novel. Firstly, Edith’s character was amazing. Men from all corners tried to break her down but her strength only shone through even more so. There was a real brutally about this story. It wasn’t an easy and light read, I will warn you of that now. But, I feel that it has a very important place in Irish literature and if you are wanting to learn more about the REAL Ireland during this period, I would highly recommend reading this. The political and class context is expertly woven into the story.
“You must believe in yourself.”
“What is there but belief to sustain us?”
“There is a stench off the past and that truth of it. The future is where you want to point your nose, Edith Somerville.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book was a bit of a change of pace. I had to really try hard to reset my expectations of what I might find between the covers and settle down into the book in front of me; all in the interest of reading more books written by Irish authors about Ireland, my home country.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Martina has delivered an incredibly insightful novel based on the life of Irish novelist Edith Somerville. It is set during the turbulent period of Irish Independence 1921-22. After years in a successful writing partnership with Violet Martin, Edith continues to write after her partner's death, comforted in the belief they continue to connect through automatic writing and seances. Against a backdrop of Civil War politics and lawlessness erupting across the country via IRA flying columns, people across Ireland are forced to consider where their loyalties lie…
Edith’s priority lies in protecting Drishane from going up in smoke. She courageously tries to keep her home and heart in one piece. It is a rollercoaster of emotions as we get a real insight into the hardships of Irish life during this time but the strength of Edith’s character really shines through and is a testament to all the strong, independent women at this time.
Edith gains some of her strength from ‘talking’ to Martin - Edith senses her presence from beyond the grave. She has intimate conversations with her via pencil and paper; the pencil is propelled towards the paper and words spill out…”You must be brave and resourceful a challenging time lies ahead, but you are not alone. Tap into your reserves of courage believe and all shall be well.”. Violet Martin was Edith’s co-author and continues to fill pages with wisdom and advice for Edith as she goes on living without her partner by her side. This became an ever-growing theme as the story went on and it really added a unique spin to the novel.
I also loved Edith’s connection to her animals. Especially her dog, Dooley. She very wisely says “Dogs - they burrow through your defences and plant themselves in your heart. After they’re gone, a piece of your heart is lost with them…” 🐶 She nearly had me in tears 😭 The genuine love that Martina creates is so pure and feels SO real.
Honestly, it took me a while to warm up to this book. The first 50 pages were a bit of a struggle but in my effort to read more Irish books, I was determined to see this one through and I am very glad I did. In the end there was a lot of love about this novel. Firstly, Edith’s character was amazing. Men from all corners tried to break her down but her strength only shone through even more so. There was a real brutally about this story. It wasn’t an easy and light read, I will warn you of that now. But, I feel that it has a very important place in Irish literature and if you are wanting to learn more about the REAL Ireland during this period, I would highly recommend reading this. The political and class context is expertly woven into the story.
“You must believe in yourself.”
“What is there but belief to sustain us?”
“There is a stench off the past and that truth of it. The future is where you want to point your nose, Edith Somerville.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟
March 13, 2023
In 1921, author Edith Somerville is trying to enjoying her later years in life, while attempting to turn her novels into a stage play - all the while regularly communicating with her deceased writing partner Martin Ross from beyond the veil. But Edith's pleasurable existence is being interrupted by the Irish War of Independence, and unfortunately as part of the wealthy upperclass with ties to England, Edith's ancestral home is often a target for IRA raids.
This was a pleasant and interesting reading experience for me. I knew next to nothing about Edith Somerville or her writing so it was nice to read about her, in a novel with her own POV, and she was a striking, independent woman who did feel very ahead of her time. There were of course times that Edith showed her class when it came to snobbery and a certain 'looking down her nose' at different types of people but overall I found her a fun character to spend some time with and I say she was a force to be reckoned with in real life.
I also appreciated seeing the Irish War of Independence from the other side of things, as I - probably like many other Irish people with a foot in the past - often tend to romanticise the fight for Irish freedom and the boys who followed the Big Fella Mick Collins when of course, like in any other kind of fighting, there is always good and bad people on both sides (except the Black and Tans, I'm convinced they were all bad) and we see the IRA men say and do some vicious things in this book and act very cruelly towards older people in their home.
This is a book full of literary people and playwrights and I also enjoyed the characterisation of George Bernard Shaw, and all his eccentricities (the scenes in which he insists on driving his own motor car, and flattening a flower bed while reversing are very funny indeed).
This is a very well told novel which I would like to think did a great justice to the powerful figure of Edith Somerville, as she was very big for me and felt like she could step off the page very much like her own character Flurry does for her during the course of the novel. I also love that I have a new list of books to try out from an Irish classic writer I knew little about before.
This was a pleasant and interesting reading experience for me. I knew next to nothing about Edith Somerville or her writing so it was nice to read about her, in a novel with her own POV, and she was a striking, independent woman who did feel very ahead of her time. There were of course times that Edith showed her class when it came to snobbery and a certain 'looking down her nose' at different types of people but overall I found her a fun character to spend some time with and I say she was a force to be reckoned with in real life.
I also appreciated seeing the Irish War of Independence from the other side of things, as I - probably like many other Irish people with a foot in the past - often tend to romanticise the fight for Irish freedom and the boys who followed the Big Fella Mick Collins when of course, like in any other kind of fighting, there is always good and bad people on both sides (except the Black and Tans, I'm convinced they were all bad) and we see the IRA men say and do some vicious things in this book and act very cruelly towards older people in their home.
This is a book full of literary people and playwrights and I also enjoyed the characterisation of George Bernard Shaw, and all his eccentricities (the scenes in which he insists on driving his own motor car, and flattening a flower bed while reversing are very funny indeed).
This is a very well told novel which I would like to think did a great justice to the powerful figure of Edith Somerville, as she was very big for me and felt like she could step off the page very much like her own character Flurry does for her during the course of the novel. I also love that I have a new list of books to try out from an Irish classic writer I knew little about before.
June 10, 2022
There are so many things to love about this novel. Edith is wonderful company and I was sad to part with her at the end. The political and class context is expertly woven into the story and the dilemmas and arguments of the individual characters so relatable. Reading about Drishane House and Castletownsend makes me want to rush down there immediately, the sense of place in the book is so strong and captivating. And I loved the humour in the dialogue. The historical biofiction coming out of Ireland at the moment is turning into my new favourite genre. 'Edith' is just as wonderful as 'Nora' by Nuala O'Connor and 'The Quiet Tide' by Marianne Lee. All rural women as subjects, funnily enough.
September 26, 2022
This is a thoughtful and beautifully written portrayal of the writer Edith Somerville. I knew little about her life or that of her writing collaborator Violet Martin, and was intrigued to find out about their lives. I did, as a child, watch the Irish RM and loved the rogue Flurry Knox (played by a young Brian Murray) with whom Edith communes during the course of this novel. Communing with the dead is something which she professes to do, engaging in automatic writing sessions and attempting to contact the deceased Martin via a medium. The political unrest of the era is skillfully handled here -as is the ambiguous relationship between Somerville and Ross. Devlin exercises diplomacy at all times, and breathes life into this extraordinary woman. Highly recommended.
May 27, 2022
What a great read! I love reading about writers' lives in anyway shape or form, nonfiction or memoir or novel. I knew almost nothing about Irish novelist Edith Somerville and have never read any of her work but it didn't affect my enjoyment of this book. It's also my first Martina Devlin novel and won't be my last. Devlin conjures up a believable, likeable and courageous narrator in Somerville - in truth, I will miss her voice. Aside from the portrait of the writer, this novels also portrays the atmosphere of an Ireland at war within the Empire and this side of the story is a real page-turner. I am curious to read more about Edith's good friend Doctor Ethel Smyth who provides a great deal of humour. And now I'm off to google pictures of the Somerville Big House, Drishane in West Cork.
June 8, 2023
This is a book that has sympathy for everyone, everyone that is, other than George Bernard Shaw!
It presents a measured and realistic depiction of the Irish War of Independence and life of its main character, the author Edith Somerville. Presenting the point of views of both the revolutionaries, the Anglo Irish Asandancy and English, it's take is nuanced and shows the conflict of opinion not just amongst people who would always have been polar opposites but also in the mind of one woman. The writing and language gives an authentic feel, invoking the time period and even Somerville and Ross's writing quite well.
It presents a measured and realistic depiction of the Irish War of Independence and life of its main character, the author Edith Somerville. Presenting the point of views of both the revolutionaries, the Anglo Irish Asandancy and English, it's take is nuanced and shows the conflict of opinion not just amongst people who would always have been polar opposites but also in the mind of one woman. The writing and language gives an authentic feel, invoking the time period and even Somerville and Ross's writing quite well.
February 6, 2023
Edith is a joy to read and Martina Devlin is a seriously talented writer. Every sentence reads beautifully and you literarily glide through.. It is a delight. I know Edith so well by the end of the book - I want to invite her for tea! The historical detail is so perfect and her love for Drishane house is palpable which I have personal experience of. It has a warm, lived in, happy memories feeling. And Castletownsend - what can I say? Is there a more beautiful graveyard overlooking the sea? Thank you Martina for re-evoking the memories snd teaching me much more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2023
I’m surprised I could enjoy a book from the perspective of landowner in the Protestant Ascendancy, but Edith, a real-life historical character, is fascinating. If you are at all interested in Irish politics, literature, or history, as well as the history of women writers or queer history, you might want to check this out.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews