Liar Birds

by Lucy Fitzgerald

Oonagh, Rose and Teresa really only took one thing seriously - having fun.At school they had enjoyed upsetting the nuns by deliberately sticking up for abortion, homosexuals, and Sinead O'Connor, and wearing their school skirts either too long or too short.Big time girls in the small town of Ballycanty, they relieved the monotony of their lives by repeating gossip, and when there wasn't any, by making it up.And when one of them heard that someone in town had an unmentionable disease, well, it was too much of a temptation not to embroider the story a little, just to make it more exciting.It was Teresa on whom the gossip would backfire.And when her fast-living sister turned up from England amidst a positive welter of rumours, Teresa found life exploding round her.Suddenly 'having fun' was no longer enough and as sadness touched her life for the first time she grew increasingly disturbed - about her friends, sex, the Church, and indeed her whole life.At the end of that burning summer, Teresa faced up to some painful decisions and decided that things must change.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Guiny Reyneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the quickest I’ve ever read a book. I really like the style it is written in. A string of consciousness, it’s witty and as a 19 year old girl myself I enjoyed the themes of growing up and out of old ways/habits. The cover says “Of three girls who have to grow up” — not really, actually just one of them (sort of) grows up.

Anyway! Favourite character: Brendan. He always makes me laugh at his out-of-pocket comments.

Enjoy reading!!

[Janet Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ireland, Aids and gossip. Not a bad read.

[Biogeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like a book that maintains a tight focus throughout, and that trusts the readers to know enough background material. As a result of these two characteristics, Lucy Fitzgerald's clever Liar Birds is one of those modern rarities that feels complete, and yet comes in under 250 pages. The book never succumbs to the temptation of bringing in the characters' barely relevant childhood experiences, or delving deeper into Ireland's history. That is simply not what this book is about. In fact, in many ways, Fitzgerald's writing is the perfect antidote to novelists like Victoria Hislop (see my review of her The Return) who have no faith that the story they are telling is enough to keep the reader hooked.

The story unfolds during one very dry Irish summer, where the most common entertainment for all ages, gossip, moves from adultery and gambling, to the more dangerous and deadly AIDS. As Terry and her two childhood friends, Oonah and Rose, discover, a little bit of fun in a small town can soon have serious consequences.

The characters are well-drawn and the panic spread by rumors of the disease in the early, pre-internet 90s is beautifully managed in Terry's narrative voice.

The one weak link was Josie, the "fallen" sister whose actions tend to be the catalyst of all major drama in the novel. Yet, she remains strangely one-dimensional. I also found the representation of the Irish press to be a little extreme, even keeping in mind how insane the tabloid press around the world can be.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was expecting a more Irish(ish) context but nevertheless enjoyed it to pass the time