It takes a sensitive and sympathetic eye to describe a net of swarming fish winched from the sea as looking “like a gargantuan pearl earring”. Connell has set herself the difficult task of capturing the spirit of an intractable landscape, and she has used every tool at her disposal to render it in the dignified terms it deserves. Read the complete review here.
Monica Connell describes her return to Donegal with a delightful clarity reminiscent of the nature writings of Kathleen Jamie; high praise. Currents of affection and family history run strong, unmissable, beneath the surface of cool observational detachment. There is no hint of the superior, but every evidence of an anthropologist (as she is) reporting from the inside. The result is fascinating not only for its content and rather brilliant storytelling but also for its style. This book has no bounds, its messages about urban-rural divides and the bleakness of the margins that exists beside human warmth and tradition are international. Its characters are universal.
Monica Connell brilliantly captures the essence of live performance and it is great that she has documented Bristol’s highly creative circus scene.’
‘ … a remarkable insight into the local circus scene, with stunning pictures and interviews with leading artists.’