A strange irish girl is away ever since she lay beside a drowned man. Today, it seems as if nearly as much ink is spilt on the battlefields of the first world war as once there was blood. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity, and takes us from the harsh northern irish coast in the 1840s to the quarantine stations at grosse isle and the barely hospitable land of the canadian shield. Away by jane urquhart and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The stone carvers 2001 is a novel by the canadian writer jane urquhart, focusing on the historical events of world war i, and the fictional town of shoneval, ontario the novel follows three generations of a canadian family, starting in 19th century ontario with a bavarian wood carver and an immigrant german priest on a mission to found a church in an isolated town. Find out why you should read this book or why you should avoid it. It is not a fictional location, but in jane urquharts hands, southern ontario has become an entire imagined world, much like thomas hardys wessex or william faulkners yoknapatawpha county. A stunning, evocative novel set in ireland and canada, away traces a familys complex and layered past. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Miscellaneous the author was a cowinner of the trillium literary award for away. I started with away by jane urquhart for the simple reason that it comes first alphabetically. All subsequent references shall appear directly in the text. Esther attempts to sort through her greatgrandmothers past, and her entire familys history.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the stone carvers by jane urquhart. This article analyses the various connotations of the name of the protagonist in jane urquharts irishcanadian novel away, first published in. The novel stone carvers by jane urquhart shows the different experiences the characters go through in their distinct losses. Away, which won the trillium award and was a finalist for. There was a rerelease of two of my poetry books this year, which was wonderful and i was delighted to find out that i still really liked the poems. Praise a dazzling novelwritten by a major novelist at the height of her considerable powers.
The following entry provides an overview of urquharts life and career through 1995. Settler nationalism in jane urquharts away, essays on canadian writing 79 spring 2003. Purely because its a recent read, but my first thought is bakker, the twin. Jane urquharts the underpainter revisits 1914 through the memory of a successful american painter, austin fraser, a profoundly antiheroic, selfish narrator who stayed home in new york, safe and absorbed with the esthetics of light, landscape, and distance. Read away by jane urquhart available from rakuten kobo. Discovery in away and the perks of being a wallflower. Near the opening of the book, mary watches the flotsam from a shipwreck wash ashore. Jane urquhart s away 1993 is centred on the character of mary, who is thought to be away with the fairies, in a context of famine and emigration. Ive since learned that awardwinning author and historian charlotte gray will be championing jane urquharts novel, the canada reads 20 contender from ontario. She is the internationally acclaimed author of seven awardwinning novels, three books of poetry and numerous short stories. Sep 27, 2010 24 responses to sanctuary line, by jane urquhart leroyhunter says. Away is the irish term for being possessed by the spirits, and the spirit world is never far from urquharts tale. Away won the trillium award and was shortlisted for the impac dublin.
In away, jane urquhart starts her story in ireland poetically evoking its landscape, culture and mythology, introduces the potato famine and its attendant death and devastation as well as emigration aboard the coffin ships for the lucky few, leading to pioneering in the harsh canadian wilderness, and ends with a glimpse into the nascent politics of the young dominion. Aug 19, 2001 the stone carvers jane urquhart bloomsbury. As a novelist, urquhart is well known for her evocative style which blends history with the present day. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. Jane urquhart 1949 born jane carter canadian novelist, poet, and short story writer. Extending backwards and forwards in time a hundred and forty years, away, a novel by canadian writer jane urquhart, begins with one of the female characters discovering the shoreline near her irish home has been changed forever. Jane urquharts away 1993 is centred on the character of mary, who is thought to be away with the fairies, in a context of famine and emigration. I am quite in awe of urquharts lyrically gifted writers voice. Away, winner of the trillium award and a finalist for the prestigious international dublin literary award. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity, and takes us from the harsh northern irish coast in. Get to know the book from ontario, away by jane urquhart.
Urquhart returns once again to this literary landscape in her latest work, a melancholy history of a family of orchardists living on the north shore of lake erie. The inception of jane eyres quest begins with her infancy and continues all throughout her adult life. Jane urquhart s love for theater began with a trip to new york at age eight or nine to see my fair lady and the music man, an event she recollects with her wonder undiminished. The loss of loved one is considered to be a major disruption in a persons life, having an impact on the relationships, health, and morale of the person concerned. Enjoyable not only for its complexity and subtle characterization, but also for the sheer power of urquharts writing. A canadian of irish descent, prizewinning author jane urquhart offers four generations of family history from.
Essays and criticism on jane urquhart critical essays. Jane urquhart is the author of seven novels most recently sanctuary line and four poetry collections. Introduction jane urquharts away 1993 is centred on the character of mary, who is thought to be away with the fairies, in a context of famine and emigration. Away by jane urquhart this is not my normal kind of reading. A canadian of irish descent, prizewinning author jane urquhart offers four generations of family history from ireland just before the famine of the mid19th century. Henry was born on march 22 1810, in kilbirnie, ayrshire, scotland. Jane urquhart 247 followers she is the author of seven internationally acclaimed novels entitled, the whirlpool, changing heaven, away, the underpainter, the. A stunning, evocative novel set in ireland and canada, away traces a familys. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of away by michael gow. Jul 27, 2015 the acclaimed canadian writer jane urquhart often works within a particular wistful mood her stories, whether contemporary or historical, are full of dormant hurts, quietly endured.
She is presented with new obstacles as she ages all which test her vigorously. Set in the present day on a farm at the shores of lake erie, jane urquhart s stunning new novel weaves elements from the nineteenthcentury past, in ireland and ontario, into a gradually unfolding contemporary story of events in the lives. That does not necessarily mean that these novels are feminist novels. In away 1993 urquhart explores canadian history and her own irish heritage. Away ebook by jane urquhart 9781551994239 rakuten kobo. The away community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
But the center of this memoir is the one who got away, blews favorite. Narrated by liz crane, the last remaining member of the butler family, sanctuary line is a story of decay topographical, familial, and moral. Away won the trillium award and was shortlisted for the impac dublin literary award. This book was supposed to be about the experiences of irish immigrants in canada, and some sort of way of enabling irishcanadians to discover their heritage. Jane urquhart, order of canada oc born june 21, 1949 is a canadian novelist and poet born in geraldton, ontario. Away begins in the first half of the 19th century, off the north coast of ireland, where the young o.
Plus, fabulous quotes from away by jane urquhart and other recommendations. Jane mckean born urquhart was born on month day 1842, at birth place, to henry ritchie urquhart and jane urquhart. Urquhart returns once again to this literary landscape in her latest work, a melancholy history of a family of. Both of these novels were written by women writers and both portray the lives of several generations of women. The issue of away plays gently throughout the novel as a metaphor for madness or the plausibility of madness, together with its connection to love and sexual awakening. Complete summary of jane urquhart s the underpainter. The stone carvers was longlisted for the booker prize and shortlisted for the giller prize. Set in the present day on a farm at the shores of lake erie, jane urquharts stunning new novel weaves elements from the nineteenthcentury past, in ireland and ontario, into a gradually unfolding contemporary story of events in the lives. About jane urquhart born in little longlac, ontario, she spent her later childhood and adolescence in. The whirlpool won frances prestigious prix du meilleur livre etranger.
I prefer to read multilayered mysteries with complex and interesting characters. While the characters lead very real and often very hard lives, they are also infused with the sense that they are living within a myth of their own creation. Brontes, jane eyre, is an autobiography that focuses jane eyres past and her search in finding love and acceptance. A feminist literary critique of judy budnitz you once and. The novel, starting on rathlin island in the north of ireland, ends in ontario, and thus highlights the double meaning of its title. Globe and mailone of those novels that moves in and takes over your life. But, i find myself musing, maybe a bit too much of. Buy the paperback book away by jane urquhart at indigo. A critical analysis of feminism and new historicism to jane. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity and takes us from the harsh northern irish coast in the 1840s to the quarantine stations at grosse isle and the barely hospitable land of the canadian shield. Shelburne public library features the works of jane urquhart jane urquhart is a powerful, lyrical writer. Sanctuary line, by jane urquhart the globe and mail. He writes his series of confessions at 83, critical of his relationships with women.
Jane urquhart 247 followers she is the author of seven internationally acclaimed novels entitled, the whirlpool, changing heaven, away, the underpainter, the stone carvers, a map of glass, and sanctuary line. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. The whirlpool entitled niagara in france, the first canadian book to win frances prestigious prix du meilleur livre etranger best foreign book award. Away is the irish term for being possessed by the spirits, and the spirit world is never far from urquhart s tale.
Away chivers sound library american collections authors. Charlotte gray is defending away during the canada reads debates, february 1114. The stone carvers is a novel by canadian author jane urquhart. Stones resembling new potatoes have replaced the sandy beach, a grim joke in this impoverished area. It also sounds to me like some of the berger books youve recommended. A teacher marries her, providing stability if not sanity, but the 1840s famines begin and the couple flee ireland with their child liam. The stone carvers by jane urquhart 1939 words cram. Urquhart is the author of seven internationally acclaimed novels including. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity, and takes us. Jan 24, 20 i started with away by jane urquhart for the simple reason that it comes first alphabetically.
Shelburne public library features the works of jane urquhart. On raithlin, a small island off the northern irish coast, in the mid19th century, a young woman named mary is changed forever by a romantic, tragic encounter. Jane urquhart on fleeting titles and animating spirits jane urquhart. The canadian poet, short story writer and novelist was deeply. Jane urquhart did the same in this book as she did in the stone carvers, which was to juxtapose two very different themes and try to make them into one story. Complete summary of jane urquharts the underpainter. She sweeps you away in the current of time past and present. Her successes present themselves during her stays at gateshead. The skill of urquhart in away is phenomenal as she blends poetry, mythology, and hard realism into an engrossing family saga. The underpainter, winner of the governor generals award and a finalist for the rogers communications writers trust fiction prize.