{"product_id":"an-evening-with-charleen-hurtubise-louise-nealon","title":"An evening with Charleen Hurtubise \u0026 Louise Nealon","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe're so excited to welcome Charleen Hurtubise and Louise Nealon to Rare Birds Book Shop this April to talk about their new novels - Saoirse \u0026amp; Everything That Is Beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExploring the fine line between dishonesty and reinvention, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eSaoirse\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is an evocative and compelling story of a woman perpetually in flight. A book for fans of \u003ci\u003eTrespasses\u003c\/i\u003e by Louise Kennedy and Barbara's Kingsolver's \u003ci\u003eDemon Copperhead\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTold through the perspectives of three very different women, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEverything That Is Beautiful\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e unfolds the story of one complicated family in startlingly honest prose. By turns funny and deeply moving, and with unmatched emotional intelligence, this is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbr\u003cimg\u003eeak and hope - and who we might become after we pick up the pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe can't wait to welcome them both into the store for a fascinating evening discussing some of the subjects both writers are most passionate about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTickets are £5 and can be redeemed against any purchase on the evening of the event.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTimings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDoors open: \u003c\/strong\u003e6:30pm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTalk begins: \u003c\/strong\u003e7:00pm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaoirse\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan a great love survive a great deception?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the wilds of Donegal, Ireland, 1999, Saoirse is an artist living an outwardly idyllic life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer tender husband Daithí and two beloved daughters are regular subjects for her work, and in them she has found the safe home that she has always longed for. She tends not to talk about her past, and those that love her have learned to accept that the full story is too painful for her to disclose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen her Dublin exhibition unexpectedly wins a prestigious award that invites a swarm of publicity, Saoirse is left panic stricken. The unanticipated recognition threatens to expose a decade's worth of buried memories and past crimes. Because what her family and friends don't know is that Saoirse has been on the run since she was seventeen, she has stolen an identity to survive, and whilst Ireland might now be her home, it wasn't her first - and now her past life is poised to reclaim her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEverything That Is Beautiful\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate - all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can't understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Meanwhile, Helen Foley is trying her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of women she went to school with. In her life in Belfast, Kate is attempting to hold down a job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets, and feeling like she is the one to blame. As a family wedding looms, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen and Kate might just bring them back together again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the authors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharleen Hurtubise\u003c\/strong\u003e has lived in Dublin, Ireland for over 25 years, having moved from\u003cbr\u003eMichigan, USA. She is a teacher and artist as well as a writer, and her short fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in various publications. She holds an MFA Creative Writing from University College Dublin (UCD) where she has also facilitated creative writing modules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLouise Nealon \u003c\/strong\u003eis a writer from County Kildare, Ireland. Her debut novel, Snowflake, was the winner of Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards and was chosen for the One Dublin One Book campaign in 2024. She lives in Belfast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf you have any questions regarding the event or to request additional accessibility accommodations please contact hello@rarebirdsbooks.pro\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Birds Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57625082724739,"sku":null,"price":5.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/8600\/8738\/files\/EVENTLISTING-ONLINEPOST_50.png?v=1776173319","url":"https:\/\/rarebirdsbooks.pro\/products\/an-evening-with-charleen-hurtubise-louise-nealon","provider":"Rare Birds Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}