Ten top rural Irish books

Paul Charles's new book is The Lonesome Heart is Angry.

One of his top ten rural Irish books, as shared at the Guardian:

The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien

Brilliant and brave; banned and burned. Edna O’Brien’s first book (1960) brought shame on her family when it was banned by the Irish censor and burned by the local priest at the pulpit. Two young Irish girls, Kate (the narrator) and Baba, leave the safety of the local convent behind them in search of adventure and love in the big city. Kate’s priority is to find true love; Baba grasps the carefree life of a single girl while both try to maintain what is, at times, a difficult friendship. O’Brien’s book was responsible for outing sexual and social issues in greatly repressed times.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Country Girls is one of Alexis Coe's top ten books for recent graduates.

--Marshal Zeringue