The Land of Spices

by Kate O'Brien

Book Overview

Mere Marie-Helene once turned her back on life, sealing up her heart in order to devote herself to God. Now the formidable Mother Superior of an Irish convent, she has, for some time, been experiencing grave doubts about her vocation. But when she meets Anna Murphy, the youngest-ever boarder, the little girl's solemn, poetic nature captivates her and she feels 'a storm break in her hollow heart'. Between them an unspoken allegiance is formed that...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844083160
• ISBN13: 9781844083169
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Virago Press (UK)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

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A Must For Researchers

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

First-rate novel

Kate O'Brien's The Land of Spices tells the story of a woman who betrayed herself as a young girl--becoming a nun as a reaction to the shock of discovering her father's homosexuality. O'Brien brilliantly shows how Catholic doctrine made it impossible for the protagonist to interpret her father's homosexuality as anything other than a violent betrayal. In cutting off her father whom she loved more than anyone in the world, the protagonist cuts herself off from her own heart and proceeds to live an emotionally hollow existence as a nun. While rapidly rising through the ranks of the international order she belongs to, she is appointed to run a convent in Ireland. As an Englishwoman in Ireland, she feels more lost than ever and yearns to quit her post. Then she begins to have a relationship with a 5 year boarder, who is there because of her own family problems. The little girl reminds her of being a happy little girl with her father. As the nun grows to love the young girl, she gains the ability to understand that she still loves her father and that she has made a terrible mistake, both in judging him and in choosing life as a nun out of fear. This is a moving book well worth reading.

Ulysses

This is a neglected but absolutely gorgeous novel. If you've read James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," you'll find this novel of a young woman's coming of age in an Irish convent a fascinating contrast. Highly recommended.