Nell is an artist living on the remote island of Banshla (echoes of banshee here?) She ekes out a living. She sees her art as ‘ephemeral’; patterns on sand or under water, that may only last a few days. She would like to see herself as an artist like Louise Bourgeois, but there is not much call for her work. Often her artistic vision exceeds her capacity to complete work. She has a shed full of material from unfinished projects. Now she has to eke out a living taking tourists on mini tours during the season or doing cleaning jobs. She got the sack from her last one for spying on her employers when they were in bed. An odd woman. Not very well liked in the small town. She likes to follow her own path but is deeply wounded when a friend tells her the villagers see her as ‘weird’.
The book opens with lyrical overview of the island and a foretaste of its narrative.
Above its stony crescent, a sturdy pier, and the lighthouse. The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself…
Over a woman carving loops on viscous sand: and a man on a fishing boat, nauseous and lonesome. Over the doomsday women singing in the sea.
Can you hear it?
Oh Maman! Oh Rathglas!
These last words refer to a central theme in this book. On Banshla, to the west of the island, an old convent, formerly St Brigid’s but now called Rathglas, has been created as a home for women fleeing everyday life. It is not a religious community, but a cooperative and simple life that is designed to be a refuge. Many of the women who have come here are in flight from dangerous relationships, drug addiction or meaninglessness. They call themselves InÍons, from Old Irish meaning ‘the Daughters’. Their leader is called Maman, French for mother. We discover that she has a great deal of control over the women who live at Rathglas. When they seek refuge, they hand over passports and all personal documents and belongings. Many have been there for thirty years.
Two things happen early in this book. Nell sees Cleary (spies on him through his window) and she gets a letter from Maman offering her a commission for a work of art in relation to Rathglas. This provides the love (or sex) interest and the art-work.
Except; there is not much information about art here. Nell seems to be commissioned to pull together a book about Rathglas based on the testimonies of the women when they arrived. The only art-work she is required to produce is very much a last minute affair.
This book is perhaps more about friendship. Nell becomes close to Muireann, one of the Inions, and is very much disliked by some of the others.
There is some poetic writing here,
Trees stretch their limbs into the night, and in the gloam, two foxes are mating, their banshee howls shrill behind the thicket. It reminds her of an old installation she made, in the forest of Bean SÍ. The folktale about a woman who shows up, singing, keening, to foretell a death.
I feel this is Gleeson’s strength, although I have read that her essays Constellations: Reflections from Life are excellent. Here I thought the shifts of point of view from Nell to Cleary or Nick at times didn’t work and as for the title, the hagstone is mentioned briefly as a shell with a hole that is said to offer vision, but then never mentioned again. And also when did people in every country of the world start saying ‘Sorry for your loss’, when someone dies? I think the first time I heard the expression was probably on Seinfeld and it always sounds like the US to me. Certainly doesn’t seem appropriate on a remote Irish island.
For me the most dramatic and tightly written pages were the last twenty which concerned the events at Samhain, which of course I can’t disclose due to our ‘no spoilers’ policy. Enough to say, surprises and ruptures here.
Sinéad Gleeson is an ambitious and poetic writer. I will be certainly reading her essays and anything else she produces in future,
Interesting, different and well worth reading.
Gert Loveday's Fun with Books 
She sounds imaginative — your description of plot points and characters sets her apart from anything ordinary.
It’s a good exploration of the way an artist functions in the world. The author names a number of women artists in her after note: Maggi Hambling, Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham, Atsuko Tanaka, Lita Alberquerque many of whom make works that are impermanent..
I love what Sinead Gleeson has been doing to promote neglected Irish writers such as Maeve Brennan and Norah Hoult, so it’s interesting to see how well this book has been received by reviewers and readers.
Apologies if this is a silly question or if I’ve missed something, but when is the story set? Is it historical or set in some unspecified time? I’m getting a sort of ‘out of time’ (mythic?) vibe from it, but that might be wide of the mark….
It is set in the current day There are references to artists whose work was made in the early 2000’s and iphones etc But the island has supernatural qualities like an unbearable sound that comes from time to time that not all people can hear, but is overwhelming for those who do.
I have been trying to find her book The Art of the Glimpse where she has collected 100 short stories by Irish authors but it not to be found here so far.
Ah, thanks. That’s very helpful to know. I keep meaning the pick up those anthologies she has compiled. There’s another one too, ‘The Long Gaze Back’ I think it’s called which showcases stories from the past.
i didn’t know about that one. I still have a few second hsnd bookshops to visit. After that it will have to be Abe books.
Weird is a good thing
She took it as an insult, which is odd for an artist. I’d say it’s preferable to boringly normal.
I agree
Sounds interesting Gert.
Leslie
Certainly different.
A name and a title to remember I think, thank you.
You may well like one of her short story collections if they cross your path.
set on an island so a must read for me
Pretty sure this would appeal to you .