The Queen of Dirt Island is a 2022 novel by Irish writer Donal Ryan.
| Author | Donal Ryan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
Publication date | 2022 |
Writing and publication
editRyan based Eileen Aylward, the "Queen" of the book's title, "loosely but quite faithfully" on his mother.[1] Upon reading an early draft of the novel, Ryan's mother did not recognize the character as inspired by her.[2] Ryan did not set out to write a book that "centers" women.[1] Ryan attributed the book's focus on women in part due to the fact that aspects of a central character, Saoirse, came to him "easily".[1] Ryan further attributed the focus on women to his childhood, during which women in his family and local area were strong presences.[1]
Ryan deliberately wrote each chapter to include exactly 500 words after writing several vignettes, later included in the novel, that were roughly this length.[1] The vignettes were inspired by the novels Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge by Evan S. Connell.[3] He began work on The Queen of Dirt Island after sharing a draft of a "much longer and much darker novel" with his publisher, which his publisher declined to edit without substantial changes.[1] Ryan wrote The Queen of Dirt Island in 12 weeks.[3]
Reception
editAmy Bloom, in a review published by The New York Times Book Review, praised the novel, referring to its short chapters as a "satisfying chain".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Louise Kelly, Mary (6 March 2023). "Growing up in a kitchen full of women inspired Donal Ryan's new book". NPR. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Brennan, Marjorie (6 November 2022). "Book Interview: Donal Ryan - the boy born to be a writer". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ a b Ingle, Róisín Ingle's face Róisín (20 August 2022). "The author's imagination has been shaped by the landscape of north Tipperary — and the women in his life". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Bloom, Amy (27 February 2023). "All of Life's Griefs and Joys, in 4 Generations of Women". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2023.