Felicity
A novel by Maggie Barrett
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After a lifetime of drinking, drugging, multiple marriages, and several unpublished novels, Felicity finds herself living in a foreign country with Spouse Number Five. Now seventy, sober, feisty and furious, she is on a mission to discover where her anger comes from and how to dissipate it while she still has time. Over a period of eighteen months, we journey with Felicity as she revisits her past while struggling in present time with the rejection of her latest novel and the success of her famous husband. As she chips away at rocky terrain in an attempt to make a garden of beauty and serenity, the arrival of the hashtag MeToo movement will surprise her with the revelation that not only is her anger older than her, but that the personal and the political are always entwined.
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English
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240 pages
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“Be prepared to feel angry, be ready to confront the moral uncertainties of our time and times past, and read this book, and honour the brave woman who wrote it for us.”
“A brilliant novel; savage, visceral, brave & funny. An easy 5 star.”
“Felicity. We feel close to this endearing woman who wants to understand her mixed feelings and thoughts. She would like to be as happy as her name writing a novel in a fluid style.”
“Sit tight, life is not always pink. Maggie makes a good point of showing it. Pass the anger, go deeper and understand human being and their true struggle as she peels every layer off in front you at the turn of every page .”
“Loved this book. It's an original. Maggie Barrett is a warrior -- and an inspiration.”
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From Dusk to Dawn
A novel by Maggie Barrett
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If you had to choose one thing to believe in and defend its validity in today's world, what would it be? In From Dusk to Dawn six characters, trapped in an isolated inn on the edge of a cliff at the turn of the millennium make up a game to play until they're rescued. From Dusk to Dawn explores the nature of personal belief and its effect on strangers and loved ones. In the process, relationships teeter and family secrets are exposed. Over the course of twelve hours, a British ex-military man and his wife of thirty years, a New York surgeon and his artist lover, a recently jilted thirty-year-old lawyer and a twenty-year-old waitress who isn't always what she appears to become to understand that belief often has nothing to do with truth. Literally a cliff-hanger, From Dusk to Dawn will keep you on the edge of your seat and inspire you to think about what you believe in as opposed to believing in what you think.
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English
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262 pages
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“When I first read Maggie Barrett's wonderful, thought-provoking novel it reminded me of The God of Carnage a brilliant play by Yasmina Reza in which two middle class families come together in a Parisian apartment to resolve an issue between their sons, a scenario that quickly descends into blame and recrimination. In From Dusk to Dawn, the polite and civilized exchanges of the six character trapped in an isolated inn during a storm soon begin to break down after they embark on a parlour game to pass the time. The concept of the parlour game requires the characters to search their hearts and souls for the single belief they hold most dear and defend it to the other characters. What emerges is an unravelling of the characters' darkest secrets, a profound testing of their own beliefs and the catharthis that comes through questioning what we may have always taken as a given. But in addition to this, there is humour, sass, great dialogue and an edge-of-your-seat read. It's a perfect bookclub read which will have members discussing into the wee hours...”
“I read it in one sitting and couldn't put it down. Intelligent, thoughtful and brilliant.”
“Deeply impressed by Maggie’s book, I couldn't stop reading, what an intelligent setup of characters and conversations. I had the feeling to be part of the group stuck there in the hotel and only put the book aside at moments to give myself a little rest out of "pure exhaustion", a real intellectual thriller.
Turning the pages I kept thinking how Maggie lives inside each of the 6 characters to bring them to life and explore their strenghts and weaknesses and secrets.
What a brillant storyteller and novelist she is. I am glad that I can recommend "From Dusk to Dawn" as a "must read"!”
“From Dusk to Dawn is a gem of a book! The story swiftly builds layer upon layer, introducing characters so strong in their reality that at times I thought I was watching them in a film, or seeing them living in the moment on the stage. It’s a book rich in suspense and humor, intimacy and revelation, and full of provocative ideas. I came away from it asking myself some of the same questions the characters engage in, and I now find myself referring to the book’s premise when I’m with friends at dinner, or in social situations. It’s a great thought provoke! And I cannot say why, but I burst into tears at the ending.”
“From Dusk to Dawn unfolded with characters revealing their personalities in a most intimate way with language that elicited recognition of processes experienced in me. It's a masterpiece that quietly builds with humor, vivid description and a depth of feelings not often captured on the page. Don't miss this thrilling story!”
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