Against the Wind: Memoir of a Dissident Dubliner

Set in Dublin during the years of the Second WorldWar and in England during the post-war years ofthe 1950s and 1960s Against the Wind is a livelyand compelling memoir.It is the story of a young man of independent mind and feistyspirit who refuses to accept the constraints and strictures of aclosed Irish society. And who through economic necessity, at a veryyoung age, is forced to live and work in ‘Pagan England’ the landof ‘the enemy’. There he learns to ‘like the English’ and learns of‘freedoms that he knew very little about’ in ‘holy Ireland’.A wealth of varying and informative material and the ability toanchor the personal securely within the public domain gives thismemoir a universal appeal.The narrative has all the ingredients for a compelling read –vividand varied characters brought alive on the page, compelling settingand historical relevance and interest. The prologue whets ourappetite for what is to come and the mixture of recollection, poetryand historical information drawstrings the narrative together well.Astute observation and character portrayal are the strengths of thework, as is the accessible tone of the narrative voice in which theauthor employs a light touch that has just the right amount of wit and sobriety.