Penelope Unbound by Mary Morrissy

Penelope Unbound by Mary MorrissyOn their arrival in Trieste in 1904, James Joyce left Norah Barnacle outside a railway station while he went to scare up money. He got embroiled in a fight with a couple of sailors and was locked up for his troubles. A penniless Norah was left alone for almost an entire day and night sitting on their suitcases at the station in a city where she knew no one and where she didn't speak the language. In real life, Norah waited for him. This novel asks

and a carnal awakening occurs in a Palestinian refugee camp

and how the jury came to their verdict of acquittal

and then from home

witnessing motorcades such as the Apollo XIII coming down the street

Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant

useful and wise

In Philosophy for Polar Explorers he brings together the wisdom and expertise he has gained from the expeditions that have taken him to the limits of the earth

Megan Jasper

' - Garth Greenwell

From insatiable cannibalistic children hewn from logs

A beautiful collection of paintings

BBC Radio 4 'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity