Ciara Geraghty

“I am a menopausal woman, standing here before you all in a lather of sweat, terrified that I might forget a word in the middle of a sentence with the threat of brain fog that looms over me on a daily basis as I sit at my desk and attempt to write to a deadline. I have insomnia, none of my clothes fit me, and there’s a chance I’m more irritable than I used to be.”

Accepting an invitation to join a panel at the Flights of Fancy Writers Festival feels like a gamble for Agatha Doyle who show more is supposed to be writing her next bestseller, but is instead documenting her menopause symptoms in a diary which her GP insists will be helpful in reducing her stress. Agatha has her doubts. Still, despite brain fog, hot flushes, resentment, and blistered, bloodied stumps, Agatha is holding it all together until a Beardy Man from the author asks the wrong question and Agatha’s ensuing rant goes viral, making her an icon for menopausal women everywhere.

As a woman experiencing the vagaries of the onset of menopause myself, I really enjoyed Queen Bee. Written in the form of a diary, entries often begin a list of symptoms that are all too familiar to me.

Those symptoms, which include (but are not limited to) insomnia, resentment, rage, brain fog, hot flushes and anxiety are bad enough, but add a full house that includes Agatha’s recently widowed father, her father’s girlfriend’s dog, LulaBelle; her heartbroken son Colm; her college drop out son Aiden, who is building a beehive in the backyard; and her husband Luke, plus financial concerns regarding their family business, and it’s new gorgeous waitress, it’s no wonder Agatha is overwhelmed, and stymied by writers block. She is rather bewildered by her new ‘heroine’ status, particularly since she feels like she’s not handling things well at all.

I couldn’t help but empathise with Agatha and found her to be a very appealing character. I enjoyed her sense of humour, which is quite heavy on the sarcasm, and her blunt assessments of everything. Agatha’s ‘conversations’ with her late mother add a layer of poignancy to the story, and her struggle to maintain her equilibrium attracts sympathy.

Witty, smart and ingenuous, Queen Bee is an entertaining, easy read. show less

When she finds out that her friend Iris has gone missing, Dublin housewife Terry sets out to look for her. Finding out that she is planning to visit a clinic in Switzerland to end her life due to her progressive MS, Terry decides to accompany her. Which would be fine but Iris hates flying and Terry has her father in the car with her, her father who suffers from dementia. Thus begins a road trip like no other, a trip which will end Iris’s life and change Terry’s life irrevocably.
From its show more slightly off-putting premise, that of a terminally ill person wanting to end their life in an assisted suicide, Geraghty has produced a wildly entertaining road trip story. Often the sheer silliness of the plot makes one forget the profundity of long-term illness, both dementia and ms. That is what works so well, there is a gentle understanding of the nature of disease and the way this reflects on Terry’s life as a woman who lives for her family and her routine yet is given the opportunity to grow. A very clever book. show less

I’ve enjoyed previous books by Ciara Geraghty (Saving Grace and Becoming Scarlett) – they are chick lit books, but so much more – clever characterisation, innovative twists and heart-wrenching crises. So you could say that I was really, really looking forward to this book. I eagerly pounced on this book as soon as I saw it in store and began to read shortly after.

Like the author’s other books, it focuses on a young Irish single girl with a quirky family. Meet Dara, she works at a dog show more shelter, cares little for fashion beyond tracksuits and has an occasional ‘understanding’ with the married Ian. Behind Dara, lies her family – the quirky Mrs Flood (yes, she’s nearly always referred to as Mrs Flood) and her sister Angel. Angel has end stage renal disease and requires a kidney transplant. Dara and Mrs Flood don’t match – but could Mr Flood, who disappeared down the street shortly before Dara was born never to be seen again, be a match? Throw in a private detective with a family full of policemen, even quirkier friends and a range of coincidences and you’ve got a rollicking ride.

You could say that this sounds a little more sombre that Geraghty’s previous novels and in a way you’d be right, as Angel’s plight is always in the background and a focus for a lot of the book – finding Mr Flood. However, it is dealt with sensitivity and humour in just the right places. Geraghty also gets the renal stuff correct too – she’s obviously done her research (I hate medical inaccuracies in books). It is interesting and the ending is both sad and happy. The book takes a while to get going (there’s far too much about dogs in this book for my taste) but the last half is much faster paced.

The characters, while quirky and endearing, might be starting to come off as somewhat clichéd in comparison to her other books – Mrs Flood for example is a caricature for most of the book, while Angel is somewhat of a ghost (but perhaps this is meant to be so?). Tintin is endearing as the crazy male friend, but is in danger of becoming a parody of himself. Ian Harte, is well written, as is Mr Flood’s relatives.

In short, I enjoyed this book but not quite as much as Becoming Scarlett. It is though, a great light read and I do recommend it! show less

The novel begins very dramatically, with a serious car crash, which leaves one woman dead and another hospitalised. This also serves as a wonderful tool for gripping the reader from the outset.

Kat Kavanagh is the complex woman who survives the crash. A very independant and proud Irish woman living in Dublin, she is not kind to herself, mostly because she hides a secret that changed her life forever. A secret that has makes her a put on a perennial brave face to the world.

Milo McKenzie is a show more typical nine year old living with his Mum and sister in Brighton. A happy go lucky child, until tragedy strikes, leaving Milo without his beloved mother.

Strange as it may seem, these two people are inextricably linked and are destined to find each other. The events of one day literally change everything.

Ciara Geraghty is a smashing writer. Kat and Milo's stories are told in alternate chapters and their characters are so well drawn I found myself caring very deeply about their fate. Milo's sister Faith is a prominent character also...a young woman who finds herself with huge responsibilties when their mother is killed. Then she discovers that she isn't the person she thought she was and her relationship with her partner disintegrates......how much more can go wrong?

Above everything else, I loved the voice of Milo. Geraghty manages to convey the spirit of a nine year old .....a child his mother called " a tonic".....he just has the knack of making you feel better!

Highly recommended. show less