CONTENT WARNINGS APPLY, see below!
In this episode, Aífe and Ciara review and discuss He is Mine and I Have No Other by Rebecca O'Conner, editor of The Moth literary magazine. Published in 2018 by Canongate, this book explores generational trauma, institutional abuse in 20th century Ireland, the agony of adolescence, and the sheer rainy-ness of county Cavan.
Murky! dreary! Rain and damp all the time! Like trying to swim through bog water!
Discussion points include:
Content Warnings: The Cavan Orphanage Fire of 1943; child abuse; child neglect; child death; institutional abuse and institutional neglect, specifically at the hands of state and church run institutions in 20thc Ireland; misogyny; murder; intimate partner violence; forcible separation of families; generational trauma; violent death.
READINGS:
The article about The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/i-know-what-you-think-of-me/
More about the Cavan Orphanage Fire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavan_Orphanage_fire
The most recent report into Mother and Baby Homes (2020): https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d4b3d-final-report-of-the-commission-of-investigation-into-mother-and-baby-homes/
NUI Galway has done an oral histroy project about one of the Mother and Baby homes, this is a compershenive collection of stories from surviviours and historical documents from the Tuam Mother and Baby Home: http://www.nuigalway.ie/tuam-oral-history/
http://www.nuigalway.ie/tuam-oral-history/podcasts/
If you need support due to the topics raised in this episode or for any reason free call Samaritans Ireland on 116 123 or Text YMH to 50808 to avail of their Messaging Support Service.
If you are outside Ireland support is always available and can be found by searching local mental health supports.
--
If you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing for more of our thoughts on Young Adult literature, coming of age literature! You can have two episodes a month delivered into your lovely ears for FREE.
You can keep tabs on upcoming books and give us recommendations on our social media:
www.Twitter.com/foreverYApod
www.Instagram.com/foreverYApodcast
www.goodreads.com/foreveryapod
Check out our patreon on www.patreon.com/foreverYAPod to throw us a few coins, check out our rewards, and show your appreciation/ire as applicable!
Theme music by Kate Stewart.
We love reviews! And recommendations! And attention! Thanks for listening :-)