
The Valley of the Squinting Windows
'The Valley of the Squinting Windows' Summary
Valley of the Squinting Windows is a classic Irish novel set in central Ireland c. 1914-16. Garradrimna is a tiny village where everyone is interested in everyone else's business and wishes them to fail. Twenty years before the events of the book, Nan Byrne has a relationship with a local man, Henry Shannon, hoping to marry him for his wealth. She falls pregnant but Henry refuses to marry her. After a miscarriage, the baby is buried at the bottom of the garden. Henry marries another woman and later dies, while Nan emigrates to England and marries Ned Brennan. They later move back to Garradrimna, where the villagers rejoice in telling Ned about his wife's past.
Ned is now an alcoholic, brought low by the humiliation of his wife's past promiscuity. He makes a little as a labourer, whereas Nan works every day at sewing to support their only child, John, studying in England to become a Catholic priest. However, she has become as cruel, petty and jealous as the rest of Garradrimna, and connives with the postmistress to sabotage Myles Shannon's chance at romance with an English girl, to get revenge on the Shannon family for rejecting her.
John returns to Garradrimna for a holiday, where he befriends Ulick Shannon (son of Henry) and falls for Rebecca Kerr, a schoolteacher. Ulick and Rebecca have a relationship, however, and when Rebecca becomes pregnant she is disgraced and expelled from the village. Ulick abandons her and John murders him, weighing the body with lead and hiding it in the lake. Rebecca leaves for Dublin and an uncertain future. An old gossip informs Nan and John that she was there the night Nan gave birth to Henry's child - in reality, the child was born alive and was given to Henry and his wife - who they raised as their son, Ulick Shannon.
Book Details
Authors

Brinsley MacNamara
Ireland
John Weldon known by his pen- and stage-name Brinsley MacNamara, was an Irish writer, playwright, and the registrar of the National Gallery of Ireland. He is the author of several novels, the most wel...
Books by Brinsley MacNamaraDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Sweet Little Maid by Amy Ella Blanchard
Sweet Little Maid is a children's novel by Amy Ella Blanchard that tells the story of Dimple, a nine-year-old girl who lives in the South during the R...

Wide, Wide World by Susan Warner
Ellen Montgomery, a young girl orphaned at a tender age, is sent to live with her wealthy aunt, a woman who is indifferent to Ellen's needs. As Ellen...

Mateus e Mateusa by José Joaquim de Campos Leão
“Mateus e Mateusa” por José Joaquim de Campos Leão é uma peça teatral que explora a dinâmica complexa de um casal idoso após 50 anos de casamento. Ma...

Henrietta Volume 1 by Charlotte Lennox
Henrietta, a spirited and independent young woman, defies her aunt's attempts to arrange a suitable marriage for her. Yearning for a life beyond socie...

Kellys and the O'Kellys by Anthony Trollope
Set in rural County Roscommon, Ireland, *Kellys and the O'Kellys* is a tale of intertwined families, tangled relationships, and social complexities. T...

Serbian Fairy Tales by Anonymous
This collection of traditional Serbian fairy tales, translated by Elodie Mijatovich, offers a glimpse into the rich and vibrant folklore of Serbia. Th...

Gambler by Katherine Cecil Thurston
An 18-year-old Irish woman named Clodagh must defend her family's honor when her father's gambling addiction leads to tragedy. She marries a much olde...

Christmas Hamper: Full of Pictures and Tales by Various
This charming collection of Christmas stories and tales is sure to delight children of all ages. With its beautiful pictures and heartwarming stories,...

Adventures of Joel Pepper by Margaret Sidney
The 'Adventures of Joel Pepper' follows the escapades of Joel, the middle child in the Pepper family. Despite their poverty and simple life in their...

Men Who Live It Down by Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson's 'Men Who Live It Down' is a collection of poems and prose that reflects the hardships and resilience of Australian working-class life,...
Reviews for The Valley of the Squinting Windows
No reviews posted or approved, yet...