The Queen of Dirt Island
So, the cover art for The Queen of Dirt Island is deceiving. Yes, we all know not to judge a book by its cover, but … what, huh? I’m a huge fan of Donal Ryan, and when I collected this copy from the library I wondered if he had abruptly taken a treacly, romantic, sentimental turn. In fact, his writing — subject matter, prose, narrative style — has *not* transformed for the “worse”; it’s actually so great (and contemporary, as much of the book takes place in the 90s as opposed to the 40s vibe that the cover boasts) that I couldn’t get Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird out of my head.
To be fair, the main reason for this random comp is that the main character of Dirt Island is a teenager named Saoirse, Lady Bird’s teenage protagonist is played by Saoirse Ronan, and ergo Ronan’s face remained lodged in my brain as Ryan’s Saoirse personified. But the comparison is also apt given that much of Dirt Island involves the relationship between a daughter and mother (and mother-in-law).
The latest issue of Vanity Fair — btw, a publication that I long to hold, not scroll — featured Gerwig. Of course, the record-breaking Barbie was the catalyst, but the piece had a lot to say about Gerwig’s array of interests — a vast array that, in my opinion, makes for the most interesting kind of person. “In short: She likes what she likes, be it Truffaut or Titanic, which she saw eight times as a Sacramento teen and ‘wept beyond anything I thought I was capable of.’” The Queen of Dirt Island is, I think, overarchingly about how we remember and (re)write the past. But because it’s sprinkled with bits about gunrunning in Ireland, 90s music and fashion, unwed mothers and their complicated relationship with their homeland, it reminds me of this line from the aforementioned piece: “Gerwig’s body of work is like a funnel by which the popular is distilled through the particular.”
Anyway, this might be my favorite Donal Ryan novel yet. And, yes, the intent of the cover art becomes abundantly clear by the end. Much like how Gerwig’s Barbie isn’t lauded simply for the sake of pretty pink, The Queen of Dirt Island is similarly more defiant and complex than its sweet-looking cover.
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