Name: The River Healer
SKU: 46489c17893d
Availability: InStock

Description

Paddy Reid spent thirty years working in some of the poorest communities in the United States – mainly in the Deep South – as a handyman, prison visitor and outreach worker. In The River Healer, he recounts his encounters with some of the remarkable people he met along the way – and their resilience in the face of grinding poverty. From patching up “Red’s shack” – and falling through the floor into the bayou – to working with people with AIDS in the early days of the crisis, this collection entertains and enthrals in equal measure.

The River Healer is a unique, heart-breaking record of life in a particular time and place, by an award-winning writer. The book features thirty stunning black-and-white photographs by the late American photographer Al Clayton, who left an indelible record of life in the Southern United States.

Paddy Reid talks about the writing of THE RIVER HEALER at writing.ie

VIDEO: Paddy Reid talks about his new book THE RIVER HEALER

Reviews

“This is a splendid book of amazing stories, told in raw and unpolished prose. The author’s fifteen-year sojourn in rural America is a story that merits attention; the honesty of the writing deserves enormous admiration.” ––––Michael Harding

“This is a very personal social history, depicting tales that are, in turns, inspiring, disturbing, humorous and uplifting. But more than that, these are people’s stories, real and remarkable, told by a true storyteller.” ––––Tara Heavey

“An eye-opening, up-close look at poverty, racism, and despair in the U.S. from an Irishman who immersed himself in this culture and improved the plight of dozens of individuals and families whose lives he touched.” ––––Susie H. Baxter, author of Pumping Sunshine

"Paddy's stories are just brilliant . . . you won't be disappointed . . . a fabulous writer indeed" ––––Mojácar, via Twitter

"Such talented writing . . . Wonderfully written stories that no reader will ever forget. Honest, heart-wrenching, poignant, heart-warming tales, delivered with compassion and a touch of humour. What a talented author." ––––Eav Roche, via Amazon.co.uk, on Deserted

"A gem of Irish life and literature in poorer times . . . This gem of a book portrays a part of old Dublin city that is long gone, replaced by glass monstrosities housing financial institutions. But before them, it was a tight-knit community so defined by poverty that some even starved to death. Nevertheless, because the book is made up of short stories, many by the same characters, there is family joy and hard-earned happiness . . . Some chapters are laugh-out-loud funny . . . One chapter is particularly moving, in that it presages this writer's magnificent later novel Faces, for which he was nominated for the Anton Chekov Silver Dagger award. Paddy Reid writes from the heart, as only a survivor of this community could do, and I feel he could go on telling us fascinating stories about his childhood for the rest of his life. I loved it, and often re-read favourite chapters, although all the short stories merge into a compelling and poignant book. A real treasure of Irish literature, I recommend this book and this writer to everyone." ––––Anne Roche, via Amazon.co.uk, on Deserted

Author

Paddy Reid

Paddy Reid was a leading light in the campaign to clear the names of Irishmen, including his father, who were blacklisted as “deserters” for serving in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War; Justice Minister Alan Shatter granted the men a full pardon in 2012. Paddy mainly writes stories about an inner-city community he calls “Portside”. His short fiction and creative non-fiction can be found in US and Canadian university literary journals, such as Salt Hill, Sou’wester, Connecticut Review and the Stinging Fly. He received the Anton Chekhov Award for Short Story (USA) in 1996, and the Winter Award (Colorado) in 2017. THE RIVER HEALER recounts his years working with communities on the edge in Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

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