Edna O'Brien was born in Twamgraney, County Clare. She was educated locally at Scarriff, and in Loughrea, County Galway. Her family was opposed to anything to do with literature and later she described her small village "enclosed, fervid and bigoted." When O'Brien was a student in Dublin and her mother found a book of Sean O'Casey in her suitcase she wanted to burn it. After finishing primary school O'Brien was educated at the Convent of Mercy in Loughreu (1941-46). In Dublin she worked in a pharmacy and studied at the Pharmaceutical College at night. During this period she wrote small pieces for the Irish Press. In 1950 she was was awarded a licence. She got married in the summer of 1954 and moved with her husband, the Czech/Irish writer Ernest Gebler, and two sons to London. She got divorced in 1964, but she has remained in England.

It took me a long time to get through this book. I could say that I enjoyed reading it, but that would be a lie. I think the book was rather boring. It's no doubt that it is a good book, dealing with important matters and themes, but I think that it may be more suitable for a teenage girl, or anyone who fancies O'Brien's writing. Even though I didn't find the book very exciting i would highly recommend it for those who are interested in themes dealing with female sensuality and male treachery.

Kate Brady is the main person in this book. She is a very shy girl but also very polite and good at school. She wins a scolarship and that's the reason why she goes to a convent boarding school. She doesn't make many friends, and the closest she comes to a friend in the village, is Baba. The farm help Hickey is also a very good friend, but he's almost like a fatherfigure for her, the father she never had. Kate loves her mother very high, and she would do anything for her. Therefore she gets devastated when she drowns. When her mother dies, she has nobody. She can't stand her father, she hates him, after all he has done to Kate and her mother. Kate is always afraid of him coming home and beat her up. This is one of the reasons why she has to move in with Baba. At the age of fourteen she falls in love with "Mr. Gentleman." He's married and old, so the relationship isn't very fertile. When Kate is at the convent she barely sees him for three years, but when she moves to Dublin, they often meet. They are also planning a trip to Vienna, but he calls it of in the last minute. This leaves Kate crushed behind, and this is also how the book ends.

Baba Brennan is the opposite of Kate. She comes from a well of family and she has everything she needs. She also has luxurious things, like a new bicycle, the sort of things Kate's family could never afford. She is going to the same convent as Kate but her father pays for the stay, she doesn't win any scolarship like Kate. In the beginning the relationship between Baba and Kate is very cold and superficial. Baba always run down on Kate because she is poor, and many times she makes Kate feel like she is worth less than nothing. When they go to the convent their relationship gets better and they both decides to get expelled. This is Baba's idea, but Kate also finds it exciting. When they move to Dublin they are both determined to live the good life, but they have shared opinions on what this so called "good life" is. Bab

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Approximate Word count = 1660
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)