Day 2 at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2017, the highlight of the day for me was the John Boyne event, chaired by Janet Ellis.
Held in the Spiegeltent the event was sold out and I felt incredibly blessed to be attending. Joanne Baird from Portobello Book Blog was the first person to introduce me to The Heart’s Invisible Furies. It was one of Joanne’s top reads of 2017.
John Boyne has a fascinating stage presence and with inciteful and probing question from Janet Ellis, it made for an interesting and engaging hour. Mr Boyne was there to talk about his new book The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Which centres around the main character Cyril and his life in Dublin. The book is written in seven-year increments. John Boyne explained that he writes his books from the start to finish and that he needs that process. Where as his friend and fellow Author John Irving starts his novels by writing the final sentence first. The book covers many hard hitting topics such as adoption, identity, the Catholic church, honesty and being a gay man growing up in Dublin.
John Boyne said that although he has had some cracking opportunities such as being on the movie set for The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas his passion and excitement truly is embedded in his love of writing and having that first box of books of arriving is a pure joy and delight.
John Boyne is a truly fascinating gentleman with a genuine love and passion for all things bookish which shines through in abundance.
Book Jacket
Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his three score years and ten, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more.
In this, Boyne’s most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.
Order your copy with this handy link ~
If you would like to read Portobello Book Blog’s compelling review of The Hearts’ Invisible Furies ~ click here.
We have Edinburgh International Book Festival 2017 goodie bundle giveaway in association with Portobello Book Blog. To enter head over to our Twitter page ~ click here.
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Kelly Lacey & Love Books Tours 
Excellent reports Kelly. X
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Really enjoyed reading your review and so glad you enjoyed it. The book is just brilliant – thanks for sharing my review of it.
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