Showing results by narrator "Gráinne Gillis" in All Categories

Jimmy Diaz is born a twin, and while he doesn't know it, his nearest sibling has stayed with him forever, overseeing the drama of his life played out and acting as a narrative voice. When young, Jimmy loses a lower limb to a starving attack dog - this is the first of many disasters and one that shapes him to become a chancer, a wilful man unafraid to stand up to a notorious Dublin gangster, but also a young man with heart and belief: a loyal son, a good friend, a courageous brother and a sweet and passionate lover.

Ivy Rose Murphy dreams of a better future. For years she has set out daily from the tenements known as The Lane to beg for discards from the homes of the wealthy. Her fortune takes a turn for the better, but there are eyes on Ivy, and she is vulnerable as she carries her earnings through the dark winter streets. Jem Ryan, who owns the local livery, longs to make Ivy his wife, but she is reluctant to give up her fierce independence. Then a sudden astonishing event turns Ivy's world upside down.

Julia Ashley was born to a life of dramatic twists and tragedy. Her future and any possible lasting happiness depended entirely on a "glove marriage" to a man who was no more than a name. The Dutch East Indies, in the 17th century, were the lands of legendary riches; of "nutmeg princes"; of fortunes built on barbaric plantations and slavery. And amid the extravagance, the cruelty, the bizarre customs, perhaps the strangest events of all were the curious weddings that sent girls halfway around the world.

Imagine you're thirty-two, married with two little children, and you find out you're carrying a deadly cancer gene. That was me in 2005, and I've now battled and slayed cancer six times. This is my story of how I lived, laughed and overcame some of the toughest times in my life. If you know someone affected by cancer, or if you are a fellow 'cancer club member', I know you are scared. But you are not alone. I am living proof that, against the odds, life can and does carry on.

It's been 20 years since Lindsey has seen her best friend Rachel. Twenty years since she has set foot in Thornbury Hall - the now crumbling home of the Bagenal family - where they spent so much time as teenagers. Since Patrick Bagenal's 18th birthday party, the night everything changed.