Under The Hen's Bottom: Memoirs from an Ulster childhood

‘Under the Hen’s Bottom’ is a charming country memoir, a collection of twelve stories set against the delightful background of rural County Down and County Armagh. These beautiful tales, skilfully told, reflect the different era of the Ulster of the 1950s and 1960s. Some are set amongst the rolling countryside and busy farmyards capturing the environment the author loved and fondly remembers. Others take place in the classrooms and school playing fields of her Irish education. One or two explore the importance of friendships and relationships as written about in ‘Grease Paint and a Feather Boa. Here the author imagines being an actress and a storyteller one dayWitty, quirky and engaging are the words to describe these childhood memories, from the first chapter ‘Nearly Born Under a Hedge’ to the innocent humour of ‘The Russian Princess’, where a fun-loving granny dances around in a Cossack hat with her grandaughter. The reader will be captivated from the moment they first turn the pages and share the wide experiences of a small child.The mortal sin of not attending church is captured poignantly in ‘The Lost Sheep’ and the desire to fit in with the lovely neighbours next door in ‘The Honorary Catholic’. Being pursued by the local vicar for her lack of religious experience is something she will never forget.‘Food for Thought’ conjures up the iconic tastes of soda bread and wheaten farls and the whiff of rabbit stew, catapulting the reader back into the endearing world of Ulster. Sit on the steps of Hillside cottage shelling peas and devouring gooseberries in the long holidays summer holidays. If you have a moment, take those first tentative steps into the henhouse to collect eggs. Hopefully on the way a scraggy turkey will not chase you through the yardDelve into the pages, story by story, to enjoy the nostalgia of a stroll down memory lane. Roam through the fields and experience the naivety and curiosity of a young girl.The author invites you to share these important moments of nostalgia with her as you settle down and read her gentle memoir.