Nicholas (nwhyte) wrote,
Nicholas
nwhyte

April Books 20) Other People's Countries: A Journey into Memory, by Patrick McGuinness

I don't know how I heard of this - possibly through a Facebook recommendation, since I can't find it in emails - but it was a good recommendation. McGuinness's mother comes from Bouillon in southern Belgium, and it is basically his second home despite his British upbringng (Irish grandparents, diplomat father from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Welsh-speaking children). It's a lovely exploration of the historic town and its people, and the author's own background, through very short snippets of narrative, occasional poetry, and the auithor's own photographs. you don't have to be Belgian or even like Belgium much to appreciate it (though it will make more sense if you have enough French to understand why it's funny that Kevin Keegan should be known to locals as Kevin Qui Gagne). A lovely book.
Tags: bookblog 2014, world: belgium
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