Mary Alexis Lavin

Happiness is perhaps the most cherished of all the acclaimed collections by Mary Lavin, who was not just one of Ireland's major writers, but ranked among the greatest short-story writers of the twentieth century in the English language.The stories in this classic collection explore the relationships...

'Mary Lavin's stories... are subtle without making a palaver about it, beautifully told, no pat endings, no slickness; and as in life, nothing is resolved.' William TrevorFirst published in 1943, Tales from Bective Bridge is a collection of ten stories that memorably depict the rural mid-lands of Ir...

On an island teeming with masters of the short story, Mary Lavin's distinct voice and devoted following set her apart. Before her death in 1996, this Irish writer had received many honors and prizes not only for her luminous short stories but also for several highly regarded novels. William Trevor p...

Considered one of the foremost Irish short story writers of the twentieth century, Lavin instilled her tales of the Irish middle class with insight into the dynamics of intimate relationships through her focus on the contrarieties of human emotions. Sometimes faulted for lacking plot in her stories,...

In the early 1900s Mary O'Grady leaves behind the countryside and the family she cares for, to be with her husband in Dublin. Here she puts down new roots and looks forward to the day when she will return to Tullamore with her own sons and daughters. Marriage and motherhood sustain Mary, gradually t...

Happiness is the most cherished of all the acclaimed collections by Mary Lavin, who was not just one of Ireland's major writers, but ranked among the greatest short-story writers of the twentieth century in the English language. From the title story, which echoes her experience as a widow with three...