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Willie and Maud : A Love Story

Name: Willie and Maud : A Love Story
Author: Barry Shortall
ISBN: 9781903464236

by Barry Shortall

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Overview

Fictionalized story of William Butler Yeats and Maud Gonne. Willie and Maud is about one of the most famous and fascinating love affairs of the Irish literary world. William Butler Yeats was Ireland's greatest poet of the 20th century. Maud Gonne, an esteemed beauty, was renowned for her lifelong dedication to the cause of Irish nationalism. Their story was one of sexual passion and unrequited love. Yeats fell in love with her the moment they met, while she, much to his sadness and frustration, frigidly rejected his repeated proposals of marriage. Both went on to marry others—with Yeats embarking on a series of affairs—yet she remained the source of inspiration for much of his work. This novel, set against the dramatic events of Ireland's civil unrest and war, deals with their involvement in the political and cultural movements of the time—the birth of Sinn Fein, the Easter Rising, and the founding of the Abbey Theatre. Barry Shortall’s previous novels include The Cameo Murders.

Synopsis

This book tells the story of he most fascinating love affair of the Irish literary world. William Butler Yeats was one of the most outstanding figures of twentieth-century literature. Maud Gonne, an esteemed beauty, was renowned for her lifelong dedication to the cause of Irish nationalism. Their story is one of sexual passion and unrequited love. Yeats fell in love with Maud the moment they met. She, however, to his sadness and frustration, frigidly rejected his repeated proposals of marriage. Yet while both went on to marry other partners- with Yeats embarking of affairs with society women- Maud Gonne remained the source of inspiration for much of his work. The novel is set against a background of civil unrest and war, deals with their involvement in the political and cultural movements of the time. -- Publisher description.