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Alandra Varinia
Sarah's Daughter
This book is a sequel to Seamus O'Rafferty and Dr Blenkinsop.
In the sequel to The Most Singular Adventures of Sarah Lloyd, we meet Alandra Varinia Saunderson, the illegitimate daughter of Sarah Lloyd and Seamus O'Rafferety, both of whom worked for the IRA and both of whom are dead.
Alandra worked in a bank in Camberwell for the manager, who is a dirty old man. She spends her spare time trying to trace the whereabouts of her half siblings. As the book progresses we become ever more aware of Alandra's retrograde personality, inherited from her mother.
This book is funny and tragic by turns, and describes the extremely eventful life if a thuggish but likeable young woman.
"Eleanor Berry manages to maintain her raw and haunting wit as much as ever"
Dwight C Farr, The Texas Chronicle |
Extract 1:
Barrus the Gravedigger ordered another pile of sausages, eggs and chips. Alandra had cried so much she had lost her appetite.
'I've got a story which you'll like, Landie. It's about the Reverend Boyne. There was this funeral director called Spatchkeg. He was of Danish descent. He was one of the few funeral directors who actually attended funerals. He was a right bastard. He always called me "Lackey". Spatchkeg couldn't stand the Reverend Boyne either, because of his connection with heroin. It was just after that story I told you about the Reverend Boyne giving himself a heroin injection at the graveside.
'just as Spatchkeg was leaving the graveyard, the hearse driver pulled in towards Boyne, who was walking away after his heroin injection, smiling and talking to himself out loud. Spatchkeg wound down his window.
'"Couldn't you have your injection some other time? you're not doing my business any good." he said.
'"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?" old Boyne snarled at Spatchkeg, opening the hearse door on the passenger's side. Spatchkeg had to lean over until his head was on the driver's lap, to avoid the foul wave of Boyne's breath.
'"Only when the manner in which you do your job determines whether or not I keep mine," Spatchkeg barked.
It isn't you lousing up my burials, it's that lackey who digs the graves."'
Alandra suddenly felt homicidally angry.
'If anyone called you a lackey, Barrus, I'd gouge their eyes out. Why did he call you a lackey?'
'Because at one funeral, the grave I dug wasn't long enough. I threw some rope at another grave digger and addressed him as if I were on a sailing boat. I shouted "Get on that sheet and take a turn around that cross!"
Anyway, when Spatchkeg called me lackey, the Reverend Boyne retorted, "Don't you go calling him a lackey. He's a fucking child of God."
Your language is nothing short of repulsive! A fat lot of good you are as a clergyman," said Spatchkeg. "There is blood on your garments," he added suddenly. "How did it get there?"
'"The spike screwed up on me. When I shoot up I usually do a clean job."
'"What do you mean, when you shoot up?"
'"I'm on heroin and it's suckers like me who keep fuckers like you in business."
'"You're a sheer, utter disgrace to your cloth!'
'"What the hell do you think it's for?" shouted the Reverend Boyne.'
Alandra was laughing hysterically; her laughter was mixed with her tears.
Come on Landie,' said Barrus, 'I'm taking you home. We'll go by bus. I haven't got a car.' |
