Give Me Your Good Ear

by Maureen Brady

15th anniversary edition. price sticker residue to cover. stamped chapters no return no exchange on title page

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maureen Brady is an American writer and teacher. She had problems getting published initially in the 70s. In 1978 she founded Spinsters Ink with Judith McDaniel to enable female writers to be more easily published. It was a feminist publishing house and that is how this novel was published in 1979. I have the UK edition published by the Women’s Press in 198. It has been on my shelves for decades and so it’s about time I read it.
This novel is about Francie: she is trying to extricate herself form an unhappy relationship and start a new life, untying the knots. Linked to this is her relationship with her mother and grandmother as she looks back at her life. The title refers to a hearing impairment which all three women share. Whether that is literal or figurative is not clear. It may be linked to words not spoken and problems unacknowledged.
Alice Walker said of it: "The writing is so good, I heard it all."
This is an excellent novel which follows the intertwined intergenerational lives of women trying to work out how to live their lives. It does feel very 70s, but in a good way. There is a warmth and humanity to it which I appreciated.