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Aunty Lily: and other delightfully perverse stories
Munro’s stories were born five decades ago in a small English village where children were seen and not heard, fathers were wacky, neighbors were snoopy, and maiden aunts were beautifully crafted artifices. Her original stories, dolloped with characters reminiscent of those from her childhood, telling of domestic shenanigans and outings gone revealingly awry are written with meticulous timing. Rich in details about the frailty and strength of the human spirit, her stories resonate with the truth of what is means to be human.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2016
About the author
Jennifer Munro
6 books4 followersBIOGRAPHY - JENNIFER MUNRO
I was born in the tiny hamlet of Winteringham, Lincolnshire, UK. I grew up surrounded by love, fluffy bunnies, golden retrievers and ponies. My extended family were all close; in neighbouring villages, and life was very gentle and safe. Then my father, who longed for freedom from the restrictions of English life, moved us to South Africa. Finding that not quite wild enough for his taste, he moved us to Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe in the early seventies, at the beginning of the bush war.
I married too young, and went farming during the war. I must have inherited that wild streak! My two beautiful daughters were born and, after some very traumatic events, my husband and I moved our young family to South Africa.
From one jungle to another! I started an advertising agency, and made myself Creative Director; writing for television, adverts, brochures and websites. I was thrilled to have some of my creative stories published in a woman's magazine, Fair Lady. I guess, in the end I grew tired of all the excitement and longed for the safety of my island home.
I moved back to Britain in the late nineties, and started a marketing agency in Surrey that I then gave to my eldest daughter to allow me to concentrate on my first love: writing.
Motohuma the Firehead is my second complete novel, and I am about one third of the way through my third. All that wildness and freedom gave me some wonderful material for my books. A lifetime of stories at my fingertips!
I'm a lot quieter now. I have a cat and an apartment - no tangled wilderness to tame...but inside me, like a witchdoctor's cauldron, all the mad stories of Africa brew and bubble, and flow out of these fingers onto the keyboard for my own, and my readers' pleasure
I was born in the tiny hamlet of Winteringham, Lincolnshire, UK. I grew up surrounded by love, fluffy bunnies, golden retrievers and ponies. My extended family were all close; in neighbouring villages, and life was very gentle and safe. Then my father, who longed for freedom from the restrictions of English life, moved us to South Africa. Finding that not quite wild enough for his taste, he moved us to Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe in the early seventies, at the beginning of the bush war.
I married too young, and went farming during the war. I must have inherited that wild streak! My two beautiful daughters were born and, after some very traumatic events, my husband and I moved our young family to South Africa.
From one jungle to another! I started an advertising agency, and made myself Creative Director; writing for television, adverts, brochures and websites. I was thrilled to have some of my creative stories published in a woman's magazine, Fair Lady. I guess, in the end I grew tired of all the excitement and longed for the safety of my island home.
I moved back to Britain in the late nineties, and started a marketing agency in Surrey that I then gave to my eldest daughter to allow me to concentrate on my first love: writing.
Motohuma the Firehead is my second complete novel, and I am about one third of the way through my third. All that wildness and freedom gave me some wonderful material for my books. A lifetime of stories at my fingertips!
I'm a lot quieter now. I have a cat and an apartment - no tangled wilderness to tame...but inside me, like a witchdoctor's cauldron, all the mad stories of Africa brew and bubble, and flow out of these fingers onto the keyboard for my own, and my readers' pleasure
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 11, 2016
I had the pleasure of hearing Jennifer Munro tell her stories during an author event at my favorite book store. And one of my oldest and dearest friends taught junior high with her for several years. I am grateful my friend asked me along to this reading, because first and foremost Jennifer Munro is a storyteller and I could hear her voice as I was reading her delightful stories. I also had a very British Nonni (yes, Nonni, not Nanny; it's what happens when a nice girl from Liverpool meets an Italian-American solider during the war and he takes her across the pond). My Nonni also told delightful stories about growing up in working class England, although her tales were sadly disrupted by war. Jen's stories are equal parts humorous, candid, poignant, and delightful. And each has a subtle lesson imparted on its gentle readers! Please pick up this collection of short stories, make a nice cup of tea and enjoy!
June 15, 2022
Jennifer Munro's Aunt Lily is a collection of colorful stories about love, family, and childhood in a "simpler" time. Understanding that Munro's stories are intended to be told in the oral tradition is essential for appreciating their beauty.
I met Munro at a storytelling festival and was enthralled by her telling of The Fisher King, the final story of the book. In person, Munro is utterly enchanting and having heard her tell a story made the book all the more enjoyable.
I met Munro at a storytelling festival and was enthralled by her telling of The Fisher King, the final story of the book. In person, Munro is utterly enchanting and having heard her tell a story made the book all the more enjoyable.
December 29, 2016
What a lovely book to savor. One of my favorite things about reading Aunty Lily was how transported to time and place I felt by each short story. The author does a remarkable job with details specific to the time and location of each story, giving readers the opportunity leave the here and now and go back in time. However, it is the people and personalities and interactions of all in each story that are absolutely charming. This is a quick read, easy to read each story independently of the others. I have seen the author present her stories in person, and it was fun to imagine the stories being told live and in her wonderful accent with her perfect delivery. I can't recommend these stories enough.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews