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My Father's Places
In 1949, after years of nomadic existence, nine-year-old Aeronwy Thomas and her family arrived at the Boat House in Laugharne, a small village on the Welsh coast. Here her father, the poet Dylan Thomas and mother, Caitlin, hoped to find peace, a place to settle and work.
In Laugharne Dylan began some of his most famous works, including Under Milk Wood. Mornings were spent in Brown's Hotel, listening to the gossip at Ivy William's kitchen table. In the afternoons Caitlin would lock the poet into a shed in the garden, where he sat speaking his verse aloud as he wrote, or composed begging letters to patrons and friends. Often he would head off to London, and old haunts.
Little Aeronwy enjoyed the new world around her. In the Boat House, ruled over by Caitlin, there was baby Colm and in the holidays visits from big brother Llewellyn, as well as Dolly, the cleaner and cook, and the house became a refuge for village characters, including Booda the deaf, mute ferry man. The memoir paints scenes of sudden drama and reading Wind in the Willows with her father in the evenings; fish treading in the mud below the house with her mother; afternoons with Grandma Flo and DJ at the Pelican.
Dylan's fame grows and he tours the United States to read his poetry. Aeronwy watches as the marriage fractures, and at last the poet dies in New York, far away from his children. My Father's Places is a deeply moving portrait of growing up and an insight into the origins and the legacy of Dylan Thomas's poetry.
In Laugharne Dylan began some of his most famous works, including Under Milk Wood. Mornings were spent in Brown's Hotel, listening to the gossip at Ivy William's kitchen table. In the afternoons Caitlin would lock the poet into a shed in the garden, where he sat speaking his verse aloud as he wrote, or composed begging letters to patrons and friends. Often he would head off to London, and old haunts.
Little Aeronwy enjoyed the new world around her. In the Boat House, ruled over by Caitlin, there was baby Colm and in the holidays visits from big brother Llewellyn, as well as Dolly, the cleaner and cook, and the house became a refuge for village characters, including Booda the deaf, mute ferry man. The memoir paints scenes of sudden drama and reading Wind in the Willows with her father in the evenings; fish treading in the mud below the house with her mother; afternoons with Grandma Flo and DJ at the Pelican.
Dylan's fame grows and he tours the United States to read his poetry. Aeronwy watches as the marriage fractures, and at last the poet dies in New York, far away from his children. My Father's Places is a deeply moving portrait of growing up and an insight into the origins and the legacy of Dylan Thomas's poetry.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 11, 2022
A beautiful memoir of a childhood in 1950s Wales and a touching account of her parent's often tempestuous marriage as seen through the tender, innocent eyes of a child. Aeronwy gives an insight into the life of Dylan Thomas as a father, husband, son and community member, rather than a poet with possibly the most important characters in the book being The Boat House and Laugharne itself. Really lovely.
December 12, 2019
This is the sort of book I just love. I enjoyed every page of this enchanting account of the childhood of Aeronwy Thomas, the daughter of Dylan Thomas.
This was a case of serendipity for me. By pure coincidence I had just read a book about the daughter of Francis MacNamara, Irish poet and painter, whose childhood upbringing was bound up with Augustus John. Therein was a direct link to Dylan Thomas by marriage, and part of the charm of that book was its direct connection to The New Forest, where I live.
Also, by sheer chance, this summer, whilst staying with my son and his partner in their holiday hire home in Llanelli, we spent the day at Laugherne, a small town in Wales where Dylan Thomas had his home and studio, and where much of this book, 'My Father's Places', was set. I had no idea when we went there that there was a Thomas connection. Once again pure serendipity.
But these connections made this book feel much more real for me. The turbulence of the families of the MacNamaras and of Augustus John, were in part repeated in the upbringing of Aeronwy Thomas, and the rough justice often delivered by Caitlin, her mother was perhaps not surprising, being in part, learned behaviour. But then, Dylan, her father, makes for a delightful contrast, for although being a womaniser, he was essentially soft, especially toward his children.
The descriptions of the river, the estuary and the town, its pubs and the characters that criss crossed the lives of the Thomases, was delightfully drawn. A poetic and sensitive account.
I enjoyed every page.
This was a case of serendipity for me. By pure coincidence I had just read a book about the daughter of Francis MacNamara, Irish poet and painter, whose childhood upbringing was bound up with Augustus John. Therein was a direct link to Dylan Thomas by marriage, and part of the charm of that book was its direct connection to The New Forest, where I live.
Also, by sheer chance, this summer, whilst staying with my son and his partner in their holiday hire home in Llanelli, we spent the day at Laugherne, a small town in Wales where Dylan Thomas had his home and studio, and where much of this book, 'My Father's Places', was set. I had no idea when we went there that there was a Thomas connection. Once again pure serendipity.
But these connections made this book feel much more real for me. The turbulence of the families of the MacNamaras and of Augustus John, were in part repeated in the upbringing of Aeronwy Thomas, and the rough justice often delivered by Caitlin, her mother was perhaps not surprising, being in part, learned behaviour. But then, Dylan, her father, makes for a delightful contrast, for although being a womaniser, he was essentially soft, especially toward his children.
The descriptions of the river, the estuary and the town, its pubs and the characters that criss crossed the lives of the Thomases, was delightfully drawn. A poetic and sensitive account.
I enjoyed every page.
November 3, 2014
Domestic Dylan is a quite different creature than Legend Dylan (Poet Dylan or American-Tour Dylan).
This isn't a straight through auto-biography of Aeron or even a biography on Dylan (I would say he features in only about 40% of the stories), as a book of neat memories. It mostly takes place at The Boat House, Dylan and Caitlin's house in Laugharne, Wales from about 1949 to 1953, when Dylan died from an unfortunate dose of morphine and alcohol poisoning. We get hints of the turbulent relationship between Aeron's parents.
I found it an enjoyable and quick read, with a cast of colorful characters similar to the ones in Under Milk Wood. One delightful memory is of Dylan reading The Wind in the Willows to Aeron, and the discussions and debates they would have about the stories and the motivations behind the characters.
I enjoy learning about the domestic sides of famous people, especially authors, when they know they aren't being watched and are being themselves.
This isn't a straight through auto-biography of Aeron or even a biography on Dylan (I would say he features in only about 40% of the stories), as a book of neat memories. It mostly takes place at The Boat House, Dylan and Caitlin's house in Laugharne, Wales from about 1949 to 1953, when Dylan died from an unfortunate dose of morphine and alcohol poisoning. We get hints of the turbulent relationship between Aeron's parents.
I found it an enjoyable and quick read, with a cast of colorful characters similar to the ones in Under Milk Wood. One delightful memory is of Dylan reading The Wind in the Willows to Aeron, and the discussions and debates they would have about the stories and the motivations behind the characters.
I enjoy learning about the domestic sides of famous people, especially authors, when they know they aren't being watched and are being themselves.
January 19, 2011
Biographies written by a son or daughter of the subject in question always provide such a unique insight. My Father's Places is everything ever gleaned from hours of listening through walls and peering through banisters. It is a portrait of Aeronwy's childhood, at the very edges of which we may catch glimpses of her father, Dylan Thomas. Tragically, this appears to be in perfect parallel to their relationship. Though he wrote "In Country Sleep" for her, their moments together seem, even to the author herself, infrequent and all too fleeting. All discussion of Dylan's parenting style aside, the book is beautifully written, honest, and even terribly funny at all the right moments. Reading it did nothing to cure my love for the man, or, for another matter, my longing for a house by the sea in Laugharne or New Quay.
May 3, 2020
An honest depiction of her own life, and her relationships, including that with her father,the famous welsh poet, Dylan Thomas,his passion,his imagination, shortcomings and lacunaes as a human..lingering warmth of innocence of a child, perceiving the world through their eyes!! A heartwarming read, inspite of the heaviness to picture Aeron in desolation at her fathers shed in the Boat house at the end!
June 16, 2017
Unique perspective on Dylan Thomas' life.
July 10, 2020
I enjoyed it a lot, mostly because, well, WALES, and I've been to Laugharne and seen the boat house and the shed and it was very evocative and very interesting about Dylan and Caitlin Thomas.
August 23, 2013
A wonderful view of her parents filtered through the view of a 6-10 year old. The childlike filtering, as she attempted to understand the confusing adult world around her,is refreshing. As an adult I'm sure there was a clarity in her understanding but she is able to retain a child-like innocence in her memoir. It also recalls to me the freedom children had in that time. We could go off in the morning and do dangerous things, play in the tidal flats, climb trees, hours away from adult supervision. It is a wonder any of us survived.
August 13, 2012
Aeronwy Thomas was Dylan Thomas's only daughter who wrote of her childhood spent in England and in Wales. She wrote a very moving and unsentimental book of her rather unusual childhood. Unfotunately she died just days before the book went print. Her descriptions of living in the Boathouse in Laugharne Wales are quite engaging.
September 13, 2010
I love being able to look into another person's life. I was impressed with this book and the talent Aeronwy possesses. My Father's Places is an addicting memoir that is sure to stir up emotions in any reader.
August 1, 2011
touching memoir of Dylan Thomas by his daughter
January 3, 2014
Interesting story but I found the writing style rather dreary.
February 8, 2016
A touching memoir by Dylan Thomas' daughter about her childhood. Funny. sad, even shocking at times.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews