Patrick O'Keeffe Libri

Two stunning novellas set in Ireland in the 1970s written by an exciting new Irish voice

Focusing on the deregulation of the wheat export market in Australia, the book explores the implications of the 2008 policy shift that ended decades of statutory marketing. It examines how the promised benefits of market liberalization, such as increased choice and empowerment for individual growers, have been undermined by the concentration of regional markets. The analysis reveals that a few transnational agribusiness firms now dominate the sector, influencing agricultural policy in Australia and challenging the initial intentions of the deregulation.

Focusing on critical social issues in Australia, the book addresses economic inequality, precarious work, and unequal access to education and healthcare, alongside themes of colonization, racism, and activism. It aims to foster constructive discussions about creating a more inclusive and optimistic society. By linking Australian experiences to international contexts, the work broadens its relevance, encouraging readers to consider the possibilities for social change both locally and globally.

One warm July night, when thoughts of Ireland are far from James Dwyer's mind, a homeless man with a sunburnt face, who smells like dry wood, comes to the screen door of his Michigan apartment. Walter has two messages. The first is that an old lady is lying in the middle of his street. But when James goes to look there's nobody to be seen. The second, while apparently more ordinary, is ultimately more troubling: a childhood friend wants him to visit. Kevin Lyons, the wayward older son of a neighbouring builder James knew long ago as a boy in Tipperary, now lives in the USA too, and wants to reconnect with his past. But James, who has spent years establishing the foundations of his American life, has put that past behind him. As the day of the visit approaches, James slowly re-examines the mysteries of that time: what happened to Aunt Tess, who went away to become a nurse in Dublin; what Kevin's father was really doing late at night by candlelight in his makeshift office in the yard; what became of Kevin's red-haired sister Una, who young Jimmy fell for in a big way and whether, after all these years, people like Kevin ever really change. The Visitors is a captivating story of the interwoven fates of two families, of the gap between childhood and the adult world, between a river in Ireland (and all that happened there) and another in America, and of the shocking revelations that come with crossing the divide.