Reviews

Bowen's Court & Seven Winters by Elizabeth Bowen

bgg616's review

4.0

This is a long book, and often dense. The great Irish writer, Elizabeth Bowen, wrote this history of her family in Ireland (the first family member arrived with Cromwells army and the family was from Wales) and the family "Big House", Bowen's Court. It is a portrayal of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland and the Anglo-Irish population. These were well off people who were direct descendants of English (and Welsh) elite, sent by the Crown to "colonize" Ireland. There will be no doubt after reading this that Ireland was indeed a British colony. Many say that it was the first laboratory for British colonization, predating even America.

Full at times of endless details (these can be skimmed), such as the endless lawsuits between these elite families. For fans of Bowen, and readers interested in the legacy of Big Houses in Ireland, this is a recommended read.