Author Description

A Place and a Time, written and illustrated by Bea Mahood, stands alone as both a narrative and a work of visual art created around the themes of small-town life, the threat of violence, and the inimitably Irish sense of determination, hope, and love. Beginning with her roots in politically charged Northern Ireland, the author reveals so many facets of village life, daily living in the simplest and most basic forms: the honesty of hard work and the value of family. Using her own illustrations, photographs, and poetry to evoke a powerful sense of not only time and place, but the myriad emotions associated with them, we feel a part of the "Troubles" and the divisive civil war that raged for decades. Mahood invites us into her emotions as she leaves home and ventures to Canada, making a new life, weaving a new tapestry of experiences: work, family, future. That she has graced this book with her visual art is a testament to her desire to share with us the many facets of a life lived fully. Whether her poetry pulls us into the near-violent tension that became part of the annual Orange Parade, or sings to us in the lilting voice of an Irish soul discovering a new and thrilling world away from the battle, the invitation is clear: Join me in my life, wherever I am, and share with me the nuances of time and place.