NEW RELEASE
The Goddess Village - Nuala Woulfe
A new eco-village in Ireland is attracting an eclectic mix of people to the town of Cloonsheeda. India has arrived with her Australian lover but things don't seem as rosy between them now that they've left the sun behind. Rita wants to reinvent herself but her traditional farmer husband thinks she's losing her mind. Anna has come to Little Cloonsheeda following a very public break-up, and Rebecca is finding life difficult juggling college and a pair of toddlers, so she enlists the help of au pair Liesel. As things go wrong for them, they are all drawn to seek help from the eccentric Demelza, who has opened the Goddess Sex Therapy clinic. As she guides them through their troubles, she changes them all in some way. But is it for the better? This was an interesting plot, focusing around the empowerment of women. I enjoyed Demelza and her eccentric ways, and Mossy the farmer added a splash of humour. As there were quite a few central characters there was always something interesting going on, and I found it hard to put down! Overall an enjoyable, feel-good read. (LO)
The Goddess Village, by Nuala Woulfe, is centred around a number of characters drawn to an eco village. The summary says: "In the heart of Ireland, a new eco village, Cloonsheeda, is being built attracting people from all over the world in search of a little bit of paradise, but Cornish sex therapist Demelza Spargo plans to stir things up when her Goddess Therapy practice opens its doors. Newly separated forty-something Anna is hoping a new start in a new community will help her get over her split from rogue politician, Paddy Gavin. Stay-at-home mum Sinead Winterbottom is only in her late 20s but with three young children to her name she's old before her time. Sinead desperately wants to rebel if she only knew how. Rebecca Gleeson, whose husband is building Cloonsheeda, is desperately trying to balance life with toddler twin boys, but she still has a roving eye and wonders about her marriage. Nineteen-year-old German Liesel Hoffman dreams of freedom and thinks she gets it when she comes to Cloonsheeda as an inexperienced au pair. Event manager India Jones has everything going for her, good looks, her own company and a personal lifeguard whom she's imported straight from Oz, but since he arrived in Ireland they never seem to have a moment for love. Local Rita Brosnan has finished raising her family and in her late 50s is painting cows but her farmer husband is set in his ways and doesn't understand her artistic dreams. As bit by bit things go wrong in paradise, a May Day festival is planned to raise spirits and put Cloonsheeda on the map and things start to get strange in a way that nobody ever saw coming as the 'goddesses' rise and take their place in the world." The Goddess Village is out in November.