Description:

Peeling Oranges tells the story of how Derek Foley, while sifting through his late father's diaries and his mother's correspondence with an IRA man, discovers that Patrick Foley, a diplomat in Franco's Spain, was not really his father. Derek's mother, who is ailing, is unwilling to discuss the past, forcing her son on a quest that will plunge him into the early history of Irish diplomacy, taking him to Spain and later to Northern Ireland, until he discovers who his real father was—with tragic consequences. Peeling Oranges is a novel full of personal and political intrigue, fraught with ideology, as it intersects the histories of two emergent nations—Ireland and Spain. It is also a beautiful and lyrically written love story of childhood sweethearts—the apolitical Derek and the passionate nationalist, Sinéad Ní Shúilleabháin. ** ### Review 'This is a well written novel which manages not just to tell its own story but also to weave together different strands of Spanish and Irish politics.' *Books Ireland* Review from Amazon 5.0 out of 5 stars **A mystery from the past** By benq123 'Can you forget your past? Well, one may try, but it can haunt you until your very end. Events we think long forgotten never actually disappear but lie buried deep down till one day they can resurface. This classic masterpiece takes us on a journey through a woman's life, backwards. She is the mother of the leading character of the story, Derek Foley. The events that take place reveal some dark secrets...' 'A wonderful story.' *Hot Press *magazine 5.0 out of 5 stars **Full value once again from James Lawless** By Neil 'If you love books that provide more than a simple story line then have a read of this excellent piece of work by James Lawless. I had read three other novels by this guy and he never disappoints, he really does have a gift in coming up with solid ideas and story lines, mixed in with exceptional writing skills that keep the reader engaged.' ### From the Author '*Peeling Oranges* is a story of a paternal quest interwoven with the histories of the two emergent states of Spain and Ireland. In my research for this novel, I accessed in the National Archive previously unpublished and sometimes censored material about the Irish Civil War and the Spanish Civil War, and it is generally thought this is the first time a novel dealt with early Irish diplomacy as a motif.'