Washing Windows III contains 100 new poems by Irish women poets who are shaping a new poetry world. These writers come from all parts of the island and beyond. The age range spans over seven decades, and, as with all Arlen House anthologies, diversity is integrated throughout, in all its glory and in all its honesty.
Farrelly's collection introduces us to an intriguing range of 21st century Irish characters. A young woman rents a room in the home of an eccentric photographer; a poet attends a party at his girlfriend's family home to find that the invite was made with nefarious intention; and a husband is outraged to discover that his wife is posing at a life drawing class.
Set in two continents, this is a story about an idealistic couple for whom the new Irish Free State, increasingly dominated by the Catholic Church, becomes an alien place. Even within the family, ruptures are caused, so deep they cannot be breached.
The twenty-two stories in this collection explore themes of adult-child relationships, death and violence, and the Irish sense of place. These are essential stories about families and relationships under strain; there is love and betrayal, sickness and passing, humour and rivalry, all told in a mix of adult and child voices, each voice as honest as the last.