Review by Frances Colville
Under the Hen’s Bottom is a wonderful collection of short stories by author Wendy Breckon, detailing her memories of growing up in Northern Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s. As the title suggests, these stories are witty, quirky and so engaging that the reader is immediately drawn into the author’s childhood experiences – from almost being born under a hedge, through holidays with her grandparents on their farm, to the building of friendships and early aspirations to be a writer and actress.
Wendy is a storyteller with a gentle touch and is particularly adept at bringing her characters to life. The descriptions of time spent with her eccentric grandmother will make you smile, but there is poignancy here too, nostalgia for days gone by and some thought-provoking questions about the religious divide which existed at the time in Ireland. As it says on the back cover of the book, the reader will be captivated from the moment they first turn the pages and start to share the experiences of this small child.
I was going to pick a favourite, but I actually can’t. Every time I think I have settled on ‘Voulez-vous’, I remember ‘Two Squares of Chocolate and a Floral Gazunda’ or ‘The Russian Princess’ or ‘The Lost Sheep’ or ‘An Honorary Catholic’ and the task becomes impossible. So there is absolutely no substitute for buying the book and reading them all.
Under the Hen’s Bottom was published by Magic Oxygen on 6th July 2017 and is available (priced at £7) from Amazon or by emailing Wendy herself at wendybreckon@outlook.com