Bright Clouds.

Bright Clouds

Pat Dwyer 

Guajira Publications

Oaklawn, Ballyfin Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland

Phone: [phone]

ISBN 0954869303, $TBA 221 pages

Up to now Pat was better known as a poet and in 2002 he launched his first book of poetry 'From Thurles to Cuba with Love'. This latest book marks his first foray into prose. It is not so much a chronicle of Pat's experience of the disease as a personalised guidebook drawing on his experience and written in his inimitable style, typified by the book's sub-title 'Smiling in the face of adversity and coping with Multiple Sclerosis'. In it, he touches on subjects as diverse as the excellent health-care provided in Cuba, the role of humour in dealing with disability, Ryanair's despicable attitude to people with disabilities--if I can insert a personal prejudice, perhaps that phrase should have read 'Ryanair's despicable attitude'--his religious faith, the sexual needs of people with disabilities and many more. If, as I have said, this is a guide-book it is highly individual one, full of knowledge and personal reminiscence. Above all, it is a book devoid of the self-pity that few could begrudge Pat if he was so minded. As they say, with experience comes wisdom!

There is a convention that when people in full health hear of another's difficulties we claim that 'It puts everything into perspective'. In truth, it may but we don't. We experience sympathy and then get back to our own daily worries. To paraphrase a quote used by Pat in the book, we are very brave with other people's illnesses! This is a book that should not just be read by MS sufferers and their families. Books that are warm, witty and wise are worthwhile for all to read and are rare enough to be found. I would describe this one as life-affirming except that Pat would probably tell me that it makes me sound like a bloody hippy! Sail on Pat.

With publishers falling over themselves to publish trashy novels and vacuous dissertations on the lives of forgettable 'celebrities', it is a mystery why the big publishing houses did not beat a path to Pat's door to get their hands on this work.