I’m in the process of reprinting my collection: For Jean:
Poems and Songs by Robert Burns for his Wife, Jean Armour. I never quite understood
why my publisher let this volume in particular fall out of print after it had
so comprehensively sold out. It was well reviewed and should have had a long
life as a gift for any Burns enthusiast - of which there are plenty.
‘Jean Armour, the lass with the “voice of a nightingale,”
has often been reduced to the margins of Burns scholarship. Yet it was her
enduring presence—her strength, grace, and quiet resilience—that supported
Burns through a life of brilliant highs and shadowy lows. This beautiful
collection gives Jean her long-overdue spotlight.’
Whether you're a Burns enthusiast or a lover of literary
history, the book offers a fresh perspective on the poet’s work. With poems
written for Jean and others inspired by her, alongside candid, moving letters
to and about the woman he loved, For Jean reveals a poet who was not
just the rakish bard of popular imagination, but a man who returned, again and
again, to the one woman he undoubtedly loved.
Collected and annotated with sensitivity and care, this
edition includes:
- A
selected glossary to guide readers through 18th-century Scots dialect
- Rich
historical context that brings each poem and letter to life
- An
intimate view into the couple’s complex yet enduring relationship
The book was intended as a companion volume to my novel The Jewel, which fictionalizes
Jean’s life. Together, these works give voice to a woman who has, until now,
lived too quietly in the shadow of her husband’s legend. The link above is to the Kindle edition of The Jewel, but I'll be reprinting the paperback in the next few weeks.
Fortunately, For Jean is now available again, in paperback, under my own Dyrock
Publishing imprint.
No comments:
Post a Comment