A Belfast Girl: A 1960s American folk music legend weaves stories of a girlhood on “the singing streets” of Ireland, marriage in Scotland, and arrival in America

Maggi Kerr Peirce, A Belfast Girl. Marion,
MI:        Parkhurst         Brothers        Publishers,         2013.
ISBN 9781624-910173.
 
Those of us who have been lucky enough over
the years to hear Maggi Peirce's stories, told in a
rich Belfast voice that belies her decades of residence
in Massachusetts, have heard a few of these vivid
vignettes-"The Large Stuffed Rabbit," "The Most
Beautiful Doll in the World" -and will delight in
revisiting them. Those who haven't had the privilege of hearing Maggi in person will meet
her beautifully here, in this "wee
book" of twenty poignant, funny,
thoughtful stories that bring to life the
mid-century Northern Irish world in
which, as Maggi writes, "our parents
hid the world from us but we didn't
know it."

Jo Radner (jradner@american.edu) for Storytelling Magazine

A Belfast Girl
ForeWord Review
These stories are quickly absorbed but not quickly forgotten; each contains moments that leave one nodding in recognition, while opening windows on a singular city.
Maggi Kerr Peirce presents vignettes of life in Belfast before sectarian violence. With a penchant for well-turned observations and charismatic humor, she crisply details childhood encounters in the years after the Great Depression, with a few stories taking place on the brink of, or during, adulthood. Kerr paints a close-knit, domestic world that often appears gentle, but does not shy from darker realities like World War II and a neighborhood house rumored to be haunted by an abused child. These piercing recollections combine youthful wonderment with hindsight to provide eloquent insights on family.
Raised in a Protestant home as the youngest daughter of a mother who was “difficult to live with” and a “sober” father, the author portrays her parents with affection and admirable restraint. Stories seldom dwell on the family’s shortcomings, and instead reveal members as distinct, rounded individuals. Kerr’s mother, in particular, emerges as a woman with a flair for lively language, advising the author to “Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe.”
Stories that consider beloved objects, from a bisque doll in “The Most Beautiful Doll in the World” to a drawing room curio in “A Little China Figure,” skillfully capture period details through everyday moments. More richly layered stories widen in focus to consider disillusionments, including “The Large Stuffed Rabbit,” in which an adult’s promise turns out to have been a lie, and “The Secret Place,” in which an older child’s cruel comment ruins the magical ambiance of an outdoor hideout. Comedic events—such as the author’s impersonation of an Italian woman at a dance, and an ungrateful young American visitor’s stay with the author’s family—coexist with serious considerations of human behavior, as in “John Knox, Odd Jobs Man,” a story that recounts a scene of potential danger.
A Belfast Girl shows traces of the author’s background as an oral storyteller. Stories unfold with brisk timing, and often conclude with succinct wisdom gained long after the events depicted. Kerr handles such moments with natural ease, avoiding the didactic or epiphanic revelation. Many stories hinge on an image that eventually becomes a memorable hook, including a painstakingly embroidered apron in “Two Gifts,” a shocking bridal gift in “The Awakening,” and a highwayman’s hat in “Mein Hut Er Hat Drei Ecken.”
The personable, colloquial quality of the writing, however, should not be mistaken for simple entertainment. These stories are quickly absorbed but not quickly forgotten; each contains moments that leave one nodding in recognition, while opening windows on a singular city.
Karen Rigby
November 25, 2013

Those of us who have been lucky enough over the years to hear Maggi Peirce's stories, told in a rich Belfast voice that belies her decades of residence in Massachusetts, have heard a few of these vivid vignettes-"The Large Stuffed Rabbit," "The Most
Beautiful Doll in the World" -and will delight in revisiting them. Those who haven't had the privilege of hearing Maggi in person will meet her beautifully here, in this "wee book" of twenty poignant, funny, thoughtful stories that bring to life the mid-century Northern Irish world in which, as Maggi writes, "our parents hid the world from us but we didn't know it."

Maggi Kerr Peirce sang her native Irish ballads from the Newport Folk Festival to Puget Sound during the 1970s.  She performed on many of the same stages as Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary.  Her Irish stories have graced storytelling festivals coast-to-coast.  She lives in Fairhaven, Massachusetts with her husband, Ken and the support of her nearby daughter, Cora, and son, Hank.

“Maggi’s stories sparkle, they go straight to the heart.  They are like Maggi herself: not sentimental, but not afraid of anything, including sentiment.”
            --Michael Parent, National Storytelling Network Oracle Award winning storyteller
“Charles Dickens would have lovedA Belfast Girl.  Maggi Kerr Peirce’s characters are alive and beautifully drawn.  I felt invited into a new world.  This is a marvelous book.”
            --Jay O’Callahan, author, workshop leader, and occasional NPR commentator
“Maggi Kerr Peirce was there at the beginning of the American storytelling revival with her wonderful Irish stories and songs.  Maggi brings that same charm, wit and lyrical prose to her life story in A Belfast Girl.”
            --David Holt, four-time Grammy winner, author, and host of Jazz from the Landing on PRI

Tender and evocative true stories of growing up in Belfast before the Troubles