J. McKeaveney was born in Northern Ireland in 1967. She grew up with her parents and five siblings. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Northern Ireland was a country blighted by The Tr...visualizza altroJ. McKeaveney was born in Northern Ireland in 1967. She grew up with her parents and five siblings. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Northern Ireland was a country blighted by The Troubles, essentially a time of extreme civil unrest and terrorist activity. While this was an era of great upheaval and change in the history of Ireland, for the author it was also a time for growing up, going to school, falling in love and making babies. The Troubles which she experienced had more to do with the search for Mr Right than the fight for civil rights, and the quest for independence was more about leaving home and travelling than about fighting for political freedom. It is widely accepted now that the war in Northern Ireland had a negative impact on a generation of young people, who grew up not knowing what it was like to live in peace time. The extent to which it impacted on that generation, however, remains a matter for individual reflection and comment. The author therefore wishes to acknowledge that the main failures in her life cannot be attributed entirely to growing up in an unstable external environment. The inability to achieve her life long ambition to become an astronaut and work in NASA cannot be blamed entirely on Northern Ireland politics. The author feels that, even if Northern Ireland had developed a working space program, it is highly improbable that she would have managed to pass the space exam or indeed the height restrictions for becoming an astronaut. Suffice to say that the author is not an astronaut but has worked for the Health and Social Services for over twenty five years. She currently lives with her son and her cat in Co Armagh. Away With the Fairies is her first novel.visualizza meno