Des Kennedy at Courtenay Library

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Monday, October 19th, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Escape to the gardens of Ireland with local bestselling author Des Kennedy as he reads from his newest novel, Climbing Patrick’s Mountain.

In his third novel, Kennedy introduces us to expatriate Irishman Patrick Gallagher, an accomplished but eccentric breeder of prized roses. When Patrick learns his beloved garden is in jeopardy, he accepts an invitation to lead a garden tour in his native Ireland and hopes to attract the eye of an affluent patron. What is planned to be a pleasant and bankable trip soon becomes a voyage of overcoming one’s past as Patrick encounters the very reasons he left Ireland in the first place.

Inspired in part by his own experiences growing up in an Irish Catholic upbringing and from his time as a gardener and leading tours of Irish gardens, Des has written a haunting and elegant tale. Filled with rich descriptions of fine gardens and set in today’s Ireland, Climbing Patrick’s Mountain embraces the contradictory but inseparable twins of the Irish sensibility: grand humour in the face of ultimate tragedy.

Des Kennedy is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author, and environmental activist. He is the author of four books of essays and two novels, earning him three nominations for the prestigious Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. An influential personality in the Canadian gardening scene, Des writes a regular column for GardenWise magazine and is a celebrated speaker across North America. His work has also appeared on a variety of regional and national television and radio programs. Des lives with his partner Sandy on Denman Island, BC.

Kennedy’s book will be available for purchase at this free event.