Patricia Lynch Books In Order

Publication Order of Brogeen Books

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of The Turf-Cutter's Donkey Books

Patricia Lynch was a noteworthy Irish author and journalist, who was well known for writing children’s books and fantasy novels. She had written around 48 books and 200 short stories in her writing career. Lynch was particularly popular for blending the rural life of Ireland with fantasy fiction. The most popular work of author Lynch is The Turf-Cuttler’s Donkey, which was released in 1934. Besides this, she had penned many other successful stand-alone novels in her career. Author Lynch was born in 1894 in Cork, Ireland. Her father, Thomas Lynch, was a journalist and stockbroker, while her mother, Nora Lynch, was a homemaker. Lynch has three siblings, two sisters named Winifred and Laura, and a brother named Henry Patrick. Following her father’s untimely death, Lynch completed her school education from schools located in Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, and England.

Lynch completed further education and started working as a journalist. Among her earliest assignments was the reporting on Easter Rising in Dublin. Even though author Lynch was a committed Irish throughout her life, she had developed a London accent towards the later years of her life. She was known to be acquainted and friends with a number of notable nationalists like Constance Markievicz and Maud Gonne. Author Lynch was highly active in obtaining votes for the women of her time. An essay was published on author Lynch by an Irish Playwright named Teresa Deevy in 1948 under the title of ‘A Study’. Lynch was married to a socialist historian named R.M. Fox. Their marriage took place in 1922, following which Lynch moved to Glasnevin with Fox and settled there. Author Lynch breathed her last on Septmeber 01, 1972 in Monkstown, County Dublin. She is buried in the Glasnevin Cemetery beside her husband. A semi-autobiography of Lynch entitled ‘A Story Teller’s Childhood’ was released in 1947. In Turf-Cutter’s Donkey, author Lynch has described the story of two children named Eileen and Seamus, along with a small gray donkey named Long Ears and an enchanted teapot. In the book, the children are seen going through an adventure and meeting various interesting creatures. The success of this book enabled author Lynch to come up with several sequels later.

Another exciting series of novels penned by author Lynch is called as the Brogreen series. This is a fantasy series of children’s books and features the lead character as a leprechaun named Brogreen, who has the habit of running away from home. This story has been adapted into a puppet theater series and released on the Irish TV. Several recitations of the story have taken place on radio also. Among the non-fantasy books of author Lynch, the most popular one is The Bookshops on Quay. This book describes the story of a guy named Shane, who learns the bookselling trade in Dublin. In addition to writing independently, author Lynch had entered into collaborations with writers like Helen Staunton and Teresa Deevy. Author Lynch’s literature was morally simple and it is praised even today for the depiction of otherworldly life in western Ireland. The protagonists created by her in her books encounter characters from the Irish folklore quite often and speak Gaelicised English. Several critics have described the works of author Lynch as the most heartwarming and richest family stories. Lynch had collaborated with several renowned artists for the purpose of illustrations in her novels, including Sean Keating, Jack B. Yeats, and John Butler Yeats.

A successful book written by author Patricia Lynch is entitled ‘Back of Beyond’. It was first published in 1966 and then re-published in 1993 by the Poolbeg Press. This novel tells the story of 4 children, who reside with their grandmother after the death of the mother. The father of the children remains away from home for work. The loving grandmother keeps the children cheerful with traditional tales. Just after the grandmother tells the children a story about a cruel stepmother, they receive a letter from their father saying that he is going to marry again. The children become terrified at this news. They run away from their granny’s home and try to look for their favorite aunt.

During their journey, they come across some very strange characters. In the end, the children are found and brought to their home safely. They reunite with their dad and also meet their stepmother. The children are surprised to find that their new mother is not at all frightening. In fact, they become happy to see that she is very loving and caring towards them. This book was highly appreciated by readers and critics. They gave excellent reviews and praised the overall story. Its success added a few more stars in the already glittering career of Lynch. She was overjoyed with the book’s success and expressed her gratitude to all her fans.

Another exciting book written by Lynch is called ‘Fiddler’s Quest’. It was initially released in 1957 and then the Poolbeg Press re-published it in 1994. Author Lynch has done the setting of the novel’s plot in Dublin and America, and has mentioned the members of the Rafferty family as the central characters. At the book’s start, a young girl from Ireland is forced to shift to Dublin and lived with the family of her friends after her father moves to The United States. She does not have anything with her except her violin. The girl thinks that she has to live from her home only for some days after which everything will be fine and she will move back to live with her rich grandfather. But, her grandfather does not come for many days to take.

Meanwhile, the girl spends too much time in the company of the young Raffertys and their mother. As the days pass by, she starts adjusting to their lifestyle. The Raffertys indulge in music, dancing, and laughter during the evenings, which the girl also enjoys. At last, the grandfather of the girl comes to get her. His arrival is depicted in a dramatic, Ouixotic, and vivid manner by Lynch. The readers liked each and every element of the story and enjoyed reading about them. They praised the plot set up and the interesting characters created by Lynch for this story. This book went on to do a great business and helped author Lynch in becoming much more famous and popular as a writer of fantasy stories.

2 Responses to “Patricia Lynch”

1. Dr. Joyce Dawson: 6 months ago

   Do any of the books in your collection show Isobel Inglehart (nee Dawson) as illustrator? She was an artist and illustrator who lived in New York, Connecticut and Arizona, and possibly Victoria BC, Canada. I am Isobel’s niece-in-law but saw little of Isobel in her last years. For family history purposes I am trying to learn more about this enigmatic woman.
   From what I can recall, she and her husband (John) made a very comfortable income from their art and it appears that Isobel’s forte were ‘romantic’ paperbacks.
   Many thanks for any information you might be able to provide.
   Joyce Dawson

   Reply
2. Patricia Lynch Krezel: 3 years ago

   A Storyteller’s Childhood was given to me many years ago by my sister who bought it in Ireland.
   Knowing all this about her makes me even more proud of my name!!! I hope I will meet her some- day in our afterlives!!!

   Reply