Vignettes of Irish social life introduce us to houses never sold and fill readers in on the eventful history of the Duchess of Devonshire. Some of the most intriguing essays detail travels to remote parts of the globe, to Yemen, the home of the legendary Queen of Sheba, to Nagaland in the far north-east of India, or to Timbuktu in Mali. But even if only a visit to a restaurant in Barcelona where food is served entirely in the dark, or to an artists' centre high in the Pyrenees, the amused gaze of the writer brings the experience vividly to life. Many will remember Melosina's voice from RTE's 'Sunday Miscellany', where several pieces were first broadcast, or have read them in 'An Irishwoman's Diary' in The Irish Times. Though all of her essays convey her distinctive slant on life, relatively few were directly concerned with its personal aspects. Some of these are selected here and include a moving account of her experience of cancer, from which she eventually died in October 2011. Edited by her niece Sophia Grene, 'A Life in Postcards' is divided into several sections, each introduced by members of the family or friends, who round out a sense of the writer's life.
Melosina Lenox- Conyngham's writings are rich with a delightful sense of humour and her ironic, quizzical pleasure in the world is contagious. This anthology is a joy to read.