Turn Left at the Black Cow: A Hollywood Family in Ireland

I stumbled upon this book searching for books about Fred Astaire and was so glad that I found it. Richard McKenzie has such a good eye for people. I loved the stories about his neighbors in Ireland as well as the unique insight into Fred Astaire. I highly recommend this book.

There are many remarkable qualities to this book, chief among them the wonderful people that inhabit it. With an engaging, almost poetic style, we are invited into a world of personal impressions and happenings that are both deft and trenchant. This is a universe that contains the likes of David Niven, Barbara Stanwyck, Hermes Pan along with the likes of Kevin O'Mahoney and countless neighbors and un-famous friends--all remembered with a discerning wit and a loving appreciation. You have to love a book that shares insights about Hollywood royalty AND the personalities of cats and cows and other assorted creatures dear to the author and his family. It is full of grace, as you might imagine, humor that might not, and a heart that will always envelope you. For my money, it's a family I'd love to be a part of--if only to meet a woman who dries her garden-fresh lettuce in the spin-cycle of her washing machine! There are many such gifts along this singular journey.

Richard McKenzie writes as he paints, with gentle humor and keen observation. The story of his and his wife's (Ava Astaire McKenzie's) move from Beverly Hills to rural Ireland is told so entertainingly the book became my noontime treat. I highly recommend it.