The Local

Following the September 11th attacks, the author was delivered to Guinan's - a tiny Irish pub and general store on the banks of the Hudson River. This is a love story about a place and the people who bring it to life. Containing stories of joy and sorrow, it is a tale of the pub's fight to endure and the author's search for a simpler way of life.

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Following the September 11th attacks, Manhattan journalist, Wendy Bounds was delivered by a friend to Guinan's - a tiny Irish pub and general store on the banks of the Hudson River in the small town of Garrison. A visit that began with one beer turned into a life-changing encounter. Captivated by the charismatic owner of this pub that was the living heart of the village, Bounds moved to Garrison. She became one of the regulars and was quickly swept up by its charms and motley characters. There was the garrulous Jim Guinan himself, with ailing health, but rich tales of the pub's past; Fitz, a tough-talking Vietnam veteran who took the author under his wing; and Lou-Lou, the most faithful four-legged parishioner at the pub. A stunning slice of life told with sensitivity and humour, "The Local" is a love story about a place - and the people who bring it to life. Filled with stories of joy and sorrow, of universal family struggles with loyalty and love, it is a riveting tale of the pub's fight to endure and Bounds' search for a simpler way of life.
This beautifully-written and brilliantly insightful book is as much about remembering to value the past as it is about learning to seize the present.