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Two Closes and a Referendum is an engaging tale of ordinary people in an extra ordinary time. This novel brilliantly captures the growing excitement and fervour of the 2014 Independence Referendum that changed Scotland forever, as ordinary citizens explored their identity and wrestled with the hopes and fears that surrounded the choice they were asked to make.
The book follows the political journeys made by the inhabitants of two slightly different Glasgow closes. It ends with a powerful and insightful Epilogue.
Two Closes and a Referendum was first published by Ringwood in 2017. It received considerable praise, including the following reviews.
βWith Two Closes and Referendum, Mary McCabe demonstrates an acute ear for dialogue and a lug tuned perfectly to the speech of Glasgow in the 21st-century. This novel is a poignant recollection of a dramatic year in her cityβs history -one which united and divided its people - the year of the Scottish Referendum of 2014. There are love affairs lost and found, Tensions between people, nd dilemmas within people, played out against the compelling narrative of a populous desperately wanting hope to triumph over fear. The author has a lifetime of political activism to draw from and conveys this in a series of linked cameos and vignettes of people who embody those hopes, fears, loves and hate in a city confronting momentous change.Β We ken whit side the author wis on, but that disnae stop her embracing the great humanity of the multitude of kenspeckle characters inhabiting her cityβ-Β Billy Kay
βI enjoy Mary McCabeβs writing - so glad that the follow-up to Stirring the Dust covers such an important Scottish experience. Maryβs characters talk the way me and my friends do, invoking memories and emotions.Β Our Independence Referendum brought passion, joy and heartache: Mary McCabe tells that story." - Linda Fabiani, former Minister of Culture in the Scottish Government.
βMary McCabeβs Two Closes and a Referendum summons up the magic and pace of the political contest in 2014. If you enjoy the fight, or even if you missed it, this is the book for you.β - Elspeth King, Director Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.Β
In these turbulent and often depressing times, it is important to remember the passion and commitment that accompanied the first Referendum and hopefully can be recreated as Scotland reconsiders its future.
