Letters to Olive

John Quinn met his wife Olive in Blanchardstown sanatorium. The shy, young teacher and the confident beauty fell in love – letters flew between them and diary entries recorded heady times. In June 2001, they went for a trip to Rosslare to celebrate Olive’s recovery from a recent illness. Olive went for a swim in the sea as John watched fondly from the shore – it was the last time he would see her alive. Since her death, John has tried to make sense of his devastating loss by weaving together a selection of letters, some written during their courtship, some written by John after Olive’s death, diary entries, anecdotes and poems to illuminate his account of their life together. This book includes John’s first book about Olive, Sea of Love, Sea of Loss, and John’s recollections about and letters to Olive in the ten years since her death.