Audiobook Review: The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin

In The Testament of Mary (3 hours, 7 minutes; narrated by Meryl Streep), author Colm Toibin gives voice to Mary, mother of Jesus. Now elderly, Mary remembers the crucifixion of her Son and retells it in grim detail. She also provides her perspective on his followers - and it is not an exalted view. In much the same way, she is cynical about her Son's death; she does not share his view that He will rise again and questions whether His violent death was "worth it". Her bitter, resigned tone is in stark contrast to the portrait painted of her in Bible as a long-suffering but gracious martyr who sacrificed her only Son for the greater good of humanity.

In this novella, Mary is a grieving mother, mourning the loss of her only Son. With mourning, comes anger - anger at those that killed him, at herself for not doing enough for him on his path to crucifixion and anger at his zealous followers and what she sees as their celebration of his death. To them, he was a leader of a movement and he has left a legacy they must carry on by telling his stories in Gospels and starting the Church. To Mary, however, he was her son - completely human, cruelly executed and his death is nothing to be celebrated. His supposed legacy does not bring her comfort. Rather, she is suspicious of His disciples, questions their motives and finds their efforts to care for her cloying and overbearing.

My Thoughts
This book fascinated me not only because it provided a provocative view so contrary to everything I learned in Catholic school but also because the author executes the narrative with such artistry. In typical Toibin style, the language is spare but beautiful. The spare narrative only emphasizes the raw grief experienced by Mary and brings that to life. Mary in this tale is, first and foremost, human. She experiences grief you would expect from any mother but it is still shocking as it runs counter to all we have been told about the martyr Mary who gave up her only Son to save the world. Even though the events of the story - walking to the cross, His death, and the discovery of the empty tomb on the third day are well known by those familiar with the New Testament, this novella is gripping because we hear it from the perspective of someone who cannot celebrate the miracle but rather mourns her Son and questions how there can be any value in his cruel death.

The audiobook is narrated by Meryl Streep and her performance is exemplary. I felt as if I was sitting in a theater listening to a Broadway performance.  She imbues each line with such emotion that I actually had a heavy heart listening in places as Meryl as Mary describes her overwhelming grief. As beautiful as Toibin's written words are, I think they were made all the better by Streep's performance.  Highly recommend this provocative but beautiful novella.

Audiobook Review: An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor

An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor (10 hours, 19 minute; narrated by Terry Donnelly): Maureen "Kinky" Kincaid is the wry, no-nonsense housekeeper to Doctor Fingal O'Reilly and his young assistant Dr. Barry Laverty in the town of Ballybucklebo. For the first few books in the series, she supported the doctors and was largely in the background; this book tells her story before she came to Ballybucklebo.

 Kinky begins telling her story to a group of local children at Christmas. She weaves the tale of Irish fairies, or dubh sidhe, through her own story and captivates the young children. Young Maureen O'Hanlon was fey and could see things that others could not. At first, she was scared of "the sight" which her mother also shared but as she grew to trust it she realized she had a gift. Her gift also gives her a healthy respect for the fairies and their power to punish those that cross them while protecting others. There is a lot of folklore and magic smattered throughout the story of her young life but it features a little less prominently as she meets her future husband. Maureen was instantly taken by Paudeen Kincaid even though his traditional beliefs about women not working ran counter to Maureen's desire to be teacher and her independent streak. Their love story is endearing, if tragic.

My Thoughts
I have read a number of the books in this popular Irish series (my review of An Irish Country Christmas) and always enjoy the cozy nature of the books. I get drawn into the small town life and the memorable characters. An Irish Country Girl did not disappoint but it is different from the earlier books.  The biggest difference is the theme of Irish mythology and the prominence it takes within the book. I initially had trouble with this part of the book but the storytelling eventually drew me in.

This is my first time listening to the narration of Terry Donnelly and I really enjoyed her narration - it was such a pleasure listening to her lilting Irish accent. Although this is the fourth book in the series, it truly stands alone as it is the contained story of Kinky's young life with almost no character overlap with the other books. If you are looking for an enjoyable read with a peek into small town Irish life of the past, pick up An Irish Country Girl and get transported by a true Irish storyteller.

Announcing The Ireland Reading Challenge 2014

Carrie from Books and Movies has hosted the Ireland Reading Challenge for the past number of years and I have always enjoyed participating - books set in Ireland or by Irish authors are a favorite genre of mine - and it was great to see the variety of books read by the partipants. Carrie was looking for a new host for the challenge and I am glad to take it over - thanks to Carrie for all the excellent work in hosting this challenge until now. I haven't changed much (other than the start and end dates) - why mess with a good thing?!

 Here are the guidelines:

 ~ The challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to November 30, 2014.

 ~ Any books read for this challenge can also apply to other challenges you are working on.

~Re-reads are allowed.

 ~ Any book written by an Irish author, set in Ireland, or involving Irish history or Irish characters, counts for the challenge – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, audiobooks, children’s books – all of these apply.

 ~ Choose your commitment level:
 Shamrock level: 4 books
 Luck o’ the Irish level: 6 books
Kiss the Blarney Stone level: 8 books
Ceilidh level: 10+ books

 ~ Sign up below and feel free to copy the button at the top of this post and put it into your sign-up post or on your blog

You don’t have to list your books ahead of time – just have fun reading throughout the year.

 ~ I will add a Mr. Linky for reviews and wrap-up posts and you can always get to the info page or review link-up via the links in my sidebar (look left).

Credit

Adh mor ort! (Good Luck to you!)

Review: City of Hope by Kate Kerrigan

City of Hope by Kate Kerrigan continues the story of Ellie Hogan which started in the novel Ellis Island (my review). When we leave Ellie in Ellis Island, she has returned home to Ireland following the death of her father and is reunited there with her husband, John. City of Hope picks up a number of years later, still in Ireland, and Ellie has made her mark on the rural village in which she and John live. She has a number of small business and is as independent as ever. When John dies suddenly, Ellie, despite her apparent strength, can't cope. She flees Ireland and arrives back in New York City, now in the throes of the Depression.

Ellie Hogan is strong-willed and relishes her independence. Beneath that hard exterior, however, Ellie has a strong love for her husband and even curtails some of her grand ideas to align to her husband's desire for a more humble lifestyle. She is devastated when John dies suddenly of a heart attack and feels some guilt since she had been more focused on getting to town to check in on one of her businesses on the day John died than on spending time with him. In a rash act, Ellie flees Ireland following the funeral and heads to NY - she can't bear her grief in Ireland and is desperate for distraction.  There is much to distract her in NY but it is not what she expected. The NY she left was glittering with parties, fashionable clothes and beautiful homes; she returns to NY in the Depression and she is surrounded by desperation with families living on the streets.

Ellie soon finds her purpose among the needy in NY and starts refurbishing derelict homes and taking in needy families. Ellie gets to further bury her grief while staying so busy and the families gain some dignity as they work for Ellie refurbishing and running the homes. Soon she has launched small businesses including a bakery and uses the profits to further her initiative of providing homes for the needy. Despite the satisfaction Ellie gets from her good works, she is running from her grief and it is always on the verge of catching up to her.

My Thoughts
As with Ellis Island, I was drawn into City of Hope and the story the author weaved. I found myself rooting for the families that Ellie "rescued" and enjoyed watching their redemption as they contributed to helping other families in need. Although baffled by Ellie's choices at times, I couldn't help but cheer for her too and admired her strength and willingness to "just get it done".  I felt sorry for Ellie, too, both for her loss and for her inability to be honest with herself and those around her about her grief. As a reader, I knew she could not outrun her grief and dreaded the moment at which it would catch up with her.

City of Hope is a fabulous follow-up to Ellis Island and I loved the continuation of Ellie's story. It does, however, stand on it's own. If you enjoy immigrant stories, historical fiction or stories of redemption, you will love City of Hope!

You can read other reviews of the book from those on the TLC Tour.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing an ARC as part of the tour.

Review: The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes

Author Marian Keyes is back with a book featuring the Walsh sisters, The Mystery of Mercy Close. Four of the authors prior novels have featured the Walsh sisters - Watermelon, Angels, Rachel's Holiday, and Anybody Out There - each focused on one on this sisters and this last one focuses on the youngest, Helen.  A private investigator in Dublin, Helen's business has been suffering due to the tough economic climate in Ireland. She has gotten behind on her mortgage payments and ends up having to move back in with her parents. She is feeling pretty low because of her change in fortune when an old friend asks for her investigative assistance in finding the lost member of a reunited boy band.

Wayne Diffney from the boy band, "The Laddz", lives on Mercy Close in Dublin. He mysteriously disappears a week before the band's big reunion. Jay Parker is producing the reunion show and he contracts Helen to find Wayne urgently. Helen put aside her own personal struggles to try to focus on the mystery of the disappearing "boy band" member. In an effort to try to understand Wayne's state of mind before his disappearance, Helen spends a lot of time in his house on Mercy Close looking through his records and generally trying to determine what was going on with Wayne before he left or was abducted. Having recently lost her own home, she develops an unusual attraction to Wayne's home and starts to feel very comfortable there.

In between searching for Wayne, Helen is spending time with her boyfriend Artie. Unfortunately, things with Artie are also a bit complicated. With three young children that spend a lot of time at his house, there is very little along time for Artie and Helen. In addition, Artie's ex-wife is on very friendly terms with Artie and is constantly there. Although Helen likes her, she could do with seeing a little less of her. The undercurrent to all  these problems is Helen's state of mind. She is grappling with depression and it colors her view of everything including her relationship with Artie and her job as a private investigator.

My Thoughts
I have long been a fan of Marian Keyes and especially her Walsh sisters series; I wrote in this post about Marian Keyes's "skillful chicklit". So I was excited to learn that the author was back with a new book and it was about the youngest Walsh sister, Helen. Unfortunately, however, this book just didn't work for me. Helen's hi-jinks all seemed contrived and where I usually find wit in these books, I found that the jokes fell flat. The book also seemed inconsistent - at varying points in the book, Helen's issues with depression would come up but they didn't seem authentic and, at times, I felt she trivialized a very serious condition. There is even a suicide attempt in the book that seems very ill-placed. The author has been very public about her own struggles with depression so I am surprised at the lack of authenticity in the sections of the book dealing with depression. Or maybe this genre is just not conducive to such a serious topic. Either way, I am disappointed that this book didn't wow me as the others have done.

Not everyone felt the same as I did - you can check out other opinions at Chick Lit Central and Novelicious.

I received an e-galley for review via Netgalley

Review: A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

As a young girl, Chicky Starr was quite content with her life on the rugged West coast of Ireland and was prepared to live out a quiet life in Stoneybridge. When she meets a dashing young man visiting from America, Chicky's plans change and she heads to the US to make a life with her new love. When she ultimately returns to Stoneybridge, Chicky is an independent woman and no longer satisfied to just live a careful life in the small town. She bravely decides to buy the house belonging to the elderly Sheedy sisters and converts it in a guest house. In an effort to bring business to the new endeavor and also celebrate its launch, Chicky offers a week in winter at Stone House. When the lucky guests arrive, readers are treated to learning about each of their stories. In her final book, Maeve Binchy has once again created a delightful cast of characters - I didn't want that A Week in Winter to end!

A Week in Winter starts with Chicky's story and builds out from there. It moves on to Chicky's best friend from childhood and her troubled son, Rigger. Chicky takes Rigger on to work at Stone House and slowly turns his life around. Chicky's niece, Orla, reluctantly returns to Stoneybridge from London where she fled to escape small town life in the West of Ireland. She is at a crossroads in her young life and, despite not wanting to come home, she recognizes the opportunity with her Aunt as a chance to start over. She brings modern sensibilities to the old Stone House with Facebook and Twitter promotions. Like those working at Stone House, the guests are also looking for rejuvenation at the house - even if some are not aware that they are really looking for it. Each has their own unique circumstances which drew them to this week long vacation. For example, Lillian and her daughter in law to be, Winnie, have been thrown together by their love for John and must find a way to get along for his sake. A stern headmaster is sent to Stone House as a present for her retirement but even the breathtaking, rugged beauty of the West can't penetrate her tough exterior. The book reads like a set of interconnected short stories with Chicky and her Stone House as the anchor and consistent thread.

I definitely recommend spending time in the West of Ireland with Chicky and her assortment of family, friends and guests. Author Maeve Binchy completed this book just a few weeks before her death at age 72 in July 2012. Reading her final book was bittersweet - her books are always comfort reads for me and this one was no exception but I was plagued by disappointment realizing this would her last book. I don't generally re-read books but I may need to make an exception with Maeve Binchy.  

Review: Solace by Belinda McKeon

Solace by Belinda McKeon is set in modern day Ireland while the country is in the throes of economic crisis following the boom years.  Mark Casey is a PhD student at Trinity College in Dublin and is called home frequently to Longford to help his father, Tom, with the family farm. Mark deeply resents being urged back to the farm each weekend but his dislike for farming, like so much else, remains unsaid between Mark and his father. His mother constantly negotiates a careful peace between father and son - gently reminding Mark of his obligation to the family while making excuses to Tom when Mark doesn't make it down from Dublin for another weekend. Mark is away from home but not truly away  - the binds to the farm and family are not easily broken.

While in Dublin, Mark meets Joanne, a trainee "solicitor" (attorney) and they quickly fall into a relationship.  Like Mark, Joanne is from Longford and somewhat estranged from her family.  Although her mother doesn't expect her home each weekend, their relationship, much like Mark and Tom's, is fractured and she is separated from her mother by more than the mileage between Dublin and Longford. In that sense, Mark and Joanne understand each other and are both struggling to live their own lives separate from their families of origin.  Joanne certainly succeeds at that to a greater degree than Mark but she pays the price of total estrangement from her mother whereas Mark is unable to shut his parents out and carries out his obligatory farm work many weekends each month.

The book opens with a scene involving Mark, Tom and a baby girl on the farm - it is clearly post a tragedy but the reader doesn't know what tragedy has occurred or the relationship of the baby to Tom and Mark.  The novel then flashes back and moves slowly towards the tragic event. This keeps the story moving despite it being an otherwise quiet novel. The quietness stems from the persistent tension between the characters - especially Mark and Tom. The two men understand so little about each other but struggle, still, to communicate until it is almost painful to watch. Underneath their resentments and lack of understanding for each other, however, is a desire to connect and a love between father and son which cannot be denied.

My Thoughts
I was introduced to this book during a reading I attended at The Center of Fiction. Belinda McKeon, a young, debut writer from Ireland, appeared with Colm Toibin, one of Ireland's greatest modern writers. Each read from their new novels and talked about how "home" was represented in their novels and the meaning of home in many Irish novels. After reading Solace, I see other parallels between McKeon and Toibin's writing. They both write quiet novels where little may happen on the surface but there is much going on in the mind of the characters as they struggle to understand themselves and relate to those around them.  There is a darkness to their novels generally created by troubled characters steadily moving through life. If Toibin's spare style with characters grappling to understand themselves and move beyond losses great and small appeals to you, pick up Solace.  I am confident this novel will be one of many for the talented writer.

Review: When Summer's In the Meadow by Niall Williams and Christine Breen

When Summer's In the Meadow by Niall Williams and Christine Breen picks up where their first book O Come Ye Back to Ireland (my review) leaves off at the conclusion of their first full year living in rural Ireland.  In this latest installment, Niall and Christine learn they cannot have a child and start on the journey to adoption.  When they bring baby Deirdre home, she adds another dimension to their chosen life on the farm and they discover their chosen home of West Clare all over again.

The couple's first year on the farm after moving from bustling NYC to rural West of Ireland was filled with struggles as they battled the elements to eke out a living on their farm and tried to adjust to a new culture. As they head into their second year, however, the couple has hit their stride.  They revel in their small farm and their new found skills as farmers. They have come to rely on their neighbors in the village and learned the idiosyncrasies of rural life.  This shift from being more comfortable on the busy streets of NYC to being more comfortable in the fields of their farm in Kiltumper is evidenced when they return to Manhattan for a short visit after their first book is accepted for publication.  Niall describes their first day in the city:

Outside on the streets again we were like leaves in the wind. We've both lost the NY attitude and betray ourselves terribly by looking at things. New Yorkers don't look but seem to stride, gliding fast forward between offices and apartments with the certain knowledge that all around them and over them is a city so extraordinarily various that nothing it throws up in front of you is surprising anymore....Windows of dazzling jewels and expensive clothes don't necessarily stun you, for why should they, New Yorkers seem to say . . . tenaciously holding to a belief in the possibility of all things. This, more than anything, marks the foreignness of the city for both of us now. It is the thing we are most unused to, this attitude of confidence in the future, of certainty in attaining a goal.

 While they are settled in on the farm and comfortable in their decision to leave NY and live in Ireland, Niall and Christine struggle with coming to terms with the fact that they cannot have a baby and anxiously begin the adoption process in Ireland.  They are  thrilled when they bring baby Deirdre home and they rediscover the joy of rural living as they watch their new baby discover the joys of the farm for the first time. They are plagued by anxiety, however, as they wait for the adoption to become final - they cannot imagine baby Deirdre being taken back from them.

My Thoughts

Co. Mayo, Ireland

Yet another delightful installment from Kiltumper! I enjoyed continuing to read about Christine and Niall's adventures in rural Ireland and the shift in focus to their personal struggle with infertility. I would, however, still recommend starting with  O Come Ye Back to Ireland - it best captures the disorientation experienced when one moves to a new country and it is fascinating to watch the couple discover things about their new life in West Clare. When Summer's In the Meadow is more reflective as Niall and Christine consider how far they have come since first moving to Ireland.  The discoveries in this book are seen more through the eyes of their daughter - as Deirdre grows, explores and discovers during her first year of life on the farm, Christine and Niall see the farm and the life they have chosen in new ways and reap different benefits from their rural idyll. I definitely look forward to reading the next installment and seeing what else is in store for this family and especially for the peeks into the rural West of Ireland. 

Review and Giveaway: Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney

 Lola Quinlan is her family's matriarch, leader among her many friends and the glue that holds relationships together. Despite being in her 80's,  she is a force to be reckoned with within her family and her community. When her son and his wife plan to travel over Christmas and leave behind Lola in the motel they run in the Clare Valley,  Lola cooks up a plan so she will not be alone over the holiday.  In the lead up to Christmas, however, Lola also faces strained relationships within her family and a challenging addition to the committee at her charity.  Will Lola be able to pull everyone, strangers and family alike, together over the holidays and heal the cracks in their relationships?  If anyone can, it is Lola Quinlan.

Faced with spending Christmas alone, Lola decides not to close the motel as instructed by her son and his wife but to offer some rooms and a special Christmas luncheon in scenic Clare Valley.  She realizes managing the motel for ten guests will be a tall order for someone her age but she never turns down a challenge and thrives on human contact.  Ultimately, four groups book reservations at the hotel for the holiday and each is looking for refuge or healing in some way in the Clare Valley.  Meanwhile, Lola schemes to keep her plan secret from her family.

Considering the drama going on in the lives of Lola's family members, the secret is easy enough to keep.  Her two granddaughters, Bett and Carrie (first introduced in McInerney's novel Alphabet Sisters), have renewed their sibling rivalry now that they both have young children and each is insecure about their skills as a mother.  They both imagine that the other has this whole parenthood thing down and is secretly judging them.  They put Lola between them when they come to her for advice and tell their side of the story. Lola tries to help them but she also has her 12 year old great granddaughter to contend with as she struggles to accept the fact the her Dad is dating again following her mother's death. As only a wise great grandmother can, Lola tries to convince the girl to accept the changes in her Dad's life. To top it all off, Lola is dealing with a bossy new committee woman at the charity.  This woman has swooped in and taken over the annual window display for the charity store and has turned it into a dramatic, but unappealing, scene. Lola certainly has her share of battles on hand.

My Thoughts
Lola's Secret introduces us to feisty Lola and the wide cast of characters within her family and community. Lola is the type of woman we all wish we had in our own communities and families and is key to the success of this novel.  With so many characters, Lola is really the only character that gets developed so fully and she therefore is the spotlight of the novel.  In this way, the book reminds me of Maeve Binchy's novels - there is generally a strong main character around which the entire book is built.  The result is a novel in which the community becomes a character itself and charms the reader - that is exactly what happened with Lola's Secret.

My one quibble with the book is that there were a few plot lines that were never fully developed; for example, the beginning of the book spent time introducing us to the four groups planning to come to Clare Valley as part of Lola's scheme.  They each had their own interesting backstory and I wanted to see those stories come to fruition.  Instead, we were off to deal with Lola's family dramas and her issues at the charity shop. There could have been two novels - one that fully developed the four story lines of the guests and a second one focused on Lola and her family.

I was saddened to learn of Maeve Binchy's death earlier this year especially since I have always relied on her books as my comfort reads. I am thrilled to have discovered Monica McInerney because if Lola's Secret is any indication, I will be relying on her for my comfort reads!

I reviewed this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. You see more reviews at the other tour stops:

Monday, October 15th:  Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Wednesday, October 17th:  Seaside Book Nook

Thursday, October 18th:  Mom in Love with Fiction

Monday, October 22nd:  BookNAround

Wednesday, October 24th:  Silver & Grace

Thursday, October 25th:  Books in the City

Monday, October 29th:  Peppermint Ph.D.

Tuesday, October 30th:  Reviews from the Heart

Thursday, November 1st:  Colloquium

Monday, November 5th:  A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, November 6th:  Bookfoolery and Babble

Wednesday, November 7th:  Amused by Books

Thursday, November 8th:  Suko’s Notebook

Monday, November 12th:  Fiction State of Mind

Wednesday, November 14th:  Life in Review

Friday, November 16th:  Books and Movies

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours I have one copy of this book to offer as a giveaway.  To be entered, please leave a comment below telling me what book is your "comfort read" and a way to contact you.  Giveaway will close on Thursday November 1st.


I received an e-galley for review as part of the TLC Book Tour

Review: Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

In Heart and Soul, Maeve Binchy once again assembles a cast of loveable characters in her homeland - Ireland. This time the characters are all connected to Dr. Clara Casey who accepts the role of establishing a cardiac clinic in Dublin despite the fact that it means working for the miserly Frank who doesn't care about the outcomes of the patients so much as the bottom line in the accounting books. He has met his match - Clara is a force to be reckoned with both at home with her smart-mouthed teenagers and at the clinic as she tries to establish a state of the art facility focused on patient care.

Dr. Casey surrounds herself with a staff that all have their heart and concern for patients in common. There is young Dr. Declan Carroll who has recently qualified and is doing a rotation through the clinic; the Polish emigre Ania who works hard in her new country at many jobs including an assistant to Dr. Casey and the lovely Fiona Ryan - a nurse with charm to spare. Each staff member in the clinic has their own back story that gets explored as the novel progresses. In much the same way, the patients of the clinic are also a varied crew of characters. They each have their own story and many of those stories start to intersect with those of other patients or cast members. The result is the depiction of a real community where you feel you would know everyone as you passed them in the street.  

My Thoughts
 As I have said before, I am a big fan of Maeve Binchy - her novels bring me comfort and are always enjoyable reads. She charms me with her stories of Irish towns and their residents. Heart and Soul is no different and it is extra special in that it brings characters from earlier novels in for cameo appearances which brings back fond memories of those books. Clara Casey is a strong female character - she is an accomplished physician who assumes the challenging role of building the Heart Clinic while she is mother to two headstrong teenagers at home. The author, however, humanizes her by giving her a cheating ex-husband which adds interest to the story and shows the softer side to Clara. I read this book before the death of Maeve Binchy and had been looking forward to reading many more books by the author. While I am saddened to hear of the author's death, I am cheered to learn that a final book which the author finished prior to her death will be published. After that, I guess my only choice is to re-read all her novels!

Weekend Cooking: Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Morag Prunty

In Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, author Morag Prunty (who also writes as Kate Kerrigan) blends the stories of modern day Tressa Nolan living in NY and Tressa's grandmother Bernadine who lived in Achadh Mor, Ireland with treasured Irish recipes. The result is a novel that parallels the lives of the two women generations apart at they adjust to married life and celebrates the tradition of passing recipes down in families.

Tressa Nolan is a successful food writer living in New York City.  She spent summers with her grandparents in Achadh Mor, Ireland and learned how to cook and bake at her grandmother Bernadine's side.  She idolizes her grandparent's marriage and expects to find the same partnership when she finally settles down.  At 39, she impulsively gets together with Dan who is the super in her building.  They have little in common but Tressa is inexplicably drawn to Dan and accepts his marriage proposal.  And then the real work begins . . .  Tressa realizes she may not love Dan is not sure there is enough between them to make it worth persevering through the hard times.  The differences between them become magnified and Tressa questions her decision to marry Dan.

Bernadine and James's marriage seems perfect to their granddaughter Tressa but when she is given her grandmother's journal Tressa realizes all is not as it seemed while she visited them. Bernadine had her sights on another man as a young girl and was devastated when that did not work out.  She married James but never felt the passion she had felt with her first love.  James loved her but she struggled to reciprocate even though she dutifully played the role of his wife.  Similar to her granddaughter, Bernadine often resented her husband even though, like Dan, James offered Bernadine a comfortable life.

The book alternates between Bernadine and Tressa's stories as each of their marriages go through various stages. It is a good lesson in persevering  - either woman could have quit their marriage a number of times but they stuck with it (perhaps in Bernadine's case because there was no other option) and rode the ups and downs of their marriages.  There were times I was annoyed by both women - they each had these good, hardworking men who adored them and yet they were still dissatisfied and frustrated by the efforts of these men to please them. Their ungratefulness made it difficult for me to feel empathy for them. At the same time, I did enjoy the parallels in their stories and, of course, all the references to places and traditions in Ireland.

Credit: Brown Eyed Baker

One of those traditions is cooking and the author includes many Irish recipes in this book.  One of my favorite, albeit most basic, is Irish brown bread.  My grandmother in Ireland would make it and we would enjoy a slice with jam at breakfast and again at tea.  It is simple but it's appeal lies in the simplicity.  Here is the recipe:

1. 3 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6. 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk both flours with the baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the egg; stir into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Form the dough, put a cross in it and put it in the baking pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the bread has risen about 1/2 inch above the rim of the pan. Let cool to warm or room temperature, then slice and serve.     

Check out this Pinterest Board created for the book by the author.

Weekend Cooking is hosted each Saturday by Beth Fish Reads.  Participants are invited to share their food-related posts.  Check out what others have linked up this weekend!

 

Audiobook Review: Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy: Audio - 12 hours and 53 minutes

 I am a big Maeve Binchy fan and turn to her books when I need some easy, pleasant reading. Her stories, though containing some drama, tend to end well and leave me with a satisfied feeling. Until now, I have read all her books in paper but heard her books were good on audio. Well, perhaps I chose the wrong one because Whitethorn Woods was not enjoyable by audio at all.

 Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy, like the author’s book Heart And Soul, is set in the town of Rossmore in Ireland. The town is best known for St. Ann’s well where believers go, much to the local priest’s consternation, to pray for small miracles in their lives. The book tells the stories of various townspeople - there is a loose connection between many of the people in the different stories but what anchors it all together is the town of Rossmore and St. Ann’s well.

The anchor, however, was not enough to keep me oriented during this audiobook. Because the book is really a collection of loosely connected short stories, there are a lot of characters most of whom you don’t hear enough about to really know them or their voice. The audio format has about 3 narrators - two women and a man - so they each play multiple characters throughout the book. I found them all very hard to follow and spent the first five to ten minutes of each new story trying to orient myself to who they were and how they were or were not related to the other characters I had met in earlier stories. Just when I would begin to follow the story and want to learn more about the characters in it, we were on to another story and I was back at square one again.

 I do think this book would have been more enjoyable on paper - without the voices to follow, the move from story to story probably wouldn’t have been so jarring. In much the same way, I think some of Binchy’s more linear books would fit audio narration better. I am not giving up on this author or even this author on audio but cannot recommend Whitethorn Woods.

Have you read or listened to the author’s books? Which are your favorites?

Ireland Reading Challenge - Completed

Hard to imagine another year has gone by (I feel old every time I say that!) but it has and so has the Ireland Reading Challenge hosted by Carrie at Books and Movies. Ireland holds a special place in my heart - my Mom is from there and I spend a lot of time there with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins when I was growing up.

Kissing the Blarney Stone (credit: Blarney Castle)

So, I love to read a good book (fiction or non) set in the Emerald Isle. I signed up for the challenge at the Kiss the Blarney Stone level (6 books) and read:

  Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney (click for review): This book is set in the rugged West and explores the transgressions against a mother and how those are passed to her son.






Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan (click for review): This book chronicles the story of Ellie who leaves Ireland to work in the US at the turn of the century - it follows her adventures and her heartbreak at leaving her love back in Ireland. This is the first in a trilogy and I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

Shannon by Frank Delaney (review to come): I listened to this on audiobook and I think I will listen to all future books by the author on audio - he has a great narration voice and a lilting Irish accent - the perfect companion in the car or while out and about.


An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor (review to come): Another audiobook selection. The accent in this book is a little different because it is from the North but also nice to listen to. The adventures of the crew of Ballybucklebo are heartwarming and the Christmas setting makes it even more so.


One for Sorrow, Two for Joy by Elisa Juska (review to come): This author is not Irish but her character does flee to Ireland when she has marital problems. It is a fun story, easy read and uncelebrated find.





O Come Ye Back to Ireland by Christine Breen and Niall Williams (review to come): Christine Breen and her husband Niall Williams leave the bustle of NYC to settle in Christine's great-uncle's homestead in the rural West Clare countryside. The book chronicles their first year in Clare - this book completely charmed me and so much of what they experienced reminds me of my grandparents' home and what we would find when we went "home" for the summer. There are sequels to this book and I cannot wait to get to them!


I already have another pile of books ready for the 2012 Challenge - Carrie will have the sign-up post up soon so drop by and sign up!

Review: Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan

                          In Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan, we are introduced to Ellie Hogan, a young woman raised in rural Ireland, who leaves her homeland and husband to emigrate to the United States where she hopes to earn money to pay for an operation needed by her husband.  Headstrong, plucky Ellie faces many challenges when she arrives in NY but soon finds herself settling into her new life.  But she also misses her husband, John, and has to decide how she can have all her new life promises and the man she has loved since she was a young girl.


As neighbors, Ellie and John Hogan are playmates- they run through the fields and climb trees in their rural Ireland until eventually their friendship grows into something more serious.  Against Ellie's parents' wishes, they elope when Ellie is just eighteen.  When John is injured while fighting in Ireland's civil war, Ellie takes matters into her own hands and decided to move to the US for a year to make money to pay for John's operation. Once there, she overcomes her initial challenges fitting into a new world and begins to flourish.  Suddenly, she is pulled between two worlds - one in which she is self-sufficient and allowed some luxuries in life and one in which living is difficult without any modern conveniences but where she is with the man she loves.

I enjoy books with a theme of immigration and on that front this novel obviously delivers (the title really gives that away!) but there is much more to the book than an immigrant's story.  In fact, the novel is really about the immigrant herself - it is Ellie's story.  We see her as a headstrong young girl who chafes against her humorless, conservative parents and then as a young wife to a man committed to fighting for his country's freedom.  When she heads to NY, her headstrong ways hold her in good stead as she plucks up the courage to challenge the head of servants at the home in which she works as maid.  Unlike many immigrants, she is not easily taken advantage of and she is able to assert herself and get what she deserves.  We really only see the softer side of Ellie when she writes to and thinks of John - she is torn between her love for him and the independent life she has made for herself in NY.  Although set in the early 1900's, Ellie faces a dilemma faced by many modern women - she tries to find the balance between the independence wrought by hard work and self sufficiency with the comfort of a domestic life with the man she loves.

This novel was so enjoyable to read - it is very rich in detail so that we truly get a peek into Ellie's world.  In addition to Ellie and John's stories, there are so many characters that surround them from John's parents, Paud and Maidy to Ellie's friends in NY,  Sheila and Emilie.  A little bit is told of each of their stories so that you become immersed in Ellie's life.  In addition, the rugged beauty of rural Ireland is well sketched as is the glamour of NY at the turn of the century.  If you enjoy historical fiction or stories about strong women, this book is for you!  The best news is that there is more Ellie to come - this book is the first in a trilogy.

Author Kate Kerrigan was born and raised in London by Irish parents.  After living and working in England as a magazine journalist, Kate returned to Ireland and ultimately settled in the West of Ireland (up Mayo!) near her mother's hometown.  Kate will be guest posting on my blog on Monday and will talk about her own experience of being first generation and the child of immigrants.  Please come back then!

Review: Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney

Dance Lessons: A Novel by Aine Greaney is a story about the power of family legacy and how the marks of old hurts can be indelible.  Beginning in Boston and then moving to the rugged beauty of the West of Ireland, this wonderful novel introduces us to plucky but also damaged characters who perpetrate their hurt on those they love the most. 

Fintan Dowd moves to Boston from Ireland in the 80's and meets American born Ellen. Fintan tells Ellen his mother has died and that there is no one left behind in Ireland so they never visit during their 15 year marriage.  When Fintan dies suddenly in an accident,  Ellen discovers he had lied to her - his mother is alive (if not well) in Gowna, Co Mayo.  Ellen travels to her husband's birthplace, delivers the sad news to Fintan's mother and endeavors to understand this complicated woman and the childhood that shaped her, at times, difficult husband. 

Fintan's mother, Jo, is dying of lung cancer but her cantankerous personality is still alive and well.  As Ellen graciously offers to care for her, Jo begins to reveal her own history and that which shaped her son.  This quote perfectly sums up what drives Jo:

"Or while he's [Fintan] been away living that city life, has he somehow forgotten who he is?  No, who they are? Has he somehow forgotten the sufferance, the bitter sacrifice that forms the core, the credo of Jo Dowd's very existence?"

Jo visited this bitterness upon her son taking out her frustration on the child she loved so much - "Jo slaps her child simply because he's there - just there between her and the rest of the world".  It would be easy to make a villain of Jo but Aine Greaney skillfully creates a sympathetic and, at times, likeable character.  

In addition to learning about her mother-in-law, Ellen also learns some well buried secrets about her late husband, Fintan.  The trip to Ireland is really an excavation - Jo's past is explored as are the transgressions against her son and the impact they had upon him. 

I LOVED this novel - the setting is beautiful and charming but the characters are really what captivated me.  They are well drawn with a depth that includes their faults but also what they could not help - the legacy forced upon them.  I highly recommend this book!

Don't miss the author's guest post entitled "The Ever Present Past" in which she talks about her immigrant experience. 

Ireland Reading Challenge Completed!

The 2010 Ireland Reading Challenge was hosted by Carrie at Books and Movies.  I like to read Irish authors and books set in Ireland so I knew this challenge was for me and signed up at the top level - Kiss the Blarney Stone (6 books)!  This was one of the first challenges I finished but I was holding out on the wrap up post because I wanted to include a photo of me kissing the blarney stone from a childhood trip to Ireland but I kept forgetting to get the snapshot from my Mom.  So I have decided to include a few photos from my recent trips to Ireland at the bottom of the post.

Carrie will be hosting this challenge again in 2011 so stay tuned to her blog!



Here is what I read for the challenge (titles link to my reviews):

Carey, Alice: I'll Know It When I See It
Delaney, Frank: Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show

McPartlin, Anna: Alexandra, Gone
O'Carroll, Brendan: Agnes Browne Trilogy (The Mammy, The Chissellers, The Granny)
Toibin, Colm: Brooklyn

Gap of Dunloe - Co Kerry

Achill, Co Mayo