Book review by Aarene Storms: Ireland

Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian

Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"Ireland" by Frank Delaney

Ronan O'Mara is nine years old in 1951 when he first meets the seanachi, a wandering storyteller who travels on foot through the country of Ireland collecting stories and leaving stories behind in the hearts of his listeners. The boy is entranced not only with the tale of the building of Newgrange "before Stonehenge in England, before the pyramids of Egypt", but also with the storyteller himself, to whom he is irresistibly attracted. When the seanachi moves on, Ronan wants so much to follow that he spends the next decades in search of the old man and the stories.

Tales of Ireland, from prehistory to the Easter Uprising, are beautifully interspersed with the story and fortunes of Ronan O'Mara and his family. Some stories are familiar; most are not. All are told with a huge epic narrative arc comparable to the novels of James Michener.

This is one of the most compelling, enjoyable books I have ever read. Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult who love a big, satisfying read. No on-page sex, but adult situations are implied. The blood and heartbreak of the Irish Post Office rebellion may be distressing to sensitive readers. A good choice for book discussion groups.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern