Ireland: A Novel [Paperback]

In the winter of 1951, a storyteller, the last practitioner of an honored, centuries-old tradition, arrives at the home of nine-year-old Ronan O'Mara in the Irish countryside. For three wonderful evenings, the old gentleman enthralls his assembled local audience with narratives of foolish kings, fabled saints, and Ireland's enduring accomplishments before moving on. But these nights change young Ronan forever, setting him on a years-long pursuit of the elusive, itinerant storyteller and the glorious tales that are no less than the saga of his tenacious and extraordinary isle.

History, legend, memory and myth come seamlessly together in Frank Delaneys wonderfully engaging new novel, Ireland.An epic novel of history and storytelling.Delaney gracefully collects essential mythsand invents a few, tooin his heartfelt ode to the oral tradition.Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic, slyly comic ... imaginatively [tells] the history of Ireland.In the end, IRELAND is, as the Irish themselves are fond of saying about everything from cabbage to castles, brilliant.Miraculous ... As befits its title, IRELAND touches the heart and moves the soul.Extraordinary & Delaney is such a fabulous storyteller that the 560 pages fly by.Delaney has written an epic novel on the history of Ireland....Hes a born storyteller.A sprawling, riveting read ... the stories utterly captivate ...in this rich and satisfying book.A vivid rendering of Irish history.. reminiscent of the best of James Michener in scope and sheer crowd-pleasing potential.Highly recommended & fans of Edward Rutherfords historical sagas will love it.A remarkable achievement....Frank Delaney has written a beautiful book.An absolute masterpiece. With this extraordinary novel Frank Delaney joins the ranks of the greatest of Irish writers.If youre a lover of Irish myths and history, there are rich pickings here.