Impetuous Heart

by Nadine Gallo

Nadine Gallo brings us to the countryside of Ireland in 1917. Nora, Gallo’s feisty, romantic protagonist, plunges us into the atmospheric intrigue that was Ireland during the years preceding the Irish War of Independence. The homespun dress she wore seemed the color of a distant hill. She was shoeless as usual. The colors woven into her dress were like a rainbow trout’s. When they all blended together they were like mist over a lake. Through this fifteen-year old adventurer, we see the misty hills of Eire, hear the brogues and turns of phrase and explore the politics of the times. Nora is steeped in the twists and turns of Michael Collins and DeValera, in the conflicted Irish participation in WWI, and her heart is full with Tim Keane, the local lad going off to the slaughtering fields of Nora loved his stories, his poems made up on the spur of the moment. She knew that he loved her for her sudden changes of mind, her devilment, as her father said. Not a girl to sit and wait, Nora visits a cave and hears the voice of an Faint harp music could be heard in the distance and then a voice spoke like water pouring over rocks. Throughout the book, Gallo’s prose is the voice in the cave, lyrical, irreverent, prophetic and alluring. She delivers Fitzgerald and Kennedy clan lore, curses and blessings in this brilliant telling of a brave and clever girl who sees ghosts in the gorse bushes and can sell her own hand spun, hand-knitted shawl for a pounds worth of salmon and eggs. This is a spell worth succumbing to. NADINE GALLO was born in Astoria, Queens in 1936. Her parents were immigrants. Mother Nora told stories of rebels, ghosts and fairies while her father Stephen told sea stories from Liverpool to New York. Later they went to Brosna, Kerry where the stories came alive.

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tina Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Impetuous Heart" by Nadine Gallo is a beautiful story set in Ireland during the first World War. The descriptions masterfully capture Nora's surroundings: the Irish countryside, her small but comfortable home, clothing, and the details of daily life in her tightknit community.

When young Nora's boyfriend Tim goes to France to fight in the war, she wonders whether she'll ever see him again. Plus she must help her mother take care of her large family, and her father with the weaving, and she's the first to offer to help others, a well. A very full plate for the teenager.

The talk of curses throughout the book was very intriguing. I got a feel for the Brosna area of Ireland during this tragic time period, of the strong and courageous people, and Irish culture.

This was a delightful story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impetuous Heart is breezy, honest and full of a kind of loving meditation to the core details that illustrate - rather than explain - characters and context. What struck me most powerfully was a sense of community in which each person could hold a wide range of ideas, and express them even in somewhat dangerous circumstances. There's an undercurrent of open curiosity, a willingness to engage without scapegoating, while at the same time holding steady on the basic realities of their existence. I was charmed by the stories within the story, the way different worlds combine in an aesthetic that owes much to the art of weaving. Dwelling here a while was a centering thing. Pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea, and visit.

[Glenn Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. If you enjoy Irish historical fiction you will enjoy this book. The book is different, as each chapter is set up in a different setting, sort of like a play. I liked it for this - it was different. One of my fifth-grade teachers wrote this book.