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Girl on the Leeside
A young, aspiring poet in a quiet Irish village thinks her life of books suits her perfectly until a charismatic newcomer from America broadens her horizons.
Siobhan Doyle grew up with her Uncle Kee at their family pub The Leeside, in rural Ireland. Kee has been staunchly overprotective of Siobhan ever since her mother's death in an IRA bombing, but now that she's an adult, it's clear that in protecting her Kee has unwittingly kept her in a state of arrested development. The pair are content to remain forever in their quiet haven, reading and discussing Irish poetry, but for both Siobhan and Kee fate intervenes.
A visiting American literary scholar awakens Siobhan to the possibility of a fulfilling life away from The Leeside. And her relationship with Kee falters after the revelation that her father is still alive. In the face of these changes, Siobhan reaches a surprising decision about her future. Lyrical and heartfelt, Kathleen Anne Kenney's Girl on the Leeside deserves a place alongside contemporary literature's best-loved coming-of-age novels.
Siobhan Doyle grew up with her Uncle Kee at their family pub The Leeside, in rural Ireland. Kee has been staunchly overprotective of Siobhan ever since her mother's death in an IRA bombing, but now that she's an adult, it's clear that in protecting her Kee has unwittingly kept her in a state of arrested development. The pair are content to remain forever in their quiet haven, reading and discussing Irish poetry, but for both Siobhan and Kee fate intervenes.
A visiting American literary scholar awakens Siobhan to the possibility of a fulfilling life away from The Leeside. And her relationship with Kee falters after the revelation that her father is still alive. In the face of these changes, Siobhan reaches a surprising decision about her future. Lyrical and heartfelt, Kathleen Anne Kenney's Girl on the Leeside deserves a place alongside contemporary literature's best-loved coming-of-age novels.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 2017
25 people are currently reading
1143 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Anne Kenney
1 book31 followersKathleen Anne Kenney is an author, freelance writer, and playwright. Her writing has appeared in Big River, Coulee Region Women, and Ireland of the Welcomes, as well as other publications. She has had numerous short plays presented in Minnesota theaters and has published the play The Ghost of an Idea, a one-actor piece about Charles Dickens. Her play New Menu was a winner in the 2012 Rochester Repertory Theatre’s national short-play competition. She is currently at work on a novel based on her 2014 stage play, The Bootleg Blues.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 24, 2017
2.5. A charming, quaint village in Ireland. A young woman in her twenties, being raised by her uncle.
Some gorgeous Irish poetry which was by far my favorite part. This is one of those books whose rating will depend on if the reader can believe and go where the author wants them to go. I obviously couldn't. Can't believe that a 27 yr. old woman can be so childlike, naive after living and basically raised in the atmosphere of a pub. The plot is unbelievably slow, almost painfully so. The setting and the imagery though was beautiful which is why I am rating this a three. Really wish I could have enjoyed this more, but alas I did not.
Some gorgeous Irish poetry which was by far my favorite part. This is one of those books whose rating will depend on if the reader can believe and go where the author wants them to go. I obviously couldn't. Can't believe that a 27 yr. old woman can be so childlike, naive after living and basically raised in the atmosphere of a pub. The plot is unbelievably slow, almost painfully so. The setting and the imagery though was beautiful which is why I am rating this a three. Really wish I could have enjoyed this more, but alas I did not.
August 1, 2017
4.25 stars
I kept putting this book off, right to the last minute, because I just felt that I would not like it. How wrong I was!
This is a wonderful character driven story. You meet, you learn about and you empathize with the these characters. They become your friends. You feel like that mouse in the corner, just watching, wishing you could speak to each one of them and bring them up to date about all the others.
Then, on top of that, put this bewildering group into a glorious awe inspiring landscape in Ireland. Throw in a handful of other delightful characters and you have one really good up-lifting read.
I had never read Kenney before, but will now look for her work.
I kept putting this book off, right to the last minute, because I just felt that I would not like it. How wrong I was!
This is a wonderful character driven story. You meet, you learn about and you empathize with the these characters. They become your friends. You feel like that mouse in the corner, just watching, wishing you could speak to each one of them and bring them up to date about all the others.
Then, on top of that, put this bewildering group into a glorious awe inspiring landscape in Ireland. Throw in a handful of other delightful characters and you have one really good up-lifting read.
I had never read Kenney before, but will now look for her work.
July 8, 2017
*4-4.5 stars. This is the July read for the Keep Turning Pages group. Many thanks to Doubleday for providing me with a free copy through their giveaway. Recommended for readers who enjoyed An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor.
The setting of the story is a quaint pub located on a beautiful lough in a remote area of Ireland. There lives a middle-aged man named Keenan Doyle, the proprietor of the pub, and his twenty-seven year old niece, Siobhan. Both have a great love and knowledge of Irish poetry and are thrilled when Tim Ferris, an American professor who is an expert on the subject, comes for a short visit.
Siobhan has a poetic soul and she and Tim find an instant connection when she says to him: "Irish poetry, especially the ancients, is an easy thing to be consumed by. It's so full of the beauty and passion of life--it's intense. It lays bare the evolution of the human condition. The more you go studying it, the more there is to find. It's like layers. You uncover more and more and the deeper you go the closer you get to your own soul. That's the power of it--and the pain."
Siobhan was orphaned at the age of two when her mother was killed in an IRA blast and was raised by her uncle and kept largely isolated from the world outside their rural domain. She has had little experience with men so Tim holds back his immediate feelings of attraction for her. When he returns to the US a few days later, the two keep up a daily email correspondence. He hopes for so much more.
Keenan, now fast approaching 50, was once a university student himself but left that behind to run the pub and raise his younger sister Maureen when their mother died. But she was a wild spirit and he could not control her; there was talk among the townspeople about sending her to the Magdalene Laundries, a place for unmarried flirty girls. (Please watch/listen to this excellent song by Joni Mitchell to learn more about what went on in those places: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DoAl...)
Rather than face that fate, seventeen-year-old Maureen runs away to the big city where, unbeknownst to her brother, she hooks up with a wild pub crowd, including some British soldiers stationed in the area. When she is killed in the bomb blast, Keenan learns for the first time that she has a two-year-old daughter named Susan, born out of wedlock and fathered by a British soldier. Oh the shame!
Returning home with the girl, he changes her name to Siobhan and tells everyone the father was killed in the blast as well. He sets about correcting the mistakes he thinks he made while raising Maureen, perhaps going too far in the other direction, keeping Siobhan in cotton wool, dissociated from the modern world. She is often thought by friends and neighbors to be fairy-like, in a world of her own, removed from reality. Can a young woman like this ever find love and live a normal life?
The story is a beautifully-written character-driven story. There are several more strong characters than I have mentioned in this review--people you'd be happy to meet in the real world. I held off on a 5-star rating because I thought the ending was a little too predictable and pollyanna-ish, at least for my taste. A remarkable debut work though--quite enchanting.
The book is filled with many examples of wonderful Irish poetry. I would recommend putting on some music by The Chieftains and sipping a wee bit of Bushmills to enhance your reading pleasure. :-)
The setting of the story is a quaint pub located on a beautiful lough in a remote area of Ireland. There lives a middle-aged man named Keenan Doyle, the proprietor of the pub, and his twenty-seven year old niece, Siobhan. Both have a great love and knowledge of Irish poetry and are thrilled when Tim Ferris, an American professor who is an expert on the subject, comes for a short visit.
Siobhan has a poetic soul and she and Tim find an instant connection when she says to him: "Irish poetry, especially the ancients, is an easy thing to be consumed by. It's so full of the beauty and passion of life--it's intense. It lays bare the evolution of the human condition. The more you go studying it, the more there is to find. It's like layers. You uncover more and more and the deeper you go the closer you get to your own soul. That's the power of it--and the pain."
Siobhan was orphaned at the age of two when her mother was killed in an IRA blast and was raised by her uncle and kept largely isolated from the world outside their rural domain. She has had little experience with men so Tim holds back his immediate feelings of attraction for her. When he returns to the US a few days later, the two keep up a daily email correspondence. He hopes for so much more.
Keenan, now fast approaching 50, was once a university student himself but left that behind to run the pub and raise his younger sister Maureen when their mother died. But she was a wild spirit and he could not control her; there was talk among the townspeople about sending her to the Magdalene Laundries, a place for unmarried flirty girls. (Please watch/listen to this excellent song by Joni Mitchell to learn more about what went on in those places: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DoAl...)
Rather than face that fate, seventeen-year-old Maureen runs away to the big city where, unbeknownst to her brother, she hooks up with a wild pub crowd, including some British soldiers stationed in the area. When she is killed in the bomb blast, Keenan learns for the first time that she has a two-year-old daughter named Susan, born out of wedlock and fathered by a British soldier. Oh the shame!
Returning home with the girl, he changes her name to Siobhan and tells everyone the father was killed in the blast as well. He sets about correcting the mistakes he thinks he made while raising Maureen, perhaps going too far in the other direction, keeping Siobhan in cotton wool, dissociated from the modern world. She is often thought by friends and neighbors to be fairy-like, in a world of her own, removed from reality. Can a young woman like this ever find love and live a normal life?
The story is a beautifully-written character-driven story. There are several more strong characters than I have mentioned in this review--people you'd be happy to meet in the real world. I held off on a 5-star rating because I thought the ending was a little too predictable and pollyanna-ish, at least for my taste. A remarkable debut work though--quite enchanting.
The book is filled with many examples of wonderful Irish poetry. I would recommend putting on some music by The Chieftains and sipping a wee bit of Bushmills to enhance your reading pleasure. :-)
April 5, 2017
You know you loved a book when you are sad to have finished it ....when you sit and try to imagine the next chapter. Ireland has always called my name, so I was thrilled to win a giveaway set in that beautiful, mysterious country. Siobhan lost her mother when she was two. Her father was an unknown. Her Uncle Klee raised her at Leeside, a country pub, quiet, beautiful and somewhat isolated. They both were passionate about early Irish literature. Siobhan grew up introverted, self contained and contented....until a stranger, also emersed in ancient Irish literature came for a short visit to share his passion with her uncle. This was the beginning of Siobhan's introspection, confusion, awakening and emergence into the real world.
The beauty of the written words, the snatches of poetry, the bonds with a few well chosen friends and their philosophies of life or self discovery are all gems in this story and draw you to Leeside.
The beauty of the written words, the snatches of poetry, the bonds with a few well chosen friends and their philosophies of life or self discovery are all gems in this story and draw you to Leeside.
September 4, 2018
I really really really liked this book! I seem to automatically be enthralled by an Irish/Scottish setting, and I loved these characters! Each character was well drawn at a level that felt quite intimate to me as a reader. I could understand and relate to each person's underlying frustration as well as his/her thought processes. I felt that Kenney did an amazing job of revealing just what was needed of each character's thoughts and actions to create a very intimate connection to each one.
I will definitely be watching for any books written by her in the future!
I will definitely be watching for any books written by her in the future!
July 8, 2017
I first received this from Netgalley, and then won the paper copy from a Goodreads Giveaway. Yay me!
This was a nice story about a girl who came to live with her uncle after her mother (and presumably her father) was killed in an IRA bombing. Her uncle is overprotective and Siobhan has led a happy yet very isolated and overprotected life on the Leeside.
When the professor of Irish studies from America comes to visit, Siobhan's world starts to open just a little bit, but she's conflicted about letting this man into her life and changing it, or staying in her little world of isolation with her uncle.
Just a nice story, but not a great and gripping read for me. The author loved to liberally use the word "lough" (pronounced like lock). Sometimes it appeared two-three times on the same page! (Seems to be an issue of some irritation for me given that my last read, Grief Cottage, suffered from overuse of grief cottage mentions.) I've seen this listed as a YA read. I wouldn't necessarily say it is at all, but I don't think there's anything inside here that would not make it suitable for a younger reader?
This was a nice story about a girl who came to live with her uncle after her mother (and presumably her father) was killed in an IRA bombing. Her uncle is overprotective and Siobhan has led a happy yet very isolated and overprotected life on the Leeside.
When the professor of Irish studies from America comes to visit, Siobhan's world starts to open just a little bit, but she's conflicted about letting this man into her life and changing it, or staying in her little world of isolation with her uncle.
Just a nice story, but not a great and gripping read for me. The author loved to liberally use the word "lough" (pronounced like lock). Sometimes it appeared two-three times on the same page! (Seems to be an issue of some irritation for me given that my last read, Grief Cottage, suffered from overuse of grief cottage mentions.) I've seen this listed as a YA read. I wouldn't necessarily say it is at all, but I don't think there's anything inside here that would not make it suitable for a younger reader?
June 14, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5
I don't like using the term "chick-lit" (though it might apply here) and instead prefer to use the term "pastel fiction" ... fiction which is soft, gentle, with beautiful prose that paints a nice picture for the reader. This book might typify the 'pastel fiction' label.
Siobhan Doyle has grown up under the care of her uncle, Keenan ('Kee'). in rural Ireland. Her mother died in an IRA bombing and her father was out of the picture before she was born. Kee has been very protective of his beautiful niece, but when an American scholar, Tim Ferris, visits on his research trip studying Irish literature, Siobhan starts to realize that there's more to life than uncle Kee.
Author Kathleen Anne Kenney does a very nice job of bringing the reader into rural Ireland and creates a village as idyllic as I've always imagined and hoped rural Ireland to be. The cast of characters inhabiting the village, whom Kenney shares with the reader, is small, even though Kee runs a small, local pub. But this works well - no need to clutter up the book with characters not necessary to the story!
The story.... In literature, there are four main types of narrative conflict: man against man; man against nature; man against self; and man against society. Sometimes we also consider: man against machine; and man against fate/supernatural. And while it's true that such conflict can sometimes be internal, I'm going to add one more form, specific to 'Pastel Lit': man against his imagination.
What we have here is a 'slice of life' in a pretty setting. The most dramatic event in the book occurs in the Prologue. After that this becomes a 'coming of age' book for Siobhan. But Siobhan is a late bloomer. She is twenty-six at the start of the book (after the Prologue), working behind the bar of the pub. She's an introvert - we're told that straight up - but this coming of age story seems just a little odd, given her age. Keenan is not an over-bearing or cruel 'parent' to Siobhan. In fact he loves and adores her. Her friends love and adore her. The visiting American literature professor seems to love and adore her, but she's confused about her feelings for him because she's never had such feelings before.
Then she does something wrong. She lies about something to the American, and even though she's knows it's wrong, she can't stop herself and she can't admit it. Her reason for continuing the lie never quite rings true for me. Her brain is screaming at her to tell him the truth, "But what Tim did next chased all thought of caution away. He took both her hands in his and looked gravely down into her pale face." For the rest of the book she imagines the worst because of the lie, and it eats away at her, and as though she were seventeen instead of twenty-seven wonders:
There is one source of dramatic conflict that has the potential to create some real tension, and Kenney does her best to build up this tension. Siobhan's biological father gets in touch with her and requests a visit. Keenan begins to show some of the Irish fire in his blood at the prospect of seeing the man who impregnated his daughter and then abandoned the woman and child. And what of this father who is a stranger to his own family? What brings him out of the woodwork? What conflict will he bring to Siobhan's life?
But this is Pastel Lit. Keenan is calmed and much too easily admits to selfishly holding on to Siobhan and Siobhan's father loves and adores her and just wants her to know that he'll be there for her from now on if she wants it.
One moment in the story came completely out of the blue. When Siobhan encounters two young women in a bookstore talking about a particular Irish poet that one of the girls just loves, but can't figure out how to answer the teacher's question about two particular poems. Siobhan instantly connects with the girls and helps them find the answer and she feels very good about herself and what she does. This will lead to a decision later in the book but the moment itself felt quite unnatural - enough so that I made a note in my book - "why is this here?"
And finally, even the resolution is too easy - soft and pastel. The conflict of how she imagines every terrible thing because of her lie is finally admitted, but even here she suggests a lie ("I wonder if I was wanting you to figure it out the whole time."), and everyone - Tim, her friends - takes it all in stride, as if it wasn't worth being conflicted about in the first place.
There is a market for chick-lit/Pastel Lit (my wife, for one) and those who enjoy the form will find Kenney's writing easy to fall in to. She definitely defines her characters well and will make you believe you are in the beautiful Irish countryside. But I personally like a little more grit and conflict to move my fiction forward.
Looking for a good book? Girl on the Leeside by Kathleen Anne Kenney is a soft, easy to read tale of a twenty-something young Irish woman growing in to love and knowledge. It lacks some conflict/confrontation but offers a lovely diversion in a beautiful setting with a friendly cast of characters.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
In full disclosure, I am personally acquainted with the author.
I don't like using the term "chick-lit" (though it might apply here) and instead prefer to use the term "pastel fiction" ... fiction which is soft, gentle, with beautiful prose that paints a nice picture for the reader. This book might typify the 'pastel fiction' label.
Siobhan Doyle has grown up under the care of her uncle, Keenan ('Kee'). in rural Ireland. Her mother died in an IRA bombing and her father was out of the picture before she was born. Kee has been very protective of his beautiful niece, but when an American scholar, Tim Ferris, visits on his research trip studying Irish literature, Siobhan starts to realize that there's more to life than uncle Kee.
Author Kathleen Anne Kenney does a very nice job of bringing the reader into rural Ireland and creates a village as idyllic as I've always imagined and hoped rural Ireland to be. The cast of characters inhabiting the village, whom Kenney shares with the reader, is small, even though Kee runs a small, local pub. But this works well - no need to clutter up the book with characters not necessary to the story!
The story.... In literature, there are four main types of narrative conflict: man against man; man against nature; man against self; and man against society. Sometimes we also consider: man against machine; and man against fate/supernatural. And while it's true that such conflict can sometimes be internal, I'm going to add one more form, specific to 'Pastel Lit': man against his imagination.
What we have here is a 'slice of life' in a pretty setting. The most dramatic event in the book occurs in the Prologue. After that this becomes a 'coming of age' book for Siobhan. But Siobhan is a late bloomer. She is twenty-six at the start of the book (after the Prologue), working behind the bar of the pub. She's an introvert - we're told that straight up - but this coming of age story seems just a little odd, given her age. Keenan is not an over-bearing or cruel 'parent' to Siobhan. In fact he loves and adores her. Her friends love and adore her. The visiting American literature professor seems to love and adore her, but she's confused about her feelings for him because she's never had such feelings before.
Then she does something wrong. She lies about something to the American, and even though she's knows it's wrong, she can't stop herself and she can't admit it. Her reason for continuing the lie never quite rings true for me. Her brain is screaming at her to tell him the truth, "But what Tim did next chased all thought of caution away. He took both her hands in his and looked gravely down into her pale face." For the rest of the book she imagines the worst because of the lie, and it eats away at her, and as though she were seventeen instead of twenty-seven wonders:
"...is it love? How can I know that? It’s so scary and confusing. I’ve never … done this before. How in the name of heaven do people know when they love someone?”
There is one source of dramatic conflict that has the potential to create some real tension, and Kenney does her best to build up this tension. Siobhan's biological father gets in touch with her and requests a visit. Keenan begins to show some of the Irish fire in his blood at the prospect of seeing the man who impregnated his daughter and then abandoned the woman and child. And what of this father who is a stranger to his own family? What brings him out of the woodwork? What conflict will he bring to Siobhan's life?
But this is Pastel Lit. Keenan is calmed and much too easily admits to selfishly holding on to Siobhan and Siobhan's father loves and adores her and just wants her to know that he'll be there for her from now on if she wants it.
One moment in the story came completely out of the blue. When Siobhan encounters two young women in a bookstore talking about a particular Irish poet that one of the girls just loves, but can't figure out how to answer the teacher's question about two particular poems. Siobhan instantly connects with the girls and helps them find the answer and she feels very good about herself and what she does. This will lead to a decision later in the book but the moment itself felt quite unnatural - enough so that I made a note in my book - "why is this here?"
And finally, even the resolution is too easy - soft and pastel. The conflict of how she imagines every terrible thing because of her lie is finally admitted, but even here she suggests a lie ("I wonder if I was wanting you to figure it out the whole time."), and everyone - Tim, her friends - takes it all in stride, as if it wasn't worth being conflicted about in the first place.
There is a market for chick-lit/Pastel Lit (my wife, for one) and those who enjoy the form will find Kenney's writing easy to fall in to. She definitely defines her characters well and will make you believe you are in the beautiful Irish countryside. But I personally like a little more grit and conflict to move my fiction forward.
Looking for a good book? Girl on the Leeside by Kathleen Anne Kenney is a soft, easy to read tale of a twenty-something young Irish woman growing in to love and knowledge. It lacks some conflict/confrontation but offers a lovely diversion in a beautiful setting with a friendly cast of characters.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
In full disclosure, I am personally acquainted with the author.
June 25, 2017
Because I once lived in a small town in Connemara, at the gateway of the Irish-speaking area called the Gaeltacht, I look for those novels that depict the region as it is, for once one has spent significant time there, its ways and means register in the soul with perpetual resonance, leaving one forever nostalgic for what can only be described as the west of Ireland’s consciousness. It isn’t easy to capture, for all its subtle nuances, yet author Kathleen Anne Kenney has done just that in writing Girl on the Leeside in the manner the region deserves, which is to say this beautiful story is gifted to the reader with a sensitive, light touch.
Girl on the Leeside is deep in character study. Most of what happens concerns the human predicament, no matter where it is set. More than a coming of age story centered on twenty seven year old Siobhan Doyle, it is a story of the path to emotional maturity, out of a circumstantial comfort zone, (which, in this case, is perfectly plausible, due to its isolated and insular Irish setting) into all that it takes to overcome one’s self-imposed limitations to brave the risk of furthering one’s life.
In utter fearlessness, Kathleen Anne Kenney invites the reader to suspend disbelief in giving us an otherworldly character that speaks to the inner fairy in those who dare to dream. Small and ethereal Siobhan is orphaned at the age of two by her unconventional mother, and father of unknown origin. She is taken in and raised by her mother’s brother, Keenan Doyle, the publican of his family’s generational, rural establishment called the Leeside, near the shores of a lough tucked away in remote Connemara. Introverted, with little outside influence, she is keenly possessed by her culture’s ancient poetry and folklore. She is a natural born artist, gifted with an intuitive grasp on words and story, a passion shared by her Uncle Keenan, yet so pronounced in her that she walks the line between fantasy and reality. It isn’t easy to redirect one’s invested frame of reference in the world, if it isn’t completely necessary, yet necessity arrives at the Leeside, when American professor of ancient Irish poetry and folklore, Tim Ferris, comes to compare literary notes with Siobhan and Keenan. It is this catalyst that sets the wheels in motion of a heartfelt, insightful story that involves the willingness to grow. All throughout, author Kathleen Anne Kenney explores the myriad fears that get in the way, and shows us the way to triumph.
Girl on the Leeside is a deceptively soft read. It is so laden with beautiful imagery, so seamlessly woven with radiant poetry that it lulls you into its poignancy and holds you captive, all the way to its satisfying end.
Girl on the Leeside is deep in character study. Most of what happens concerns the human predicament, no matter where it is set. More than a coming of age story centered on twenty seven year old Siobhan Doyle, it is a story of the path to emotional maturity, out of a circumstantial comfort zone, (which, in this case, is perfectly plausible, due to its isolated and insular Irish setting) into all that it takes to overcome one’s self-imposed limitations to brave the risk of furthering one’s life.
In utter fearlessness, Kathleen Anne Kenney invites the reader to suspend disbelief in giving us an otherworldly character that speaks to the inner fairy in those who dare to dream. Small and ethereal Siobhan is orphaned at the age of two by her unconventional mother, and father of unknown origin. She is taken in and raised by her mother’s brother, Keenan Doyle, the publican of his family’s generational, rural establishment called the Leeside, near the shores of a lough tucked away in remote Connemara. Introverted, with little outside influence, she is keenly possessed by her culture’s ancient poetry and folklore. She is a natural born artist, gifted with an intuitive grasp on words and story, a passion shared by her Uncle Keenan, yet so pronounced in her that she walks the line between fantasy and reality. It isn’t easy to redirect one’s invested frame of reference in the world, if it isn’t completely necessary, yet necessity arrives at the Leeside, when American professor of ancient Irish poetry and folklore, Tim Ferris, comes to compare literary notes with Siobhan and Keenan. It is this catalyst that sets the wheels in motion of a heartfelt, insightful story that involves the willingness to grow. All throughout, author Kathleen Anne Kenney explores the myriad fears that get in the way, and shows us the way to triumph.
Girl on the Leeside is a deceptively soft read. It is so laden with beautiful imagery, so seamlessly woven with radiant poetry that it lulls you into its poignancy and holds you captive, all the way to its satisfying end.
July 11, 2017
While the imagery was breathtaking, I couldn't quite believe Siobhan's character. She was 27 but acted (and was treated) far, far younger. I can get behind a sheltered, naive character, but she took it a step too far. When a family friend passed, she was completely shocked that grief hurt. She didn't understand love or what flirting was. This woman lives above a pub. There's only so much innocence I can take. The romance came off as creepy rather than beautiful - Tim is a divorced professor (again with Siobhan's innocence - at one point she wants to call Tim to ask him about his wife: how did he know he was in love with her, does he miss her, etc) and his interest in a woman constantly described as childlike was just plain gross.
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
February 15, 2017
Slow paced but vividly descriptive. Definitely brings out the feels for Ireland.
August 3, 2017
I was sad when this book ended. It includes lots of Ireland, brief mentions of Minnesota, poetry... how could I not love it?
November 11, 2017
An Irish Sleeping Beauty (West Coast of Ireland, present-day): This is a novel with a fairy-tale soul. Sweet and dreamy. Ancient and 19th century Irish and Celtic poetry grace its pages, as well as the hearts and minds of its three key characters, giving it a sense of timelessness, soulfulness.
The poetry memorializes Ireland’s mystical, magical beauty. Seamus Heaney exalted “lough waters.” William Butler Yeats wrote of “waters wild.” A. E. (George W. Russell) glorified “delicate dews” and a “breath of Beauty.” Yeats also wrote of a “faery” and a “beautiful mild woman”; A. E., a “long sleeping.”
Not all the poems are from the Old World. That beautiful fairy shows up as the girl in the title. Siobhan Doyle secretly composes her own poems immortalizing Ireland’s surreal beauty. She possesses a “fairy charm.” Even her watchful childhood friend, Maura (her only real friend when the tale begins), felt she “invented” Siobhan, that one day she’d disappear into her “fairy-mound.”
That’s because of her striking appearance – long dark hair reaching down to her knees – and her mysterious and unworldliness around people. Instead, Siobhan, a “poetic soul,” finds enchantment in ancient Irish poetry and the misty beauty of her pristine surroundings on the western coast of Ireland, the Connemara region. Someplace between Clifden and Galway, two miles down a coastal road outside the fictional village of Carnloe, you might find Siobhan lulled by her hallowed Lake Carnoe – or in Irish – Lough Carnloe.
The thing is Siobhan is not a girl. Though she’s quite small, she’s twenty-seven and still doesn’t know “how to stop being shy of people.” Her hulking, well-over six foot tall Uncle Kee, turning fifty, went to such lengths to protect her he “created a soul too gentle for this world.” He gave up alcohol when he suddenly became the parent of a frightened two-year old after his dear sister Maureen, Siobhan’s mother, was killed in an IRA bombing in Northern Ireland; presumably so was Siobhan’s father, a British soldier – a nod to Ireland’s anti-British history. He’d already forsaken his university dreams of studying Irish Gaelic poetry due to familial responsibilities but not his passion and knowledge, which he instilled in Siobhan.
For all he’s gone through, Kee keeps his feelings to himself whereas Siobhan doesn’t even understand hers. They both share a special bond for Irish poetry, Ireland, and the three-hundred-year old stone pub passed down six generations that Kee owns and the two run together – the Leeside.
Leeside, though isolated, is the cultural hub for this small, remote community. So it is remarkable how emotionally detached Siobhan has been despite friends and neighbors who gather here. Among them are Maura and her husband Brendon, their four-year-old daughter Triona Siobhan adores, a troublesome brother Nialle, and Maura’s father Seamus. Katie is another one of the regulars. She’s a brassy woman who raises Connemara ponies (Siobhan cherishes hers), who has had her eyes on Kee for a long time.
A third devotee of Irish literature brings us to Siobhan’s sweet awakening. Tim, a professor of Irish studies from Minnesota, is on his way to visit Kee when the novel opens. Siobhan is apprehensively preparing for Tim’s visit, for her uncle has decided to re-open the pub to overnighters. That practice ceased years ago when an incident there threatened his precious girl. Tim has never been to Ireland, but Siobhan immediately picks up on his deep appreciation for Ireland’s “poetry, mythology, folklore, and history,” which stirs her delicate heart, unfamiliarly.
Tim also sees something of himself in Siobhan yet he intuits with tenderness she’s very different than any woman he’s ever known. While he tries to separate his feelings from his scholarship, the truth is he has fallen hopelessly, achingly, in love with her uniqueness instantly. Hence, the set-up in this old-fangled love story.
Tim’s romantic dilemma is how to penetrate Siobhan’s inner world without scaring her off and how to do that from afar. Could she ever leave a place she’s never traveled from, away from the waters that soothe her and the uncle she reveres?
For Siobhan’s part, she’s never been involved with a man. She has no idea if the emotions she feels around Tim and the “emptiness” that bears down on her once he’s gone have anything to do with love. Perhaps the “intense passions” in her poetry are guiding her, she muses, for she had a visceral instinct she couldn’t just say goodbye as he’s about to leave. So she guiltily concocts a lie that assures he’ll have a reason to stay in touch. Their twice daily email correspondences draw them closer, yet the lie shames her, stands between them, and she isn’t sure of his feelings since they’re not face-to-face, illuminating a condition of contemporary life, though so much else in the novel feels as though time has stood still.
A few more examples to make the case for the aura of yesteryear. A Prologue set in the 20th century conveys a “mystical bond between women.” The importance of female friendships being a “wellspring for each other” is a poignant theme of sharing and caring that plays through.
There’s also a nomadic caravan family that stops by the pub every September to sell their wares, including the warmest and loveliest sweaters that pay tribute to Ireland’s sheep farming history. Siobhan looks forward to seeing the merry band of travelers, especially Gwen; also her son Turf (great name given the love of the land), his wife JoJo and their children. They’re gypsies: “members of an ancient clan, ragged nobles of the road, the last strands of a vanishing way of life.”
The concept and spirit of traveling is also expressed in the backstory of Siobhan’s mother, a restless soul; by Siobhan who is calmed by sheltering in place; and through all the armchair travelers who see the world via literature, including poetry.
It’s summertime, so we too are dreaming of traveling. Whether you’re making plans to travel from home or stay put and let fiction transport, Girl on the Leeside offers peacefulness. Peaceful like our world is not. Your trip will take you to an unhurried place of sheer natural beauty. A kinder, quieter world where life is more basic. That’s not to say these people aren’t hardworking, but they have time to count their blessings. Girl on the Leeside gently reminds us of that.
So while you’re reading, imagine yourself as Siobhan gazing into the “pearl gray” waters of her lough. Imagine glimpsing the dramatic Aran Islands a short distance away, and knowing you’re among friends who extend a “perpetual welcome.” Imagine an “untamed valley of rough beauty,” with its verdant “folds of hills and cozy knolls,” a landscape so beckoning it seems a fantasy. Then wonder like Siobhan: “How does a person really know where they are meant to be?”
Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)
The poetry memorializes Ireland’s mystical, magical beauty. Seamus Heaney exalted “lough waters.” William Butler Yeats wrote of “waters wild.” A. E. (George W. Russell) glorified “delicate dews” and a “breath of Beauty.” Yeats also wrote of a “faery” and a “beautiful mild woman”; A. E., a “long sleeping.”
Not all the poems are from the Old World. That beautiful fairy shows up as the girl in the title. Siobhan Doyle secretly composes her own poems immortalizing Ireland’s surreal beauty. She possesses a “fairy charm.” Even her watchful childhood friend, Maura (her only real friend when the tale begins), felt she “invented” Siobhan, that one day she’d disappear into her “fairy-mound.”
That’s because of her striking appearance – long dark hair reaching down to her knees – and her mysterious and unworldliness around people. Instead, Siobhan, a “poetic soul,” finds enchantment in ancient Irish poetry and the misty beauty of her pristine surroundings on the western coast of Ireland, the Connemara region. Someplace between Clifden and Galway, two miles down a coastal road outside the fictional village of Carnloe, you might find Siobhan lulled by her hallowed Lake Carnoe – or in Irish – Lough Carnloe.
The thing is Siobhan is not a girl. Though she’s quite small, she’s twenty-seven and still doesn’t know “how to stop being shy of people.” Her hulking, well-over six foot tall Uncle Kee, turning fifty, went to such lengths to protect her he “created a soul too gentle for this world.” He gave up alcohol when he suddenly became the parent of a frightened two-year old after his dear sister Maureen, Siobhan’s mother, was killed in an IRA bombing in Northern Ireland; presumably so was Siobhan’s father, a British soldier – a nod to Ireland’s anti-British history. He’d already forsaken his university dreams of studying Irish Gaelic poetry due to familial responsibilities but not his passion and knowledge, which he instilled in Siobhan.
For all he’s gone through, Kee keeps his feelings to himself whereas Siobhan doesn’t even understand hers. They both share a special bond for Irish poetry, Ireland, and the three-hundred-year old stone pub passed down six generations that Kee owns and the two run together – the Leeside.
Leeside, though isolated, is the cultural hub for this small, remote community. So it is remarkable how emotionally detached Siobhan has been despite friends and neighbors who gather here. Among them are Maura and her husband Brendon, their four-year-old daughter Triona Siobhan adores, a troublesome brother Nialle, and Maura’s father Seamus. Katie is another one of the regulars. She’s a brassy woman who raises Connemara ponies (Siobhan cherishes hers), who has had her eyes on Kee for a long time.
A third devotee of Irish literature brings us to Siobhan’s sweet awakening. Tim, a professor of Irish studies from Minnesota, is on his way to visit Kee when the novel opens. Siobhan is apprehensively preparing for Tim’s visit, for her uncle has decided to re-open the pub to overnighters. That practice ceased years ago when an incident there threatened his precious girl. Tim has never been to Ireland, but Siobhan immediately picks up on his deep appreciation for Ireland’s “poetry, mythology, folklore, and history,” which stirs her delicate heart, unfamiliarly.
Tim also sees something of himself in Siobhan yet he intuits with tenderness she’s very different than any woman he’s ever known. While he tries to separate his feelings from his scholarship, the truth is he has fallen hopelessly, achingly, in love with her uniqueness instantly. Hence, the set-up in this old-fangled love story.
Tim’s romantic dilemma is how to penetrate Siobhan’s inner world without scaring her off and how to do that from afar. Could she ever leave a place she’s never traveled from, away from the waters that soothe her and the uncle she reveres?
For Siobhan’s part, she’s never been involved with a man. She has no idea if the emotions she feels around Tim and the “emptiness” that bears down on her once he’s gone have anything to do with love. Perhaps the “intense passions” in her poetry are guiding her, she muses, for she had a visceral instinct she couldn’t just say goodbye as he’s about to leave. So she guiltily concocts a lie that assures he’ll have a reason to stay in touch. Their twice daily email correspondences draw them closer, yet the lie shames her, stands between them, and she isn’t sure of his feelings since they’re not face-to-face, illuminating a condition of contemporary life, though so much else in the novel feels as though time has stood still.
A few more examples to make the case for the aura of yesteryear. A Prologue set in the 20th century conveys a “mystical bond between women.” The importance of female friendships being a “wellspring for each other” is a poignant theme of sharing and caring that plays through.
There’s also a nomadic caravan family that stops by the pub every September to sell their wares, including the warmest and loveliest sweaters that pay tribute to Ireland’s sheep farming history. Siobhan looks forward to seeing the merry band of travelers, especially Gwen; also her son Turf (great name given the love of the land), his wife JoJo and their children. They’re gypsies: “members of an ancient clan, ragged nobles of the road, the last strands of a vanishing way of life.”
The concept and spirit of traveling is also expressed in the backstory of Siobhan’s mother, a restless soul; by Siobhan who is calmed by sheltering in place; and through all the armchair travelers who see the world via literature, including poetry.
It’s summertime, so we too are dreaming of traveling. Whether you’re making plans to travel from home or stay put and let fiction transport, Girl on the Leeside offers peacefulness. Peaceful like our world is not. Your trip will take you to an unhurried place of sheer natural beauty. A kinder, quieter world where life is more basic. That’s not to say these people aren’t hardworking, but they have time to count their blessings. Girl on the Leeside gently reminds us of that.
So while you’re reading, imagine yourself as Siobhan gazing into the “pearl gray” waters of her lough. Imagine glimpsing the dramatic Aran Islands a short distance away, and knowing you’re among friends who extend a “perpetual welcome.” Imagine an “untamed valley of rough beauty,” with its verdant “folds of hills and cozy knolls,” a landscape so beckoning it seems a fantasy. Then wonder like Siobhan: “How does a person really know where they are meant to be?”
Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)
June 29, 2018
If you have a poetic soul, or love Celtic literature and/or have a penchant for stories about orphans as I do, I hope you find time to settle down with GIRL ON THE LEESIDE by Kathleen Anne Kenney.
Siobhan Doyle is the girl in question. Orphaned at the age of two under dramatic circumstances, she counts herself lucky to have been taken in by her Uncle Kee. They live in rural western Ireland, near a long narrow bay which lends Siobhan respite from her work at the family pub, the Leeside.
Now age twenty-seven, Siobhan left school at sixteen. She had no interest in college. Yet being an autodidactic, and echoing her uncle’s devotion to studying Celtic literature, Siobhan is well-read. She also secretly writes epic poetry. What a reclusive waif Siobhan is, almost fairylike and dainty. Sometimes her shyness swells up and swallows her.
When a literature professor from America comes to the Leeside to interview Uncle Kee, he soon realizes Siobhan is also a person of literary substance. She wants to show him her poems. She finds talking to the professor to be soul-stirring, and yet her feelings for him upset her. A stranger from her mother’s past also shows up at the Leeside. Both of these men come to matter greatly to Siobhan.
Thank goodness Siobhan seeks out the company of women in order to understand her growing pains. Her best friend Maura gives her wise counsel, as does a grandmotherly traveler who visits the Leeside yearly in her brightly painted caravan. Siobhan also finds new respect for Katie, her uncle’s girlfriend who she used to dislike.
I enjoyed the stanzas of poetry the author added to the beginning of each chapter. The author’s ability to create sensitive, caring characters is impressive. I cared deeply for Siobhan and held my breath every time she teetered on the edge of life-altering choices. Watching her bloom was a privilege. For me, this was an altogether enchanting novel!
This review also appears on LitLovers:
http://www.litlovers.com/reviews/2018...
Siobhan Doyle is the girl in question. Orphaned at the age of two under dramatic circumstances, she counts herself lucky to have been taken in by her Uncle Kee. They live in rural western Ireland, near a long narrow bay which lends Siobhan respite from her work at the family pub, the Leeside.
Now age twenty-seven, Siobhan left school at sixteen. She had no interest in college. Yet being an autodidactic, and echoing her uncle’s devotion to studying Celtic literature, Siobhan is well-read. She also secretly writes epic poetry. What a reclusive waif Siobhan is, almost fairylike and dainty. Sometimes her shyness swells up and swallows her.
When a literature professor from America comes to the Leeside to interview Uncle Kee, he soon realizes Siobhan is also a person of literary substance. She wants to show him her poems. She finds talking to the professor to be soul-stirring, and yet her feelings for him upset her. A stranger from her mother’s past also shows up at the Leeside. Both of these men come to matter greatly to Siobhan.
Thank goodness Siobhan seeks out the company of women in order to understand her growing pains. Her best friend Maura gives her wise counsel, as does a grandmotherly traveler who visits the Leeside yearly in her brightly painted caravan. Siobhan also finds new respect for Katie, her uncle’s girlfriend who she used to dislike.
I enjoyed the stanzas of poetry the author added to the beginning of each chapter. The author’s ability to create sensitive, caring characters is impressive. I cared deeply for Siobhan and held my breath every time she teetered on the edge of life-altering choices. Watching her bloom was a privilege. For me, this was an altogether enchanting novel!
This review also appears on LitLovers:
http://www.litlovers.com/reviews/2018...
January 21, 2019
3.5- I enjoyed this tale of Siobhan. She is 26 year old woman who was raised by her overprotective but loving uncle with whom she still resides at their family owned pub ,Leeside, in a remote Irish Village. I believe that it would be enjoyed by fans of Maeve Binchy's work. The beautiful depictions of the Irish countryside will have them rushing to purchase an airline ticket to Ireland. Each chapter is preceded by a poem of an ancient or more recent Irish poet. I enjoyed them and found them enlightening ;however, the reader could enjoy the book without being a lover of poetry . To me, the addition of the poetry throughout the book reinforced the magic that is Ireland. The characters are well -fleshed out and their actions are consistent with their personalities. The only flaw for me was that it seemed impossible that a 26 year old woman could be as sheltered and naive as she was at the beginning of the novel. It was a beautiful coming of age story even though the protagonist was a bit older than your average coming of age heroine. I would be pleased to read more by this author.
July 23, 2017
First I would like to say Thank you to Double Day Turning pages reading group for a copy of this lovely book! Ever since I saw a feature on the Goodreads feed and read a description, I knew I had to read it. This was such a wonderful and enjoyable novel and included so many elements that I love; Ireland, reading, family secrets and a love story. 4 + Stars❤️Do yourself a favor and read this! I hear the author is currently writing a new novel- I will be anxious to read it, too!
August 19, 2017
Oh boy, this has such a pretty cover, and honestly, the writing isn't bad, but the story...just so slow and strange.
It revolves mainly around 27-year-old Siobhan and her Uncle Kee as they live and work in their pub, the Leeside, in a quiet little Irish village. I mean, that's basically it.
I didn't feel Siobhan, the main character, was all that interesting. A 27-year-old with the book-intelligence of a scholar and the social intelligence of a primary school student. Though the author freely admits this characteristic of Siobhan, that's she's too naive and too young for her actual age, it was just not an interesting premise. More frustrating, than anything.
I was frustrated because of the below spoilers:
Anyway, yes, this was not my cup of tea. Though the cover is indeed gorgeous and dreamy, what was on the inside, unfortunately, was not.
Thank you to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
It revolves mainly around 27-year-old Siobhan and her Uncle Kee as they live and work in their pub, the Leeside, in a quiet little Irish village. I mean, that's basically it.
I didn't feel Siobhan, the main character, was all that interesting. A 27-year-old with the book-intelligence of a scholar and the social intelligence of a primary school student. Though the author freely admits this characteristic of Siobhan, that's she's too naive and too young for her actual age, it was just not an interesting premise. More frustrating, than anything.
I was frustrated because of the below spoilers:
Anyway, yes, this was not my cup of tea. Though the cover is indeed gorgeous and dreamy, what was on the inside, unfortunately, was not.
Thank you to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
November 20, 2017
Been a long time since I read a full-blown, over-blown, straight-on romance. Oddly, the last time was a book I found in my college library. It was titled "The Glass Bell Jar," if memory serves, and intrigued me because there was a sealed envelope tucked between the pages with, neatly printed across it, "Not to be read until you've finished The Glass Bell Jar."
Of course, being curious I checked the book out. Being honorable, I read it through before tearing into the envelope and finding a badly-written poem: a previous reader who yearned to be the book's heroine. I clearly recall the line "But the world has made me worldly," as the erstwhile poet bemoaned not being the fragile, cloistered, fairy-like main character.
And now, in "Girl on the Leeside," I find the same kind of character. A sheltered, socially awkward, inexperienced woman. The whole book is formulaic and predictable, but I enjoyed the lilt of the written Irish-ish dialogue, even though "brilliant" and "grand" got as irritating as "like" and "cool" and "you know" in modern day conversation. Still, it was poetic; even interspersed with bits of Celtic verse.
The only thing I didn't like was that what could be charming and engaging in a coming-of-age heroine of, say, sixteen or seventeen, becomes a bit creepy in a woman of twenty-seven. I think the author sensed this, so she made the character child-like in appearance. You're constantly reminded that she's so small and little and fairy-like. Still, as an adult, when I see other adults still employing the mannerisms that reaped them positive reactions as children, it strikes me as a bit grotesque. My own personal peeve, though. And, too, I'm not really a romance reader.
So, in all fairness, this book would satisfy a devotee of the genre who wants a happily-ever-after, I think.
Of course, being curious I checked the book out. Being honorable, I read it through before tearing into the envelope and finding a badly-written poem: a previous reader who yearned to be the book's heroine. I clearly recall the line "But the world has made me worldly," as the erstwhile poet bemoaned not being the fragile, cloistered, fairy-like main character.
And now, in "Girl on the Leeside," I find the same kind of character. A sheltered, socially awkward, inexperienced woman. The whole book is formulaic and predictable, but I enjoyed the lilt of the written Irish-ish dialogue, even though "brilliant" and "grand" got as irritating as "like" and "cool" and "you know" in modern day conversation. Still, it was poetic; even interspersed with bits of Celtic verse.
The only thing I didn't like was that what could be charming and engaging in a coming-of-age heroine of, say, sixteen or seventeen, becomes a bit creepy in a woman of twenty-seven. I think the author sensed this, so she made the character child-like in appearance. You're constantly reminded that she's so small and little and fairy-like. Still, as an adult, when I see other adults still employing the mannerisms that reaped them positive reactions as children, it strikes me as a bit grotesque. My own personal peeve, though. And, too, I'm not really a romance reader.
So, in all fairness, this book would satisfy a devotee of the genre who wants a happily-ever-after, I think.
June 25, 2017
Girl on the Leeside by Kathleen Anne Kenney is a recommended deferred-coming-of-age story for a woman in Ireland.
Siobhan Doyle has been living with her Uncle Kee since her mother died when she was two years-old. Now twenty-seven, she helps her Uncle Kee run the family pub. The two also share a passion for reading and discussing Irish folklore and poetry together. Until Tim Ferris, an American professor of Irish literature, arrives to discuss poetry with her Uncle, Siobhan has been protected by Uncle Kee, content to live and work at the pub, while keeping to herself, and secretly writing her own poetry. Now she may be opening herself up to the world and new experiences for the first time. Suddenly some secrets may be revealed and her future may hold more options than simply working at the pub.
Pluses include the lovely writing and the Irish poetry sprinkled throughout the novel. Minuses include the many mentions of Siobhan's small stature, long hair, and fairy-like appearance. It is a stretch to also believe that today someone would be as naive and sheltered as Siobhan is portrayed here - but then this is fiction. The dialogue is a bit stilted at times and, although this is a coming-of-age story, it is the "lite" version. There are a few too many unrealistic circumstances for my tastes.
If you like novels that are light, gentle reads about Ireland, Irish poetry, and a late first romantic interest, then this may be a nice choice to bring along on your summer vacation.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Nan A. Talese.
Siobhan Doyle has been living with her Uncle Kee since her mother died when she was two years-old. Now twenty-seven, she helps her Uncle Kee run the family pub. The two also share a passion for reading and discussing Irish folklore and poetry together. Until Tim Ferris, an American professor of Irish literature, arrives to discuss poetry with her Uncle, Siobhan has been protected by Uncle Kee, content to live and work at the pub, while keeping to herself, and secretly writing her own poetry. Now she may be opening herself up to the world and new experiences for the first time. Suddenly some secrets may be revealed and her future may hold more options than simply working at the pub.
Pluses include the lovely writing and the Irish poetry sprinkled throughout the novel. Minuses include the many mentions of Siobhan's small stature, long hair, and fairy-like appearance. It is a stretch to also believe that today someone would be as naive and sheltered as Siobhan is portrayed here - but then this is fiction. The dialogue is a bit stilted at times and, although this is a coming-of-age story, it is the "lite" version. There are a few too many unrealistic circumstances for my tastes.
If you like novels that are light, gentle reads about Ireland, Irish poetry, and a late first romantic interest, then this may be a nice choice to bring along on your summer vacation.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Nan A. Talese.
June 23, 2018
Girl on the Leeside: A Novel by [Kenney, Kathleen Anne]Such a moving book. This is the story of Siobhan Doyle, who was raised by her Uncle Kee. Her mother was killed in an IRA bombing which has led Kee to be protective of Siobhan. These two share a love for the lough, the Leeside, their pub, and Irish poetry.
Kee come home filled with the exciting news that a literary scholar from America is coming to stay. This fills Siobhan with mixed feelings. She has no love for Americans and does not want someone to come and destroy her idyllic life.When he appears Siobhan realizes that there is so much more life away from Leeside and her uncle. Then she discovers that her father is still alive. Now she is filled with questions when it comes to her future.
This book grabbed me from the prologue and the introduction of Kee and his sister's mother and their early life. This gave me a feeling of truly knowing this family and to feel the ties that Kee and Siobhan would have.
The author was able to create a world that was so well-written that I could visually the world surrounding Kee and Siobhan without any effort. Plus the poetry that is inserted effortlessly throughout helps further draw the reader into the magical world that is Ireland.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I give it a high recommendation.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Kee come home filled with the exciting news that a literary scholar from America is coming to stay. This fills Siobhan with mixed feelings. She has no love for Americans and does not want someone to come and destroy her idyllic life.When he appears Siobhan realizes that there is so much more life away from Leeside and her uncle. Then she discovers that her father is still alive. Now she is filled with questions when it comes to her future.
This book grabbed me from the prologue and the introduction of Kee and his sister's mother and their early life. This gave me a feeling of truly knowing this family and to feel the ties that Kee and Siobhan would have.
The author was able to create a world that was so well-written that I could visually the world surrounding Kee and Siobhan without any effort. Plus the poetry that is inserted effortlessly throughout helps further draw the reader into the magical world that is Ireland.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I give it a high recommendation.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 24, 2021
3.5. I enjoyed Kenney's writing style. I wasn't too bothered that our main character was so naive like many reviewers are, but having her described as " childlike" and "fairy-like" by multiple characters throughout the book, including the main love interest, was annoying. Not because it was repetitive, but because it's strange? Like okay, we get it; she's small and fairylike, naive with childlike innocence... But her character itself was believable to me, if the way people treated her was a bit contrived-feeling. I also hated the attitude all the men in her life seem to have to either guard her and treat her like a child or like it is their duty to "bring her out of her shell." Like a particularly important main character who has known her for 2 seconds and says it is his duty to bring her out of her " shell" that he has already decided she has, and before he knows if he will ever see her again or be in her life. Like, that is pretty presumptuous. And then when Kee, who is overprotective and treats her like a child, decides she is an adult who should make her own decisions he calls her a "big girl," which to me is not something you would say to a 27 year old adult? I digress, because these are not necessarily flaws of the story, just flaws in the characters. The writing was interesting and pretty and there were multiple veins of the story that can keep you drawn in until the end.
August 26, 2017
I read this book a few months ago, but never got around to writing and posting my review. I liked the book more than I expected to going in. The story revolves around Siobhan, a 27-year-old woman who's lived a very sheltered life in Ireland with her uncle Kee. Many other reviewers have had an issue with Siobhan's innocence and naivete at age 27, but frankly that didn't strike me as unrealistic at all. The novel is much more character-driven than plot-driven, but I found the characters for the most part appealing - or at least I was interested enough to find out what happened to them. The blurb description for the book would have you believe that the main plot has to do with Siobhan's lie she tells to a visiting American professor, but I found that to be a minor part of the novel as a whole. One of my first classes in grad school was in Irish Lit, and since that time, I've been a huge fan of the literature (and all things) of the Irish. Kathleen Kenney may be an American of Irish descent, but I thought her novel really captured the feel and tone of Irish lit.
November 5, 2020
I always love a story set in Ireland. ;-) This one didn't disappoint. Siobahn has led a very sheltered life, in a magical place by the lough. While attempting to shelter her, her uncle unintentionally created a world in which she had trouble relating to other people. Instead, they lived in a fantasy world, based on ancient Irish poetry (her uncle had to give up his studies at the university to come home and run the family pub and raise his younger sister...Siobahn). Everything changes when an American professor comes to the pub to learn from them, and opens Siobahn's heart to new feelings. Add to this the arrival of a father she thought was dead (in an IRA bombing that her mom died in when she was 2), and the death of a dear friend...a traveler, and you have the recipe for one confused young woman. With the help of her one true friend, and the unexpected help of her brother's girlfriend, Siobahn navigates it all and starts out on a path of her own...to go and study Irish poetry. The romance to the American professor will happen eventually...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
I had this novel sitting on my shelf for a long time. It was a random discount find to be honest but after reading it I can say it was honestly a treasure. I am a sucker for a good story set in Ireland, first of all, but second-it was genuinely wholesome.
This story covers; family, romance, drama, etc...
Although I could have used a bit more world building and setting detail, I think that the characters spoke for themselves. The use of poetry and Celtic myths and lore were very complimentary to the story and added imagery and wonder to the story as well. It's defiantly a quiet story but still captures you with the genuine humanness of it's characters. I felt like this I could stumble upon this Leeside and these characters if I went looking for it-like a famous small town.
I really enjoyed it.
This story covers; family, romance, drama, etc...
Although I could have used a bit more world building and setting detail, I think that the characters spoke for themselves. The use of poetry and Celtic myths and lore were very complimentary to the story and added imagery and wonder to the story as well. It's defiantly a quiet story but still captures you with the genuine humanness of it's characters. I felt like this I could stumble upon this Leeside and these characters if I went looking for it-like a famous small town.
I really enjoyed it.
July 13, 2017
I won this book from Goodreads and would really rate it as 3.5 stars.
It's the story of a 27 year old Irish girl whose unmarried mother was killed by the IRA when she was 2 years old and she was raised by her pub owning single uncle in a very remote area of the country.
She was very protected and as a result is extremely naive & withdrawn but has a great interest and love of Irish lore and poetry.
Her sheltered world is turned upside down when a visiting American professor of Irish Literature arrives to discuss Irish poetry with her uncle and there is an instant attraction. The rest of the story reveals her opening up to the world and life. I found it to be a lovely satisfying journey to follow.
It's the story of a 27 year old Irish girl whose unmarried mother was killed by the IRA when she was 2 years old and she was raised by her pub owning single uncle in a very remote area of the country.
She was very protected and as a result is extremely naive & withdrawn but has a great interest and love of Irish lore and poetry.
Her sheltered world is turned upside down when a visiting American professor of Irish Literature arrives to discuss Irish poetry with her uncle and there is an instant attraction. The rest of the story reveals her opening up to the world and life. I found it to be a lovely satisfying journey to follow.
June 22, 2017
I was quite excited when I won this Goodreads giveaway and the novel certainly didn't disappoint. This is the story of a young Irish girl who is raised by her uncle after her mother is killed by an IRA bomb. Her uncle gave up working on his degree in Irish Celtic studies to return to the Leeside pub to look after his younger sister Maureen, then later Maureen's baby Siobhan. We meet many characters in this novel all very interesting and well developed in the story. I loved the way the author weaves the poetry into the novel. I highly recommend this book, I found it very hard to set down. I usually pass my books on, but I'm thinking this one is a keeper. Excellent.
June 18, 2019
Siobhan (at least they pronounced the name correctly in the audiobook) is in her late twenties, lives in a sheltered existence in Connemara, with an emotional view of the world of a 13 year girl...
Add an American tourist named Tim Ferriss, some Irish travelers (the name of one of them sounds like Terf) and some backstory of Siobhan’s mother dying 25 years ago...
Not much of the plot seemed credible; dialogs or the interests of people (with so many being obsessed about ancient poetry in gaelic). Siobhan seemed often painfully emotionally immature. As the best part, the reader’s voice (in audiobook version) was excellent, she could portray a good range of differebt characters
Add an American tourist named Tim Ferriss, some Irish travelers (the name of one of them sounds like Terf) and some backstory of Siobhan’s mother dying 25 years ago...
Not much of the plot seemed credible; dialogs or the interests of people (with so many being obsessed about ancient poetry in gaelic). Siobhan seemed often painfully emotionally immature. As the best part, the reader’s voice (in audiobook version) was excellent, she could portray a good range of differebt characters
July 27, 2017
This was truly an excellent book to read outside in a scenic environment. Siobhan's story made me want to travel to Ireland, explore the countryside, and hug my family and friends for all they've done for me.
A lovely coming of age story, although at times it did test my suspension of disbelief with the protagonist's age being 27. Others have cited this as a deal breaker in their reviews, but I'd argue it hints at a larger theme that we're all growing, changing, and facing big changes ahead of us no matter our age.
A lovely coming of age story, although at times it did test my suspension of disbelief with the protagonist's age being 27. Others have cited this as a deal breaker in their reviews, but I'd argue it hints at a larger theme that we're all growing, changing, and facing big changes ahead of us no matter our age.
December 29, 2023
Siobhan Doyle lives in Leeside, the name of her family pub in a secluded part of Ireland, which is run by her uncle Kee. Siobhan has lived a sheltered life there, as her mother died when she was not quite two years old, her father was presumed dead, and she went to live with her Uncle Kee, who took good care of her, but kept her sheltered from much of the outside world.
This is a coming-of-age story of a young woman whose quiet country life is upended by the arrival of an American professor who helps her see things from a completely different perspective.
This is a coming-of-age story of a young woman whose quiet country life is upended by the arrival of an American professor who helps her see things from a completely different perspective.
November 4, 2019
big points for the location and the history and the characters.
I struggled with the end. Even things like a professor, who would get 3 weeks of Holidays at the end of the year, flew over for one day in Ireland? And thought they'd run off together, even though Siobhan had discontinued all contact with him for weeks? And Kee and Siobhan were going to hand their pride and joy, the Inn, over to a couple who kept/lived in a stinky, unorganized, dirty trailer?
I struggled with the end. Even things like a professor, who would get 3 weeks of Holidays at the end of the year, flew over for one day in Ireland? And thought they'd run off together, even though Siobhan had discontinued all contact with him for weeks? And Kee and Siobhan were going to hand their pride and joy, the Inn, over to a couple who kept/lived in a stinky, unorganized, dirty trailer?
November 3, 2017
I always love stories that portray a character that is stuck in a rut and has a butterfly like emergence from their cocoon. I also love stories set in Ireland, so this book was a win win.
Some reviews criticize the innocence as unworldliness of Siobhan. I disagree. I feel that people are losing their innocence far too young and found Siobhan refreshing.
Some reviews criticize the innocence as unworldliness of Siobhan. I disagree. I feel that people are losing their innocence far too young and found Siobhan refreshing.
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