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Strange Flowers
WINNER of the An Post Irish Novel of the Year 2020
In 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears.
Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable that they will never see their daughter again.
Five years later, Moll returns. What - and who - she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever.
Beautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation and the redemptive power of love reaffirms Donal Ryan as one of the most talented and empathetic writers at work today.
In 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears.
Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable that they will never see their daughter again.
Five years later, Moll returns. What - and who - she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever.
Beautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation and the redemptive power of love reaffirms Donal Ryan as one of the most talented and empathetic writers at work today.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2020
800 people are currently reading
7167 people want to read
About the author
Donal Ryan
10 books1,139 followersDonal Ryan is the author of the novels The Spinning Heart, The Thing About December, the short-story collection A Slanting of the Sun, and the forthcoming novel All We Shall Know. He holds a degree in Law from the University of Limerick, and worked for the National Employment Rights Authority before the success of his first two novels allowed him to pursue writing as a full-time career.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 906 reviews
July 31, 2020
Donal Ryan writes a beautifully poetic and lyrical bitter sweet multigenerational family drama set in the small Catholic, rural and idyllic village of Knockagowny, in County Tipperary in Ireland. With a intrinsically timeless feel, it is set in the 1970s, it depicts the limitations of small communities, the gossip, the judgementalism, and the inability to let some of its residents be true to who they are. Ryan writes with intelligence, thoughtfulness, of the universality of what it is to be human, a compassionate examination of human imperfections and the challenges that life poses. It is tightly framed within a Christian faith and dripping with biblical references and analogies, many of the chapter titles are lifted from the bible, beginning with Genesis. However, as tenant farmers Paddy and Kit Gladney learn, their faith cannot protect them from the grief and despair that assails them and tears their life apart when their 20 year old daughter, Moll, disappears unexpectedly in 1973.
Out of the blue, the prodigal daughter returns 5 years later, a miracle, a source of joy to be accepted and not judged, and although their Moll seems unchanged, it does not take long for them to learn that this is not so. The troubled Moll is unforthcoming as to why she left, this only becomes clear at the end. Much like she had fled the village earlier, Moll has run away from a life she had established in London, where she had married the black Alexander in Notting Hill, and given birth to the 'strange flower' that is her baby son, Joshua. Joshua displays few of his father's paternal genes, he is white, it is Moll's genes that dominate. Alex's all consuming love for the Irish Moll leads him to settle in Knockgowny with Paddy and Kit, despite the shortcomings of his relationship with Moll. Life is not easy for him initially, small communities are rarely welcoming of outsiders, a fact that is compounded by racism. Joshua grows up feeling loved, a writer of short stories and poetry, but the death of his father and conflict with his mother, drives him into exile in London, rewriting the allegorical biblical tale of the blind man and a fortuitous meeting with Honey and her surprising connections with his father's family.
Ryan's storytelling is a joy to behold, set in a period of history celebrating the rural idyll of Irish landscapes and villages, aspects of which remind me of Niall Williams writing. This is a time that had its problems, without a doubt, such as class and inequalities, as can be seen with the power of the rich, landowning Jackmans. There are acute observations of the intrusions of the outside world on a small place, exemplified with the entry of Alexander and Joshua. A profoundly moving novel of secrets and family, of love, loss, class, grief, sexuality, race, religion, tragedy and exile, and the fleeting nature of life. Highlights for me include the strong and deep relationship that springs up between Alex and Paddy, Moll for me was a harder character to grasp and she felt more of an unknowable quantity. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Out of the blue, the prodigal daughter returns 5 years later, a miracle, a source of joy to be accepted and not judged, and although their Moll seems unchanged, it does not take long for them to learn that this is not so. The troubled Moll is unforthcoming as to why she left, this only becomes clear at the end. Much like she had fled the village earlier, Moll has run away from a life she had established in London, where she had married the black Alexander in Notting Hill, and given birth to the 'strange flower' that is her baby son, Joshua. Joshua displays few of his father's paternal genes, he is white, it is Moll's genes that dominate. Alex's all consuming love for the Irish Moll leads him to settle in Knockgowny with Paddy and Kit, despite the shortcomings of his relationship with Moll. Life is not easy for him initially, small communities are rarely welcoming of outsiders, a fact that is compounded by racism. Joshua grows up feeling loved, a writer of short stories and poetry, but the death of his father and conflict with his mother, drives him into exile in London, rewriting the allegorical biblical tale of the blind man and a fortuitous meeting with Honey and her surprising connections with his father's family.
Ryan's storytelling is a joy to behold, set in a period of history celebrating the rural idyll of Irish landscapes and villages, aspects of which remind me of Niall Williams writing. This is a time that had its problems, without a doubt, such as class and inequalities, as can be seen with the power of the rich, landowning Jackmans. There are acute observations of the intrusions of the outside world on a small place, exemplified with the entry of Alexander and Joshua. A profoundly moving novel of secrets and family, of love, loss, class, grief, sexuality, race, religion, tragedy and exile, and the fleeting nature of life. Highlights for me include the strong and deep relationship that springs up between Alex and Paddy, Moll for me was a harder character to grasp and she felt more of an unknowable quantity. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
June 30, 2021
Incomparable
The anticipation is thrilling when you start a new Donal Ryan book, and it finishes with a mix of satisfaction and longing. Strange Flowers is a beautifully written multigenerational family drama that treats us to a cast of characters that act through events and scenes that are carefully crafted, with shifting modes of tradition, absorbing relationships, captivating twists, and leaves us fully satisfied. This book is brimming with wonderful storytelling, from the uplifting dignity of honourable people, through shocking events, to the biting hardships that families often encounter.
Set in the 1970s, in rural Tipperary in Ireland, Paddy and Kit Gladney are tenant farmers, deferential to their landlord, warm-hearted, an honest work ethic and a religious faith that provides the bedrock for their lives. As a young adult, their only daughter Moll took the bus to Nenagh, the train to Dublin, and they have no idea what happened to her after that. The grief and the ensnaring torment Paddy and Kit felt condemned them to “a solemn half-life of work and prayers and weakening hope, and the earth spun and the moon phased, and the rain fell, and the sun shone, and their hearts grew heavier and heavier with grief.”
Five years after Moll’s disappearance, the prodigal daughter returns to Knockgowny, to the open, thankful, joyous arms of Paddy and Kit, whose prayers have been answered. Moll is reluctant to explain why she ran away and why she returned. Her parents continue with superficial conversations rather than probe and risk pushing her away. Eventually, the secrets start being revealed, and the most shocking was that Moll had moved to London and married a black man, Alexander, and they had a son, Joshua. Alexander is a man of integrity and deeply in love with Moll, so much so that he followed her back to Ireland, unsure of the exact address but driven by his determination to hold his family together. They eventually settle into the rural environment with Moll's parents in a landscape as foreign to Alex as he is to the region's people.
Donal Ryan can create a story around the lives of seemingly normal people heading in a clear direction only to be knocked off course into turbulent waters. His stories captivate and, when fully brought to life, leave an imprint on your heart and mind. The diversity of personalities is becoming a trademark of Donal’s. I would highly recommend this book, and I would also like to thank Random House UK, Doubleday and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.
The anticipation is thrilling when you start a new Donal Ryan book, and it finishes with a mix of satisfaction and longing. Strange Flowers is a beautifully written multigenerational family drama that treats us to a cast of characters that act through events and scenes that are carefully crafted, with shifting modes of tradition, absorbing relationships, captivating twists, and leaves us fully satisfied. This book is brimming with wonderful storytelling, from the uplifting dignity of honourable people, through shocking events, to the biting hardships that families often encounter.
Set in the 1970s, in rural Tipperary in Ireland, Paddy and Kit Gladney are tenant farmers, deferential to their landlord, warm-hearted, an honest work ethic and a religious faith that provides the bedrock for their lives. As a young adult, their only daughter Moll took the bus to Nenagh, the train to Dublin, and they have no idea what happened to her after that. The grief and the ensnaring torment Paddy and Kit felt condemned them to “a solemn half-life of work and prayers and weakening hope, and the earth spun and the moon phased, and the rain fell, and the sun shone, and their hearts grew heavier and heavier with grief.”
Five years after Moll’s disappearance, the prodigal daughter returns to Knockgowny, to the open, thankful, joyous arms of Paddy and Kit, whose prayers have been answered. Moll is reluctant to explain why she ran away and why she returned. Her parents continue with superficial conversations rather than probe and risk pushing her away. Eventually, the secrets start being revealed, and the most shocking was that Moll had moved to London and married a black man, Alexander, and they had a son, Joshua. Alexander is a man of integrity and deeply in love with Moll, so much so that he followed her back to Ireland, unsure of the exact address but driven by his determination to hold his family together. They eventually settle into the rural environment with Moll's parents in a landscape as foreign to Alex as he is to the region's people.
“The greenness of the place. Everywhere greenness, trees heavy with it, hedgerows dappled light and dark and every shade of it, rolling fields of grass and green hills as far as his eye could see, and a lake below them in a silver line and, at the far side of it, below the blue and white and grey horizon, more greenness, more grassy hills and forests.”The relationship Alex developed with Paddy and Kit was genuine and brilliantly illustrated the changing perspectives of Irish people when Ireland itself was becoming more open and cosmopolitan. The theme of religion is woven throughout the story, with chapters titled after books of the old and new testaments like Genesis and Revelation. Many religious references are often used, and a story Joshua writes and reads to a girl based on a retelling of Jesus’ life. The emotional and personality traits of the characters are so keenly observed and intelligently portrayed that with some, it creates a profound connection. The relationships between the family members and the landowners, the Jackmans, has an intergenerational association. A connection that also illustrates the changing norms, outlook and mood of an evolving world that gets smaller and smaller.
Donal Ryan can create a story around the lives of seemingly normal people heading in a clear direction only to be knocked off course into turbulent waters. His stories captivate and, when fully brought to life, leave an imprint on your heart and mind. The diversity of personalities is becoming a trademark of Donal’s. I would highly recommend this book, and I would also like to thank Random House UK, Doubleday and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.
October 7, 2020
What a wonderful novel to step into Autumn with. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All the Stars for this beautifully written story by Donal Ryan. Rich in prose, plot and characters. I didn’t want this one to end but alas it did........
Set in Ireland in the early 70s, young Moll Gladney goes missing from her home in Tipperary, Only daughter to Paddy and Kit, they are distraught at her disappearance and rumours amongst the parish folk take on a life of their own. Paddy and Kit never give up hope and after 5 years Moll appears at their door and slowly the mystery unravels about where she has been. This is a story of family, of love and loss, secrets and small town prejudices.
This is Ireland of the 1970 warts and all and Donal Rayan captures a country and it’s people beautifully, their devotions to their religion, their fears and their customs. The small village life where your business is never your own, but that of the town land, the parish and the closest town.
I have to warn readers that there is a small bit profanity but tbh it is in keeping with the language and speech of the time in Ireland and therefore part of the story. If you are easily offended then to be forewarned is to be forearmed but please do not pass on this excellent Novel because of a few swear words.
Donal Ryan’s writes a story where characters come alive on the page, I have images of Paddy, Kit, Moll and Alexander that I feel as if I know these people. I had to pause so many times to just hold back on the story because at 208 pages this is quite a short but wonderfully formed tale. To create so much emotion and atmosphere in so few pages really has to be applauded.
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was excellent, but of course I had to have a hard copy for my real life bookshelf as well.
If you have enjoyed novels like When All Is Said, Brooklyn or Saints for All Occasions then I think you will enjoy this one too.
Set in Ireland in the early 70s, young Moll Gladney goes missing from her home in Tipperary, Only daughter to Paddy and Kit, they are distraught at her disappearance and rumours amongst the parish folk take on a life of their own. Paddy and Kit never give up hope and after 5 years Moll appears at their door and slowly the mystery unravels about where she has been. This is a story of family, of love and loss, secrets and small town prejudices.
This is Ireland of the 1970 warts and all and Donal Rayan captures a country and it’s people beautifully, their devotions to their religion, their fears and their customs. The small village life where your business is never your own, but that of the town land, the parish and the closest town.
I have to warn readers that there is a small bit profanity but tbh it is in keeping with the language and speech of the time in Ireland and therefore part of the story. If you are easily offended then to be forewarned is to be forearmed but please do not pass on this excellent Novel because of a few swear words.
Donal Ryan’s writes a story where characters come alive on the page, I have images of Paddy, Kit, Moll and Alexander that I feel as if I know these people. I had to pause so many times to just hold back on the story because at 208 pages this is quite a short but wonderfully formed tale. To create so much emotion and atmosphere in so few pages really has to be applauded.
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was excellent, but of course I had to have a hard copy for my real life bookshelf as well.
If you have enjoyed novels like When All Is Said, Brooklyn or Saints for All Occasions then I think you will enjoy this one too.
September 5, 2021
4.5★
“But still, any man faced in his own yard with a red-faced priest, solemn and black-suited, and a stocky high-chinned sergeant would surely feel his heart pound in his chest as his blood raced and rushed around his body.”
I don’t think it matters who you are, what your circumstances are, or where you live. If you saw these two people headed for your front door, you would be immediately trying to remember who in your family is where. Who’s not well, who’s at risk, who’s on the road? Whom haven’t you heard from that you now remember you should have????
Paddy and Kit’s daughter disappeared. She was not a little girl, and she wasn’t stolen or kidnapped. She left. She took her case, and they know she got on the bus herself. The people in the village tried to support Paddy and Kit (while privately congratulating themselves that it hadn’t happened to them). This is rural Ireland, where beliefs range from those of conventional religions to some from ancient traditions. Whatever works.
“Kindnesses were carried from distant hills and up from the lakeshore and laid at their door; novenas were pledged and envelopes containing handwritten petitions to Christ and to various saints, with clear instructions on timing and frequency of incantation, were left on the countertop propped against bottles or crockery the way they’d be seen. NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL was printed large on the outside of one of the envelopes and Kit folded that one away into her apron and she patted it now and then to be sure it was still there.”
While I was reading this, I moved from absolutely loving the prose – the very long sentences that just kept flowing and the perfect depiction of these grieving parents – to being annoyed with the interruptions made by the reciting of his manuscript, a work-in-progress, by one of the characters. I don’t know if there was a hidden message that I missed. It’s certainly possible. I even considered, albeit briefly, setting the book aside, since the entire section wasn’t interesting me in the slightest.
But then, the author moved back to earlier times and to other characters, and I immediately forgot about any thoughts of quitting. It ended up being a wonderful story, complex, beautiful, and not quite like anything else I’ve read. The relationships were so unexpected and yet shouldn’t be.
“The man who owned the shop was from Pakistan, but he was so kind you’d nearly think he was Irish, …”
… skin was only there to make a body waterproof, and the colour of it mattered not.”
The parents are careful how they behave when their daughter disappears.
“It wouldn’t do to be sympathizing too much, because that way Paddy might think they were thinking what it was only natural to think: that Moll Gladney was either pregnant or dead, and it was hard to know which one of those was worse.”
Moll does return, years later, just as suddenly as she left. This is not a spoiler – it is part of the pre-publicity and other reviews, and it happens early in the book. But she is changed and the family changes in unexpected ways. I doubt any readers will guess her reasons for leaving, but they should certainly understand them.
In the end, I loved this story, except for the inserted ‘manuscript’. It would have been a five-star read without it. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK (Transworld) for the preview copy which I enjoyed.
“But still, any man faced in his own yard with a red-faced priest, solemn and black-suited, and a stocky high-chinned sergeant would surely feel his heart pound in his chest as his blood raced and rushed around his body.”
I don’t think it matters who you are, what your circumstances are, or where you live. If you saw these two people headed for your front door, you would be immediately trying to remember who in your family is where. Who’s not well, who’s at risk, who’s on the road? Whom haven’t you heard from that you now remember you should have????
Paddy and Kit’s daughter disappeared. She was not a little girl, and she wasn’t stolen or kidnapped. She left. She took her case, and they know she got on the bus herself. The people in the village tried to support Paddy and Kit (while privately congratulating themselves that it hadn’t happened to them). This is rural Ireland, where beliefs range from those of conventional religions to some from ancient traditions. Whatever works.
“Kindnesses were carried from distant hills and up from the lakeshore and laid at their door; novenas were pledged and envelopes containing handwritten petitions to Christ and to various saints, with clear instructions on timing and frequency of incantation, were left on the countertop propped against bottles or crockery the way they’d be seen. NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL was printed large on the outside of one of the envelopes and Kit folded that one away into her apron and she patted it now and then to be sure it was still there.”
While I was reading this, I moved from absolutely loving the prose – the very long sentences that just kept flowing and the perfect depiction of these grieving parents – to being annoyed with the interruptions made by the reciting of his manuscript, a work-in-progress, by one of the characters. I don’t know if there was a hidden message that I missed. It’s certainly possible. I even considered, albeit briefly, setting the book aside, since the entire section wasn’t interesting me in the slightest.
But then, the author moved back to earlier times and to other characters, and I immediately forgot about any thoughts of quitting. It ended up being a wonderful story, complex, beautiful, and not quite like anything else I’ve read. The relationships were so unexpected and yet shouldn’t be.
“The man who owned the shop was from Pakistan, but he was so kind you’d nearly think he was Irish, …”
… skin was only there to make a body waterproof, and the colour of it mattered not.”
The parents are careful how they behave when their daughter disappears.
“It wouldn’t do to be sympathizing too much, because that way Paddy might think they were thinking what it was only natural to think: that Moll Gladney was either pregnant or dead, and it was hard to know which one of those was worse.”
Moll does return, years later, just as suddenly as she left. This is not a spoiler – it is part of the pre-publicity and other reviews, and it happens early in the book. But she is changed and the family changes in unexpected ways. I doubt any readers will guess her reasons for leaving, but they should certainly understand them.
In the end, I loved this story, except for the inserted ‘manuscript’. It would have been a five-star read without it. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK (Transworld) for the preview copy which I enjoyed.
May 17, 2021
1970s, Knockagowny, in County Tipperary, Ireland, 18 yr. Old Moll walks away from her home. Her parents Paddy and Kit trace her as far as Dublin, but there the sightings end. For five long years they keep the faith, believing their girl will return. Then one day, now 23, Moll come home, but she is far from the same girl who left. She comes with many secrets, surprises and challenges. By books end it will deal with the issues of race, faith, family, love, heartbreak and sexual orientation.
Another terrific story by this author. He gets to the heart of family, people and their feelings, brings out emotions in his readers, and all without mawkish, overly sentimental writing. I love Kit and Paddy, their unconditional love and acceptance, their togetherness, at all life throws at them. Divided into three parts, this novel shows how love can weather many storms, how much family means and the strength it takes to get through a life. A book I thought about days after I finished, a wonder of. quiet book.
ARC by Edelweiss.
Another terrific story by this author. He gets to the heart of family, people and their feelings, brings out emotions in his readers, and all without mawkish, overly sentimental writing. I love Kit and Paddy, their unconditional love and acceptance, their togetherness, at all life throws at them. Divided into three parts, this novel shows how love can weather many storms, how much family means and the strength it takes to get through a life. A book I thought about days after I finished, a wonder of. quiet book.
ARC by Edelweiss.
April 14, 2020
Donal Ryan's writing is stunningly beautiful, the way he conveys complex feelings like shame and regret without ever being exploitative is masterful - but the construction and the pacing of this story do not manage to develop enough immersive force. The novel opens with the disappearence of young Moll Gladney from Tipperary, Ireland (the author's home region) - five years later, Moll suddenly comes back, and it's impossible to give further details without spoiling the plot which in this case fully relies on one reveal piling up on the next one: We learn secrets about Moll and the people she brings back with her, about neighbors, parents, children etc. - a whole social web is untangeld and laid bare until finally, at the very end, we learn why Moll left in the first place. While looking at individual destinies and feelings, Ryan discusses themes like social inequality, racism, violence, family, love, sexual taboos and religion.
All those twists and turns we are offered somehow do not converge with the contemplative, lyrical writing though, and as Ryan started shifting viewpoints, I started struggling to keep my interest. Plus: I'm all for experimental narrative constructions, but the lengthy short story one character writes and that is of course a meta-narrative to the main plot, inserted in multiple fragments, jumped the shark for me (as a counter example, Kunzru does the same thing in his new book Red Pill, but as the whole text is fast, experimental and wild, it makes sense in the grand narrative scheme - here, it mainly annoyed me).
The way Ryan evokes atmosphere and describes landscapes is once again beautiful, and some characters like Moll's father are rendered with a wonderful quiet dignity, while others remain projection surfaces. This book is less about character development than about character analysis, the unraveling of secrets long buried, but also the strategic revelation of information by the author to keep the reader constantly guessing - unfortunately, there is just too much of it, which as the story moves along makes the whole thing appear more and more contrived.
Donal Ryan is one of the great Irish writers working today, his empathy and knack for atmospheric prose are admirable, but this isn't his best work.
All those twists and turns we are offered somehow do not converge with the contemplative, lyrical writing though, and as Ryan started shifting viewpoints, I started struggling to keep my interest. Plus: I'm all for experimental narrative constructions, but the lengthy short story one character writes and that is of course a meta-narrative to the main plot, inserted in multiple fragments, jumped the shark for me (as a counter example, Kunzru does the same thing in his new book Red Pill, but as the whole text is fast, experimental and wild, it makes sense in the grand narrative scheme - here, it mainly annoyed me).
The way Ryan evokes atmosphere and describes landscapes is once again beautiful, and some characters like Moll's father are rendered with a wonderful quiet dignity, while others remain projection surfaces. This book is less about character development than about character analysis, the unraveling of secrets long buried, but also the strategic revelation of information by the author to keep the reader constantly guessing - unfortunately, there is just too much of it, which as the story moves along makes the whole thing appear more and more contrived.
Donal Ryan is one of the great Irish writers working today, his empathy and knack for atmospheric prose are admirable, but this isn't his best work.
July 26, 2021
"He'd cut himself down to a shape smaller than himself; he'd lost himself in love for her."
Strange Flowers reminds us of all the complications of love. It forces us to look upon the irregular facets of parent to child, man to woman, neighbor to neighbor, unexpected stranger to stranger, and heart meeting heart no matter the human circumstances or the approval. Love has its depths eventually from surface encounters to the solid grit layered in the soul.
Donal Ryan begins his tale in the 1970's in a small village in Ireland. Paddy and his wife, Kit, have raised their daughter well within the expectations of the Catholic Church and the church of public opinion. No scandal, no questionable behavior, no raising of the eyebrow. Moll was quiet by nature and an only child. She never made waves......until she finally did.
In the wee hours of the morning, twenty year old Moll took to the road with small suitcase in hand and a determination to head to Dublin. Her intent was unknown and least of all to her parents who scoured the countryside for Moll. They even borrowed a car to search the streets of Dublin to no avail. Moll was gone. And gone she was for five long years with everyone believing that she was dead. No notes, no letters, nothing.
And as if instigated by Irish fireflies, Moll appears in the doorway of her parents' home once again. No explanations spill from her lips. Only her appearance is registered as truth. But several days later, Paddy receives a message from the next town that a young man is at a familiar pub inquiring the way to their cottage. Paddy travels alone to search out this man with a connection to Moll. Nothing prepares him for their first encounter.
Beautifully rendered, Donal Ryan sets up a scene in which we can almost hear the staccato of his characters' heartbeats. He cloaks them in the familiar and then casts them into situations where their limited lives and experiential backgrounds hold them at bay in the real scheme of things. Humans are such surface creatures. We judge and then measure by visuals alone. We compare all to pass the internal mechanisms clocked inside of ourselves. And we bend to generational and societal set norms. More is the pity.
Donal Ryan is a gifted writer which will become evident to you as you read Strange Flowers. He shines a spotlight on the profound impact of one stranger crossing another stranger's path. It can and will set a stirring of the winds in a highly unexpected direction. Perhaps you've had such an encounter. Decisions set life on a new course.....expected, desired, rejected. Either way, life happens.
Strange Flowers reminds us of all the complications of love. It forces us to look upon the irregular facets of parent to child, man to woman, neighbor to neighbor, unexpected stranger to stranger, and heart meeting heart no matter the human circumstances or the approval. Love has its depths eventually from surface encounters to the solid grit layered in the soul.
Donal Ryan begins his tale in the 1970's in a small village in Ireland. Paddy and his wife, Kit, have raised their daughter well within the expectations of the Catholic Church and the church of public opinion. No scandal, no questionable behavior, no raising of the eyebrow. Moll was quiet by nature and an only child. She never made waves......until she finally did.
In the wee hours of the morning, twenty year old Moll took to the road with small suitcase in hand and a determination to head to Dublin. Her intent was unknown and least of all to her parents who scoured the countryside for Moll. They even borrowed a car to search the streets of Dublin to no avail. Moll was gone. And gone she was for five long years with everyone believing that she was dead. No notes, no letters, nothing.
And as if instigated by Irish fireflies, Moll appears in the doorway of her parents' home once again. No explanations spill from her lips. Only her appearance is registered as truth. But several days later, Paddy receives a message from the next town that a young man is at a familiar pub inquiring the way to their cottage. Paddy travels alone to search out this man with a connection to Moll. Nothing prepares him for their first encounter.
Beautifully rendered, Donal Ryan sets up a scene in which we can almost hear the staccato of his characters' heartbeats. He cloaks them in the familiar and then casts them into situations where their limited lives and experiential backgrounds hold them at bay in the real scheme of things. Humans are such surface creatures. We judge and then measure by visuals alone. We compare all to pass the internal mechanisms clocked inside of ourselves. And we bend to generational and societal set norms. More is the pity.
Donal Ryan is a gifted writer which will become evident to you as you read Strange Flowers. He shines a spotlight on the profound impact of one stranger crossing another stranger's path. It can and will set a stirring of the winds in a highly unexpected direction. Perhaps you've had such an encounter. Decisions set life on a new course.....expected, desired, rejected. Either way, life happens.
February 22, 2024
Be still my heart.❤️ This book—Strange Flowers—is surely one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read! It drew me in so I felt a connection to the characters so strong I’d swear I knew them, and loved them, as much as they loved each other! It’s a book that’ll stay with me for a very long time.
The story, itself, is quite a simple one, but the prose is so gorgeous it might literally take your breath away! I believe LOVE and FAMILY are the two shining stars of this story, which I highly recommend. To sum it up in a few words, I would say … This is a book about the abiding power of love.
5 “Family-is-Everything” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story, itself, is quite a simple one, but the prose is so gorgeous it might literally take your breath away! I believe LOVE and FAMILY are the two shining stars of this story, which I highly recommend. To sum it up in a few words, I would say … This is a book about the abiding power of love.
5 “Family-is-Everything” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 3, 2021
"Life was like that: it meandered on and away, along its course and there wasn't much anyone could do in the path of Fate but stand aside and hope and pray for the best."
Even as far as the eye can see in the lush verdant countryside of Ireland, heartache can occur. Even to the God-fearing devout parents living in a modest stone cottage, a daughter can vanish. Even in a provincial village of caring souls, sorrow grows. Paddy and his wife Kit await news of their daughter Moll; "a good little girl" who secretly left for London. No word from her in all that time. She must be dead or pregnant thought her loving parents.
Moll appears at the door of her childhood home with no explanations, no apologies after being gone for five years. This prodigal daughter is nevertheless welcomed. All their prayers are answered, until more prayers are needed. Her very black London husband searches for his missing wife, the mother of his very white child - such a strange flower.
Exquisitely written, this novel captures the beauty of 70's Tipperary, the depth of love, acceptance and forgiveness, and the strength of family. Finishing this book I needed to shake myself back to 2021 U.S., although I would have preferred to stay in that nostalgic dream or at least be able to recall it on demand. This is Donal Ryan's newest book which was brought to my attention by a NYT book review. I now know he has written many highly acclaimed books which I look forward enjoying.
Even as far as the eye can see in the lush verdant countryside of Ireland, heartache can occur. Even to the God-fearing devout parents living in a modest stone cottage, a daughter can vanish. Even in a provincial village of caring souls, sorrow grows. Paddy and his wife Kit await news of their daughter Moll; "a good little girl" who secretly left for London. No word from her in all that time. She must be dead or pregnant thought her loving parents.
Moll appears at the door of her childhood home with no explanations, no apologies after being gone for five years. This prodigal daughter is nevertheless welcomed. All their prayers are answered, until more prayers are needed. Her very black London husband searches for his missing wife, the mother of his very white child - such a strange flower.
Exquisitely written, this novel captures the beauty of 70's Tipperary, the depth of love, acceptance and forgiveness, and the strength of family. Finishing this book I needed to shake myself back to 2021 U.S., although I would have preferred to stay in that nostalgic dream or at least be able to recall it on demand. This is Donal Ryan's newest book which was brought to my attention by a NYT book review. I now know he has written many highly acclaimed books which I look forward enjoying.
October 23, 2023
This is now the third book I have read by the Irish writer Donal Ryan, and I almost always have the same experience: the man can write beautifully and his stories show enormous empathy, but there is always something lacking in the focus of his storylines, it's as if Ryan can never maintain that focus for long. This is also the case here. The first two chapters are of a particularly high quality, with a very empathetic sketch of the drama that happens to the Irish couple Paddy and Kit when their 20-year-old daughter Moll runs away, and the restrained joy when she returns 5 years later. Especially the depiction of Irish rural conditions (the ubiquitous Catholicism, the fear of everything foreign, the intolerable submissiveness of the social inferior to the superior, etc.). And those image-rich, rhythmic sentences. What a marvel.
But then the story suddenly takes a turn and the tone changes: Moll's black man, Alexander, who was initially treated very racist, is integrated without any problems, he builds up a successful career in an incredibly fast time and the family seems like a textbook model. Very implausible. Ryan then zooms in on the adult son of Alexander and Moll, his struggle with life, incorporated into a self-written story with an African and biblical slant, the meaning of which escapes me. Finally, the last two chapters offer a series of flashbacks with revelations of what was really going on, and here Ryan draws on a number of Irish taboos such as sexual repression and lesbianism, again linked with unlikely plot twists.
No, I can't rhyme it: the high-quality first half, and then the messy second half. It's as if Ryan couldn’t decide what book he actually wanted to write. A pity. Still 2.5 stars.
But then the story suddenly takes a turn and the tone changes: Moll's black man, Alexander, who was initially treated very racist, is integrated without any problems, he builds up a successful career in an incredibly fast time and the family seems like a textbook model. Very implausible. Ryan then zooms in on the adult son of Alexander and Moll, his struggle with life, incorporated into a self-written story with an African and biblical slant, the meaning of which escapes me. Finally, the last two chapters offer a series of flashbacks with revelations of what was really going on, and here Ryan draws on a number of Irish taboos such as sexual repression and lesbianism, again linked with unlikely plot twists.
No, I can't rhyme it: the high-quality first half, and then the messy second half. It's as if Ryan couldn’t decide what book he actually wanted to write. A pity. Still 2.5 stars.
September 2, 2021
A short but powerful novel, beautifully written.
The sadness and secrets of a small family in an Irish village in the 1970’s.
Love, loss, redemption ..
I really enjoyed this writer’s work and I have purchased several more books of his so I’m looking forward to them.
The sadness and secrets of a small family in an Irish village in the 1970’s.
Love, loss, redemption ..
I really enjoyed this writer’s work and I have purchased several more books of his so I’m looking forward to them.
January 3, 2024
This lovely little novel is in my view another beautiful achievement, one of astounding calibre with now as major subjects homophobia and racism.
Storytelling is wonderful, all characters are believable and likeable human beings with all their fragility, beliefs and religion, also the atmosphere and surroundings of rural Ireland come superbly to the forefront, but the only negative point that I have to make is that at times within this story some sentences are too long, and thus making this story sometimes long-winded and hard to follow.
The story is situated between 1973 right until into the late 1990s, and it describes the feelings and actions of people in all its very fine details, being it in Ireland or in London.
The story itself is about Moll Gladney, who in 1973 leaves her home in rural Ireland and goes to London, and so leaving her parents, Paddy and Kit, distraught and bewildered and none the wiser back at home.
During the five years absence, Moll gets married to a black man called, Alexander Elmwood, and they have a son named, Joshua, when all of a sudden she returns home to Ireland and leaving them behind in London.
What is good to know is that Paddy and Kit's woman neighbour, Ellen Jackman, wife of Lucas Jackman and mother of one boy and three daughters, will also play an important part at the end of this book.
What will happen that after the deaths of Moll's husband, Alexander, and father, Paddy, and son, Joshua, gone to London, she's left with her mother, Kit, and after Ellen's husband, Lucas's death, these two women will finally find love between them, a love that started with a letter written by Moll to Ellen in 1973, and this lesbian love needs to carefully conducted for it will be looked upon in rural Catholic Ireland with prejudice and narrowmindedness during that time, and probably condemned by quite some people.
Very much recommended, although not the author's absolute best, but still its a beautiful and romantic love story, and one that is written with heart and soul, and that's why I like to call this lovely little piece: "A Passionate Irish Love Story"!
Storytelling is wonderful, all characters are believable and likeable human beings with all their fragility, beliefs and religion, also the atmosphere and surroundings of rural Ireland come superbly to the forefront, but the only negative point that I have to make is that at times within this story some sentences are too long, and thus making this story sometimes long-winded and hard to follow.
The story is situated between 1973 right until into the late 1990s, and it describes the feelings and actions of people in all its very fine details, being it in Ireland or in London.
The story itself is about Moll Gladney, who in 1973 leaves her home in rural Ireland and goes to London, and so leaving her parents, Paddy and Kit, distraught and bewildered and none the wiser back at home.
During the five years absence, Moll gets married to a black man called, Alexander Elmwood, and they have a son named, Joshua, when all of a sudden she returns home to Ireland and leaving them behind in London.
What is good to know is that Paddy and Kit's woman neighbour, Ellen Jackman, wife of Lucas Jackman and mother of one boy and three daughters, will also play an important part at the end of this book.
What will happen that after the deaths of Moll's husband, Alexander, and father, Paddy, and son, Joshua, gone to London, she's left with her mother, Kit, and after Ellen's husband, Lucas's death, these two women will finally find love between them, a love that started with a letter written by Moll to Ellen in 1973, and this lesbian love needs to carefully conducted for it will be looked upon in rural Catholic Ireland with prejudice and narrowmindedness during that time, and probably condemned by quite some people.
Very much recommended, although not the author's absolute best, but still its a beautiful and romantic love story, and one that is written with heart and soul, and that's why I like to call this lovely little piece: "A Passionate Irish Love Story"!
April 4, 2024
And This, And That,
And This, And That...
STRANGE FLOWERS: A Novel by Donal Ryan
DNF at 70%. 2 stars. I'm sorry, but if I get to 70% of a novel and, at that point, I could care less about ALL of the characters, and I can see that plot is going absolutely nowhere except further down the rabbit hole, then it's time to throw in the towel and quit wasting more time with it.
The author seemed to be trying to make several societal statements, but IMO, he forgot all about his characters and plot and failed to write cohesive and connecting stories about them and their life experiences.
This book might appeal to someone who enjoys chewing the cud while reading. IMO, it is not for those of us reading for relaxation and escapism. It is too much work to milk a meaningful plot out of all the flowery nowhereville writing.
I really couldn't connect with the loooong sentences that read something like this: And this happened, and that happened, and this happened again, and that happened again. It seemed the author used "and" throughout the story to avoid using sentence punctuation.
Would I recommend this book? Only if you have a large threshold for boredom.
And This, And That...
STRANGE FLOWERS: A Novel by Donal Ryan
DNF at 70%. 2 stars. I'm sorry, but if I get to 70% of a novel and, at that point, I could care less about ALL of the characters, and I can see that plot is going absolutely nowhere except further down the rabbit hole, then it's time to throw in the towel and quit wasting more time with it.
The author seemed to be trying to make several societal statements, but IMO, he forgot all about his characters and plot and failed to write cohesive and connecting stories about them and their life experiences.
This book might appeal to someone who enjoys chewing the cud while reading. IMO, it is not for those of us reading for relaxation and escapism. It is too much work to milk a meaningful plot out of all the flowery nowhereville writing.
I really couldn't connect with the loooong sentences that read something like this: And this happened, and that happened, and this happened again, and that happened again. It seemed the author used "and" throughout the story to avoid using sentence punctuation.
Would I recommend this book? Only if you have a large threshold for boredom.
December 11, 2020
It's unusual for a book to make me cry, but this one had me in tears on more than one occasion. It's a sparsely-written study of grief, compassion and - most of all - love. For the most part it read beautifully, but its dealing with the ferocious ethno-politics of 1970s Ireland was lazy and clumsy and - given the many other issues Ryan chooses to deal with - I wonder if it was necessary at all. Largely excellent, but ultimately disappointing.
December 19, 2024
This is a rare novel where nothing is what it seems. Donal Ryan plays with appearances and constructs a multilayered story that the reader has to unfold, and what initially seemed a tale of loss and grief turns out to be one of forgiveness and redemption.
The Gladneys live in a small rural village in Ireland, and when their only daughter disappears without leaving a trace, they abandon all hope of finding her alive. Her sudden return five years later will unlock some hidden secrets about the tight-knit community that will force them to reconsider their notions on race, sexuality, and moral beliefs.
Ryan’s prose is evocative and cunning. His characters are never bidimensional, and they keep secrets that not even they understand. As the story progresses, the reader bears witness to the characters’ growth and how they bloom from hermetic buds into thriving flowers, maybe in odd array, with petals that whisper secrets old but emanating a strange allure difficult to resist.
Ah, the scent of Irishness…it might be old, but it is so fresh, kissed by dew, with veins of gold, dancing shadows that make my soul glow.
The Gladneys live in a small rural village in Ireland, and when their only daughter disappears without leaving a trace, they abandon all hope of finding her alive. Her sudden return five years later will unlock some hidden secrets about the tight-knit community that will force them to reconsider their notions on race, sexuality, and moral beliefs.
Ryan’s prose is evocative and cunning. His characters are never bidimensional, and they keep secrets that not even they understand. As the story progresses, the reader bears witness to the characters’ growth and how they bloom from hermetic buds into thriving flowers, maybe in odd array, with petals that whisper secrets old but emanating a strange allure difficult to resist.
Ah, the scent of Irishness…it might be old, but it is so fresh, kissed by dew, with veins of gold, dancing shadows that make my soul glow.
June 15, 2025
A few weeks ago I accidentally came across a Donal Ryan book in the library (Heart, be at peace) and after really enjoying it, I went on the hunt and found another piece of his work…enter: strange flowers🌷
I was instantly blown away by the plot of this book. The first few pages were powerfully crafted to draw us in. In fact, the first sentence left me longing for more: ‘All the light left Paddy Gladney’s eyes when his daughter disappeared; all the gladness went from his heart.’ 🥺 I found this sentence to be both shocking and beautifully written.
Donal takes us to his home town in Tipperary, Ireland, 1973, to set this powerful story. Moll, daughter of Paddy and Kit, has gone missing. With their only child gone, the bottom falls out of their world, and they cling on to their Faith in God as their only source of hope. However, 5 years later, just as their hope is fading, Moll returns!! But she isn’t the same girl that left…
Upon their daughter’s return ‘They were reverent in those first minutes and hours, filled with supernatural awe at this miracle, not quite believing yet that she was real.’ 🥲
However, Moll has changed and has a few surprises up her sleeve. One thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same again…
This is an emotional story of heart-wrenching loss, and the power of love. Love in many forms. Donal writes this story, of highs and lows, with such beauty and grace. He has an extraordinary way of easing the impact of even the most horrific of scenes. He is the soft-landing we can rely on. 😌
I loved the strong connection to Christianity that ran through the course of this storyline. Donal accurately depicted the people’s strong connection to their religion, and the customs surrounding it. In fact, he even wrote the book into sections with Biblical books as titles. This created a strong foundation for the story.
It is very hard to write any more without giving away the incredible plot of this book, but I can say it truly is the most remarkable thing: how Donal can pack in such an ENORMOUS story into only 208 pages! It really is astonishing…the depth and complexity of both story and characters is fantastic 👏🏼 Definitely worth reading 🙌🏼
🌟🌟🌟🌟
I was instantly blown away by the plot of this book. The first few pages were powerfully crafted to draw us in. In fact, the first sentence left me longing for more: ‘All the light left Paddy Gladney’s eyes when his daughter disappeared; all the gladness went from his heart.’ 🥺 I found this sentence to be both shocking and beautifully written.
Donal takes us to his home town in Tipperary, Ireland, 1973, to set this powerful story. Moll, daughter of Paddy and Kit, has gone missing. With their only child gone, the bottom falls out of their world, and they cling on to their Faith in God as their only source of hope. However, 5 years later, just as their hope is fading, Moll returns!! But she isn’t the same girl that left…
Upon their daughter’s return ‘They were reverent in those first minutes and hours, filled with supernatural awe at this miracle, not quite believing yet that she was real.’ 🥲
However, Moll has changed and has a few surprises up her sleeve. One thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same again…
This is an emotional story of heart-wrenching loss, and the power of love. Love in many forms. Donal writes this story, of highs and lows, with such beauty and grace. He has an extraordinary way of easing the impact of even the most horrific of scenes. He is the soft-landing we can rely on. 😌
I loved the strong connection to Christianity that ran through the course of this storyline. Donal accurately depicted the people’s strong connection to their religion, and the customs surrounding it. In fact, he even wrote the book into sections with Biblical books as titles. This created a strong foundation for the story.
It is very hard to write any more without giving away the incredible plot of this book, but I can say it truly is the most remarkable thing: how Donal can pack in such an ENORMOUS story into only 208 pages! It really is astonishing…the depth and complexity of both story and characters is fantastic 👏🏼 Definitely worth reading 🙌🏼
🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 24, 2020
After reading From a Low and Quiet Sea last year and giving it 2 stars, I decided to give Donal Ryan another chance with Strange Flowers. I was wrong.
Let me cut straight to the chase here: the writing in Strange Flowers was unbearable, especially in the first half. It's been a while since I've read a book with such a glaring, painfully distracting problem with its writing. I'll let the words speak for themselves. The following is a ONE SINGULAR SENTENCE from Strange Flowers:
I want you to imagine reading that, but for 100+ pages. Reader, I almost lost my mind. I have never in my life been so alert to the word "and" than when I was reading the first half of this book. I have no idea if this was intentional or not—if it was intentional, why? and if it wasn't, how did no one notice it????—but either way it drove me up the wall. I could not absorb anything I was reading because it felt like a little ping went off in my brain every time I came across yet another "and."
Aside from the writing—which is frankly a huge issue to be putting aside, considering it's 99% of the reason why this novel irritated me so much—I found myself not at all engaged by this story. It started out intriguing enough: I liked the focus on a small family in a quiet, rural setting, the exploration of how a family comes together over multiple generations. But the same issue that I had with From a Low and Quiet Sea cropped up soon enough. I much prefer to see characters' emotions and thoughts play out in real time, as opposed to being told them in retrospect. Donal Ryan's writing does the latter almost to the exclusion of the former—that is, it's the kind of writing that tells you what happened instead of letting you watch it happen on the page.
I wish I had something more substantial or cohesive to say about Strange Flowers, but I will honestly never get over the insane amount of "and"s that I had to read in this novel. 🤷
Thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley!
Let me cut straight to the chase here: the writing in Strange Flowers was unbearable, especially in the first half. It's been a while since I've read a book with such a glaring, painfully distracting problem with its writing. I'll let the words speak for themselves. The following is a ONE SINGULAR SENTENCE from Strange Flowers:
"And Alexander Elmwood stooped beneath the low lintel and shuffled long-legged and rumpled down the short hallway, and they listened to him retching and vomiting, and Kit told Moll to take him down a fresh towel, and she did, and she was gone a long while, and Kit and Paddy strained to listen to the low mutters of their conversation but they could pick up none of it, and Moll came back up the hall on her own, and she said she'd put him into her bed and she would sleep in with her mother that night and Daddy would have to sleep with Alexander, and never in his wildest imaginings did Paddy Gladney ever think that his first night sleeping without his wife alongside him since the day his daughter was born would be spent inside in a bed with a gigantic drunken black man."
I want you to imagine reading that, but for 100+ pages. Reader, I almost lost my mind. I have never in my life been so alert to the word "and" than when I was reading the first half of this book. I have no idea if this was intentional or not—if it was intentional, why? and if it wasn't, how did no one notice it????—but either way it drove me up the wall. I could not absorb anything I was reading because it felt like a little ping went off in my brain every time I came across yet another "and."
Aside from the writing—which is frankly a huge issue to be putting aside, considering it's 99% of the reason why this novel irritated me so much—I found myself not at all engaged by this story. It started out intriguing enough: I liked the focus on a small family in a quiet, rural setting, the exploration of how a family comes together over multiple generations. But the same issue that I had with From a Low and Quiet Sea cropped up soon enough. I much prefer to see characters' emotions and thoughts play out in real time, as opposed to being told them in retrospect. Donal Ryan's writing does the latter almost to the exclusion of the former—that is, it's the kind of writing that tells you what happened instead of letting you watch it happen on the page.
I wish I had something more substantial or cohesive to say about Strange Flowers, but I will honestly never get over the insane amount of "and"s that I had to read in this novel. 🤷
Thanks to Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley!
March 17, 2024
"All the light left Paddy Gladney's eyes when his daughter disappeared; all the gladness went from his heart." Twenty year-old Moll stealthily leaves home in the early morning hours, leaving no clues as to the reason why. Five years later she returns home, soon followed by those whose lives are now entangled with hers.
Strange Flowers is set amidst the backdrop of the natural beauty of 1970's rural Ireland. Ryan skillfully evokes the town and the social mores of the place. He sensitively explores family connections and the many facets of love.
I am surprised that the character development is uneven. For example, Paddy is exquisitely rendered. I can feel his heartbreak and grief over Moll's disappearance and quiet joy over her return. He is a man of integrity, kindness, and quiet dignity. Then there is Alexander, of whom I still have little understanding other than surface features and being told of his deep love for his wife. He is apparently a man without flaw or nuance.
I do appreciate Ryan's beautiful, lush, perfectly weighted Irish prose.
There is enough here to love that I will give Donal Ryan's fiction another try.
Publication 2020
Strange Flowers is set amidst the backdrop of the natural beauty of 1970's rural Ireland. Ryan skillfully evokes the town and the social mores of the place. He sensitively explores family connections and the many facets of love.
I am surprised that the character development is uneven. For example, Paddy is exquisitely rendered. I can feel his heartbreak and grief over Moll's disappearance and quiet joy over her return. He is a man of integrity, kindness, and quiet dignity. Then there is Alexander, of whom I still have little understanding other than surface features and being told of his deep love for his wife. He is apparently a man without flaw or nuance.
I do appreciate Ryan's beautiful, lush, perfectly weighted Irish prose.
There is enough here to love that I will give Donal Ryan's fiction another try.
Publication 2020
August 27, 2020
Published today 27/08/2020
I had previously read Donal Ryan’s “From a Low and Quiet Sea”, a book which I summarised as “Overall an enjoyable novel, admirably intentioned and from a clearly talented writer; but one which I felt lacked true depth and perhaps fell short of its potential”. I was surprised when it was longlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize – although many other readers that I respect considered it shortlist material.
The Genesis of the book is in rural Ireland in the 1960s – Paddy (a postman) and Kit Gladney, aged either side of 60, are long term tenants in a cottage owned by the local landowners – the Jackmans, but their settled life is torn apart when their 20 year-old daughter inexplicably leaves home and cannot be traced. Five years later she walks back into their life, with only a limited explanation of her years in London, but any sense of a prodigal type celebration is caught short, firstly by an unexplained but almost immediate row with Ellen (the mother of the Jackman family) and then by news delivered portentously by the local Judges (the local priest and police) of a man in a neighbouring town who seems to have pursued Moll from London – Alexander Elmwood.
Thereafter the book moves forwards in time – switching to the viewpoint of Alexander (both in London and then in Exodus in Ireland) and then to the next generation (in particular a troubled writer – more of poems and short stories than Songs – Joshua, the Strange Flower of the title) before returning to Moll and Ellen – now in the later years more full of the Wisdom of age and able to reflect on Galdney/Jackman incidents – both pass and present; and the book concludes with a final Revelation (one of a series which unspool through the book).
The writing is languid and full of empathy, character insight and gentle description – exactly what we would expect of the author.
The book is infused with Christian and biblical references. Paddy (and particularly) Kit are traditional, Marian Catholics. Alexander’s parents are from more of a Pentecostalist Gospel background. The Bible (with Apocrypha) provides the theme-appropriate headings of each section of the book (as set out in my plot summary) and as the book progresses it is interleaved with a retelling of part of John’s Gospel, which in turn serves as something of a meta-narrative for the book.
I am not sure what a non-Christian would make of all of this and to what extent they would absorb all the references and allusions: but as a Christian I found the retelling of the story, despite a promising start, to be shallow and lacking insight (pun intended).
And this I think gets to the heart of why the book did not quite work for me: the book seems to often to be “neither one thing or the other”.
Putting any religious aspect to one side, the idea of introducing a meta-narrative short story does not seem to fit the rest of the book which is very straightforwardly told.
The book relies too much on deliberately withheld revelations – but ones which when they are revealed do not prove terribly dramatic.
And a book very short on action, has a single rather implausible piece of set piece action.
In each case therefore I felt a common novelistic device had been inserted into a gentle literary novel where it did not quite fit, albeit it gamely struggles to engage with the locality in which it has been transplanted, while knowing always it is not fully welcome, only to cause later repercussions for the success of the writing.
Now if this itself turns out to be a meta-meta literary reference to Alexander, his hurling career, his relationship with Moll and the impact on Joshua – then this is very clever indeed.
My thanks to Random House UK for an ARC via NetGalley
He remembers then why this story means so much, and he feels his shame and anger retreat a little, enough so that he’s able to tell her that the story was his father’s idea, that they’d been to Mass together one Saturday evening, just the two of them, that his father loved going to Mass though he wasn’t even really a Catholic, that he really listened to the gospel stories because they reminded him of his parents, who knew the gospels forward and back and could quote whole passages word for word. How his father had talked all the way down the hill to the village and back up the hill from the main road to the cottage about the blind man in the Gospel of John. About how the blind man must have felt, being questioned by the Pharisees about Jesus, and by Jesus’s disciples about his mother and his father, and how it must have felt to see, having been blind for so long. I tell you, Joshy, we ain’t getting the full story from old Gospel-writing John. He’s holding out on us bad!
I had previously read Donal Ryan’s “From a Low and Quiet Sea”, a book which I summarised as “Overall an enjoyable novel, admirably intentioned and from a clearly talented writer; but one which I felt lacked true depth and perhaps fell short of its potential”. I was surprised when it was longlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize – although many other readers that I respect considered it shortlist material.
The Genesis of the book is in rural Ireland in the 1960s – Paddy (a postman) and Kit Gladney, aged either side of 60, are long term tenants in a cottage owned by the local landowners – the Jackmans, but their settled life is torn apart when their 20 year-old daughter inexplicably leaves home and cannot be traced. Five years later she walks back into their life, with only a limited explanation of her years in London, but any sense of a prodigal type celebration is caught short, firstly by an unexplained but almost immediate row with Ellen (the mother of the Jackman family) and then by news delivered portentously by the local Judges (the local priest and police) of a man in a neighbouring town who seems to have pursued Moll from London – Alexander Elmwood.
Thereafter the book moves forwards in time – switching to the viewpoint of Alexander (both in London and then in Exodus in Ireland) and then to the next generation (in particular a troubled writer – more of poems and short stories than Songs – Joshua, the Strange Flower of the title) before returning to Moll and Ellen – now in the later years more full of the Wisdom of age and able to reflect on Galdney/Jackman incidents – both pass and present; and the book concludes with a final Revelation (one of a series which unspool through the book).
The writing is languid and full of empathy, character insight and gentle description – exactly what we would expect of the author.
The book is infused with Christian and biblical references. Paddy (and particularly) Kit are traditional, Marian Catholics. Alexander’s parents are from more of a Pentecostalist Gospel background. The Bible (with Apocrypha) provides the theme-appropriate headings of each section of the book (as set out in my plot summary) and as the book progresses it is interleaved with a retelling of part of John’s Gospel, which in turn serves as something of a meta-narrative for the book.
I am not sure what a non-Christian would make of all of this and to what extent they would absorb all the references and allusions: but as a Christian I found the retelling of the story, despite a promising start, to be shallow and lacking insight (pun intended).
And this I think gets to the heart of why the book did not quite work for me: the book seems to often to be “neither one thing or the other”.
Putting any religious aspect to one side, the idea of introducing a meta-narrative short story does not seem to fit the rest of the book which is very straightforwardly told.
The book relies too much on deliberately withheld revelations – but ones which when they are revealed do not prove terribly dramatic.
And a book very short on action, has a single rather implausible piece of set piece action.
In each case therefore I felt a common novelistic device had been inserted into a gentle literary novel where it did not quite fit, albeit it gamely struggles to engage with the locality in which it has been transplanted, while knowing always it is not fully welcome, only to cause later repercussions for the success of the writing.
Now if this itself turns out to be a meta-meta literary reference to Alexander, his hurling career, his relationship with Moll and the impact on Joshua – then this is very clever indeed.
My thanks to Random House UK for an ARC via NetGalley
November 2, 2022
Reread, 11/22:
I reread this as it's a companion novel to Ryan's new book, The Queen of Dirt Island, which I've just finished, and I didn't recall details of this sufficiently enough that I thought a reread was in order. At some points, I thought I'd have to downgrade my initial rating, as I found this not nearly as good as the new tome; especially that anachronistic retelling of the gospel story, which slows things down considerably. This also jumps around a bit too much amongst the characters, and in chronology for my taste - but it DOES bring into closer relief the characters of Josh and Honey in the new book, so on that basis alone it was worth the reread. And the ending two chapters are brilliant.
Original review, 2/21:
4.5, rounded up.
This is a hard one to talk about without using spoilers, so I won't go into specifics, but, as with Ryan's two previous Booker nominated novels, I just thoroughly enjoyed his use of language and his evocation of the Irish setting here. This one has a few longueurs, and an interpolated retelling of the Gospel story of the blind beggar whose sight is restored by the Messiah, that I feel didn't QUITE work - but the story constantly surprised me and never went exactly where I was expecting - especially the delayed revelation of what caused Moll's disappearance in the first place, and what happens to Lucas. Although I probably missed a few of the Christian allegorical elements, I caught and understood enough of them to satisfy.
And considering some of the near unreadable Booker shortlisted nominees at the bottom of my rankings for this year (Cook, Doshi, Mengiste), it's almost a crime this wasn't even included in the shortlist, IMHO.
I reread this as it's a companion novel to Ryan's new book, The Queen of Dirt Island, which I've just finished, and I didn't recall details of this sufficiently enough that I thought a reread was in order. At some points, I thought I'd have to downgrade my initial rating, as I found this not nearly as good as the new tome; especially that anachronistic retelling of the gospel story, which slows things down considerably. This also jumps around a bit too much amongst the characters, and in chronology for my taste - but it DOES bring into closer relief the characters of Josh and Honey in the new book, so on that basis alone it was worth the reread. And the ending two chapters are brilliant.
Original review, 2/21:
4.5, rounded up.
This is a hard one to talk about without using spoilers, so I won't go into specifics, but, as with Ryan's two previous Booker nominated novels, I just thoroughly enjoyed his use of language and his evocation of the Irish setting here. This one has a few longueurs, and an interpolated retelling of the Gospel story of the blind beggar whose sight is restored by the Messiah, that I feel didn't QUITE work - but the story constantly surprised me and never went exactly where I was expecting - especially the delayed revelation of what caused Moll's disappearance in the first place, and what happens to Lucas. Although I probably missed a few of the Christian allegorical elements, I caught and understood enough of them to satisfy.
And considering some of the near unreadable Booker shortlisted nominees at the bottom of my rankings for this year (Cook, Doshi, Mengiste), it's almost a crime this wasn't even included in the shortlist, IMHO.
October 29, 2023
In 1973, Moll Gladney Disappears from her rural family home in Knockagowny, Ireland.
“ All the light left Paddy Gladney’s eyes when his daughter disappeared, all the gladness went from his heart.”
Patti and his wife Kit were devastated. Why did Moll run away? The villagers have formed their own opinions. They borrowed a car and drive to Dublin to look for Moll but never find her.
“Patti and Kit Gladney lived a solemn half-life of work and prayers, and weakening hope and the earth spun and the moon phased and the rain fell and the sun shone and their hearts grew heavier and heavier with grief.”
Five years later with no contact with her family the prodigal daughter returns, with no explanation of why she left.
Alexander Elmwood appears a short time later, inquiring about the Gladney family. Paddy goes to meet with him and is shocked about what Alexander reveals to him.
This is a beautifully written saga set in Ireland in 1970s. This story is filled with love and forgiveness. The prose is just exquisite, the lush descriptions of the landscape transport you back to Ireland.
Donal Ryan is a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to reading more of his books.
“ All the light left Paddy Gladney’s eyes when his daughter disappeared, all the gladness went from his heart.”
Patti and his wife Kit were devastated. Why did Moll run away? The villagers have formed their own opinions. They borrowed a car and drive to Dublin to look for Moll but never find her.
“Patti and Kit Gladney lived a solemn half-life of work and prayers, and weakening hope and the earth spun and the moon phased and the rain fell and the sun shone and their hearts grew heavier and heavier with grief.”
Five years later with no contact with her family the prodigal daughter returns, with no explanation of why she left.
Alexander Elmwood appears a short time later, inquiring about the Gladney family. Paddy goes to meet with him and is shocked about what Alexander reveals to him.
This is a beautifully written saga set in Ireland in 1970s. This story is filled with love and forgiveness. The prose is just exquisite, the lush descriptions of the landscape transport you back to Ireland.
Donal Ryan is a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to reading more of his books.
October 7, 2023
It’s 1973, in an earlier Ireland, when Moll Gladney walks away from the rural home she shares with her parents, Kit and Paddy. No reason or word given. No word received. They searched for her on the streets of Dublin then returned, defeated, to their home to resume their life of waiting. Five years later, Moll returns, again with no explanation, only tears on all sides. Until some time later when the local garda brings news that will alter their lives completely.
With lush prose, Donal Ryan opens this novel with descriptions of the Irish countryside that allow the reader to see the land, the pastures, everything. This continues throughout the book, grounding us in this spot.
The greenness of the place. Everywhere greenness, trees heavy
with it, hedgerows dappled light and dark and every shade of it,
rolling fields of grass and green hills as far as his eye could see, and
a lake below them in a silver line and, at the far side of it, below the
blue and white and grey horizon, more greenness, more grassy hills
and forests. Streams of flowers dazzling through the green along the
roadsides and the lanes… London had its islands of tidy and arranged
greenness, compressed on all sides by stone. Here the whole world
was a bed of yielding earth and greenness, dotted here and there with
grey, laced thinly with winding roads…. p 94
We see as the characters see and feel what they love and what becomes a burden.
There are many secrets, as there are in families. They cause pain until they don’t. I enjoyed reading of the Gladney family, through its struggles and its happiness and recommend this book highly. The second half has sections that feel somewhat disconnected to the whole at times, but I suggest keeping with it and reading the full story.
With lush prose, Donal Ryan opens this novel with descriptions of the Irish countryside that allow the reader to see the land, the pastures, everything. This continues throughout the book, grounding us in this spot.
The greenness of the place. Everywhere greenness, trees heavy
with it, hedgerows dappled light and dark and every shade of it,
rolling fields of grass and green hills as far as his eye could see, and
a lake below them in a silver line and, at the far side of it, below the
blue and white and grey horizon, more greenness, more grassy hills
and forests. Streams of flowers dazzling through the green along the
roadsides and the lanes… London had its islands of tidy and arranged
greenness, compressed on all sides by stone. Here the whole world
was a bed of yielding earth and greenness, dotted here and there with
grey, laced thinly with winding roads…. p 94
We see as the characters see and feel what they love and what becomes a burden.
There are many secrets, as there are in families. They cause pain until they don’t. I enjoyed reading of the Gladney family, through its struggles and its happiness and recommend this book highly. The second half has sections that feel somewhat disconnected to the whole at times, but I suggest keeping with it and reading the full story.
August 18, 2023
Time is relentless, though, and heartless, and it insists on its own propagation, its own terrible replication of itself, moment after moment after moment. And just as relentless are the things that fill it, the bits and pieces that all put together add up to existence, to a life, all the big things that take up the greater part of the mind, and all the small things that sit waiting in the back of the mind, things that can’t be ignored or left undone:
*
But you can change memories to suit yourself, to fit across the shapes of your wounds,
*
Honey thinks it’s funny how you sometimes, most times, have to be surprised into awareness of the strength of your own feelings. Ambushed by the truth of things.
*
But you can change memories to suit yourself, to fit across the shapes of your wounds,
*
Honey thinks it’s funny how you sometimes, most times, have to be surprised into awareness of the strength of your own feelings. Ambushed by the truth of things.
October 9, 2022
The prodigal daughter returns! Five years after walking up the boreen of her parent’s homestead, suitcase in hand, the soft green hills of Tipperary the only ones to see her figure recede into the distance, Moll Gladney reappears.
A good lass, an obedient lass , Kit and Paddy are beside themselves. They cannot understand why she left, and the silence of her loss forms part of their every waking moment. The grief weighing heavy in their hearts and on their shoulders. They pray for her return.
After a day’s hard laboring, Paddy is cleaning his work boots by the door. He hears the creak of the gate at the top of the lane, and ”there his daughter stood, looking back at him, smiling shyly like a child.”
Yet there are more questions than answers. Moll remains tight lipped. Now twenty five, she is taciturn and will not discuss why she left, nor why she has returned. Knockagowny is agog, and soon word of her return spreads like wildfire across the homes of the small rural community.
Her parents are simple, hardworking people, devout, with deep held values. The first shock is when she refuses to join them at Sunday Mass. Yet there are further - and bigger - shocks in store.
Suffice to say, that as the story unfolds, we learn the true reason for Moll’s departure. As well as those for her return. Donal Ryan is a beautiful wordsmith in the way he allows the story to slowly tell itself. As he does, we feel empathy and pain for the characters.
Though the tone is gentle, it depicts violence in both deeds and actions. There are very stark lines drawn about people’s worth, and belonging. Social taboos and prejudices are handled with diplomacy and a light touch.
There is a story within the story, which was utterly brilliant. There are parables contained within, which run parallel to Moll’s story. It’s a nice touch, along with the chapters which are named after testaments in the Bible. GENESIS, JUDGES, EXODUS, SONG OF SONGS, WISDOM, REVELATION. Each one focusing on a different character. Looking back on the overall story, the chapter headings make sense.
”And anyway, if we’re to believe what we’re told, isn’t everything divine? Weren’t the lines of all maps drawn long before we lived? We are but actors on a stage, my sweetheart.”
While I wanted to find out how the story ended, I also didn’t want to finish reading it. It is both exquisitely sad and exquisitely beautiful. There are moments which are filled with such aching and hurt that I had to wipe away a tear or two. For what is life but a longing to love and be loved, and yet this is not always so easy to do.
There are wildflowers which bloom in the fields behind the Gladney's home. A riot of colours that delight all.
Yet aren’t the strangest flowers all the more beautiful for their uniqueness? I’d like to think so.
A good lass, an obedient lass , Kit and Paddy are beside themselves. They cannot understand why she left, and the silence of her loss forms part of their every waking moment. The grief weighing heavy in their hearts and on their shoulders. They pray for her return.
After a day’s hard laboring, Paddy is cleaning his work boots by the door. He hears the creak of the gate at the top of the lane, and ”there his daughter stood, looking back at him, smiling shyly like a child.”
Yet there are more questions than answers. Moll remains tight lipped. Now twenty five, she is taciturn and will not discuss why she left, nor why she has returned. Knockagowny is agog, and soon word of her return spreads like wildfire across the homes of the small rural community.
Her parents are simple, hardworking people, devout, with deep held values. The first shock is when she refuses to join them at Sunday Mass. Yet there are further - and bigger - shocks in store.
Suffice to say, that as the story unfolds, we learn the true reason for Moll’s departure. As well as those for her return. Donal Ryan is a beautiful wordsmith in the way he allows the story to slowly tell itself. As he does, we feel empathy and pain for the characters.
Though the tone is gentle, it depicts violence in both deeds and actions. There are very stark lines drawn about people’s worth, and belonging. Social taboos and prejudices are handled with diplomacy and a light touch.
There is a story within the story, which was utterly brilliant. There are parables contained within, which run parallel to Moll’s story. It’s a nice touch, along with the chapters which are named after testaments in the Bible. GENESIS, JUDGES, EXODUS, SONG OF SONGS, WISDOM, REVELATION. Each one focusing on a different character. Looking back on the overall story, the chapter headings make sense.
”And anyway, if we’re to believe what we’re told, isn’t everything divine? Weren’t the lines of all maps drawn long before we lived? We are but actors on a stage, my sweetheart.”
While I wanted to find out how the story ended, I also didn’t want to finish reading it. It is both exquisitely sad and exquisitely beautiful. There are moments which are filled with such aching and hurt that I had to wipe away a tear or two. For what is life but a longing to love and be loved, and yet this is not always so easy to do.
There are wildflowers which bloom in the fields behind the Gladney's home. A riot of colours that delight all.
Yet aren’t the strangest flowers all the more beautiful for their uniqueness? I’d like to think so.
March 27, 2024
"Paddy carried on his morning rounds because there was nothing else to do but carry on."
Time is relentless, though, and heartless, and it insists on its own propagation, its own terrible replication of itself, moment after moment after moment."
He wondered at the universe's precise ordination, how it seemed necessary for balance always to be achieved."
How do these Irish writers achieve such poetic results from a mere sentence? Maybe I shouldn't generalize and just ask how Donal Ryan does it. He carries you along in a mesmerizing stream until you are lost and tumbling and finally thrown aside for a rest, until he picks you up again and continues with his story.
Moll Gladney just walks away from home one morning and disappears with no explanation, leaving her father and mother with an aching heart, not knowing what happened to their adored only child. She reappears 5 years later, with a story and emotional baggage and sadness of her own. That's just the beginning of this magical novel about love in its many forms.
I had read one previous novel by Ryan, his latest, The Queen of Dirt Island. That convinced me to give him another try, and now I'm a dedicated fan.
Time is relentless, though, and heartless, and it insists on its own propagation, its own terrible replication of itself, moment after moment after moment."
He wondered at the universe's precise ordination, how it seemed necessary for balance always to be achieved."
How do these Irish writers achieve such poetic results from a mere sentence? Maybe I shouldn't generalize and just ask how Donal Ryan does it. He carries you along in a mesmerizing stream until you are lost and tumbling and finally thrown aside for a rest, until he picks you up again and continues with his story.
Moll Gladney just walks away from home one morning and disappears with no explanation, leaving her father and mother with an aching heart, not knowing what happened to their adored only child. She reappears 5 years later, with a story and emotional baggage and sadness of her own. That's just the beginning of this magical novel about love in its many forms.
I had read one previous novel by Ryan, his latest, The Queen of Dirt Island. That convinced me to give him another try, and now I'm a dedicated fan.
April 11, 2020
Set in Tipperary, Ireland from the 1970s to present day telling the story of the Gladney family and what happens to them after their daughter, Moll, goes missing for five years, I felt that the novel flowed well between the different narratives, characters and timelines but I finished with the feeling that I hadn't got to know the characters more than beyond a surface level. The 'story within a story' didn't work at all for me either, but, as others have noted, this books excels in the depiction of the characters emotions and inner turmoil. It's just unfortunate that, for this reader, things don't come together as a whole.
Beautiful writing - as is to be expected from Ryan - but I have to say the story left me feeling pretty cold.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Beautiful writing - as is to be expected from Ryan - but I have to say the story left me feeling pretty cold.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2024
A multi-generational story that brings to life differences of class and culture. I savored some of the language, but the various storylines didn't quite keep my attention.
Favorite lines:
"She gave them the solid spine and the bare bones of her story."
"And Paddy wondered was it the child his wife was thankful for, or the color of the child, the perfect, unblemished whiteness of this strange flower."
Favorite lines:
"She gave them the solid spine and the bare bones of her story."
"And Paddy wondered was it the child his wife was thankful for, or the color of the child, the perfect, unblemished whiteness of this strange flower."
May 13, 2023
Me ha parecido un tostón. Es una historia bonita sobre tres generaciones de una familia, con sus particularidades y secretos y con varios elementos (Irlanda rural, pareja multirracial, clases sociales…). Lo curioso es que empieza con una trama que genera un suspense que después se aparca de golpe para seguir hablando de pájaros y flores. Durante media novela no sabes a dónde vas, todo parece una introducción eterna sin capítulos definidos. Está bien escrita, eso sí, y los personajes son particulares (que no interesantes) pero se me ha hecho muy tediosa.
February 18, 2021
Sadly this book was not for me. The first half kept me engaged. The small family in Ireland and the story that went with it was vaguely interesting.
However the part for me that was irritating was the lack of interest with the characters. I was just left with no feelings for them whatsoever.
I am surprised by the people who said they cried whilst reading this as I just didn’t care
Also, how many times can a writer use ‘and’ in a book. This has to be a record.
However the part for me that was irritating was the lack of interest with the characters. I was just left with no feelings for them whatsoever.
I am surprised by the people who said they cried whilst reading this as I just didn’t care
Also, how many times can a writer use ‘and’ in a book. This has to be a record.
April 5, 2023
Much of Ryan’s gentle, lilting prose is quite beautiful. It reminded me at times of William Trevor, The Story of Lucy Gault in particular, one of my all time favourite books. I was drawn into the story immediately and could feel Kit and Paddy’s pain and confusion at the sudden disappearance of their daughter, Moll. I was intrigued when we, the readers, found her living in London. Although I found the development of her relationship with Alexander strange (a strange flower, I suppose) because she felt so little for him, and although I became increasingly annoyed with them both, I went along with it. I wanted to feel more for them though and I wanted more depth to the story. I found the writing style kept me at arm’s length rather than allowing me to feel involved in the characters’ lives. I was being held at arm’s length.
Overall, this book left me feeling that its promise had been unfulfilled. The prose is certainly beautiful at times, as I’ve said, and I enjoyed the pace of it at first, but overall it was a dissatisfying read for the reasons I’ve given. Thankfully, my Goodreads friends’ reviews indicate that this isn’t Ryan’s strongest book. I’m so pleased that’s the case as such beautiful writing deserves better and I’ll look forward to reading more of his work.
Overall, this book left me feeling that its promise had been unfulfilled. The prose is certainly beautiful at times, as I’ve said, and I enjoyed the pace of it at first, but overall it was a dissatisfying read for the reasons I’ve given. Thankfully, my Goodreads friends’ reviews indicate that this isn’t Ryan’s strongest book. I’m so pleased that’s the case as such beautiful writing deserves better and I’ll look forward to reading more of his work.
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