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Traveller: A Ríona Kilbride Novel
A New Adult story of overcoming loss and learning to accept your truth.Ríona isn’t out yet. After her mother passes away, she wants nothing more than to leave her small, rural life but when she finds her perfect escape, she finds the perfect reason to stay.
After she meets Tomi, the strong, handsome mechanic with a tragic past of her own, she is forced to confront the secret she’s kept to herself, the same secret she’s trying to escape from. Reeling from a brutal heartbreak, the loss of her mother, and the end of a friendship she once thought unbreakable, Ríona has to learn to live her truth.
A coming of age story about learning to love yourself, and to trust those who call you family.
After she meets Tomi, the strong, handsome mechanic with a tragic past of her own, she is forced to confront the secret she’s kept to herself, the same secret she’s trying to escape from. Reeling from a brutal heartbreak, the loss of her mother, and the end of a friendship she once thought unbreakable, Ríona has to learn to live her truth.
A coming of age story about learning to love yourself, and to trust those who call you family.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2020
15 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Caitríona Page
1 book7 followersCaitríona started writing when she was still a wee lass. Born mute, the way she learned language was different from most. She first learned to weave worlds and thoughts with an abandoned pen and stolen sheets of her mother’s work printer. As she grew older and the world around her became real, discovering a world bigger than empty pages of a spiral notebook and online message boards, her passion for writing fell to the wayside. Life, as it’s said, happened. Not always pleasant, as can be attested in her writing. That black dog will forever hunt its prey, no matter how strong she gets, always seeking the moment of weakness to pounce.
After living multiple lives, she found her way back to writing. And travelling. She now travels the United States and Canada in her self-converted van, named Gerudo.
After living multiple lives, she found her way back to writing. And travelling. She now travels the United States and Canada in her self-converted van, named Gerudo.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 28, 2020
Ríona and her mother moved from Ireland to Nebraska after Ríona’s father was killed in a fire. All Ríona has left of him is his fiddle (not a violin). Now a music student a few weeks from graduating, Ríona has to reinvent her life without her mother and away from the farm she grew up in. Van life calls to her. It so happens that Ríona’s best friend Jordan’s cousin has a van she’s ready to pass on to her. Getting the van ready for the road is not all Ríona will learn with Tomi.
First things first, I really liked this book. I like Ríona and her journey to finding and accepting herself. I like Jordan, I like Tomi, I even like Zach, Jordan’s asshole brother, by the end. I also liked the writing a lot. There’s something languid about it, something poetic and different. It’s rather beautiful but it took some getting used to.
There are clearly editing and formatting issues but for some reason, they didn’t bother me as much as they should have. They somehow fit the writing and the story. The whole thing is free and messy, not always coherent but intriguing. Just like the story it tells.
First things first, I really liked this book. I like Ríona and her journey to finding and accepting herself. I like Jordan, I like Tomi, I even like Zach, Jordan’s asshole brother, by the end. I also liked the writing a lot. There’s something languid about it, something poetic and different. It’s rather beautiful but it took some getting used to.
There are clearly editing and formatting issues but for some reason, they didn’t bother me as much as they should have. They somehow fit the writing and the story. The whole thing is free and messy, not always coherent but intriguing. Just like the story it tells.
November 29, 2020
This story just didn't gel with me. I couldn't relate to the characters and felt disjointed by the jarring way the flashbacks are set up in the narrative.
December 11, 2020
Really good coming of age/coming out novel, lyrically written, whimsical and beautiful.
August 28, 2020
A sweet debut
I enjoyed this story. Some of the characters were at least a decade younger than I, making it harder for me to relate or sympathize, but it didn't have me rolling my eyes or cringing like most young adults tend to make me do. I loved that the main character's Irish roots were a big focus in the story during her time of growth and exploration. I love the Irish and anything that goes with it. There were many different types of relationships in this story of self-discovery, all kept me entertained. This new author has amazing potential and a great talent for story telling. An eye will be open for any future books by them.
3.5 for the slight confusion whenever the protagonist jumped back in time several times to when her mother was alive. If the narrative and dialogue had been italicized or there was an indication that she was jumping back, then the story could have moved along more smoothly without pulling the reader out of the story with confusion.
I enjoyed this story. Some of the characters were at least a decade younger than I, making it harder for me to relate or sympathize, but it didn't have me rolling my eyes or cringing like most young adults tend to make me do. I loved that the main character's Irish roots were a big focus in the story during her time of growth and exploration. I love the Irish and anything that goes with it. There were many different types of relationships in this story of self-discovery, all kept me entertained. This new author has amazing potential and a great talent for story telling. An eye will be open for any future books by them.
3.5 for the slight confusion whenever the protagonist jumped back in time several times to when her mother was alive. If the narrative and dialogue had been italicized or there was an indication that she was jumping back, then the story could have moved along more smoothly without pulling the reader out of the story with confusion.
January 27, 2021
Traveller is a coming of age story. It’s a story of discovery and innocence in a world that can’t provide promises or reassurances when it’s navigated alone. This journey of discovery is plagued by doubt, insecurity and sometimes fear, but it’s a journey that’s necessary, even when the learning curve is very steep.
This story centers around Ríona, a fiddle playing musician that’s earning a degree in music. She spends her evenings playing in an Irish band as she works towards graduation and tries to figure out what will come next for her. Orphaned and on her own, she relies on her best friend and band mates to fill the gaps that family can provide. As her band plays to small crowds in crowded bars, she meets people along the way that help her discover things about herself. However, some of those discoveries are scary, especially in a closed minded communities. For Ríona, coming to terms with her gayness is just plain petrifying; it’s a secret she works hard to keep.
This book touches on many of the issues young people deal with while coming out and discovering their sexuality. It address the hostility and hatred that is shown to the LGBTQ community, especially in small towns and rural areas. It deals with the heartache of shunning that queer and gay people receive from friends and family. It deals with the loneliness of loss when the fear remains to great.
Final remarks…
Page delivers an honest account of the trails and tribulations of growing up gay in middle America. She does it with sincerity and warmth; she brings genuine tenderness to the cruelties experienced by so many LGBTQ youth. I applaud Page for tackling an emotional subject with sensitivity and care. This is Page’s first book and it will be interesting to see where she goes with her next one. There were a few typos and word choice errors in this one, but with more writing experience, I feel Page has real promise.
Strengths…
Honest
Heartfelt
Poignant
This story centers around Ríona, a fiddle playing musician that’s earning a degree in music. She spends her evenings playing in an Irish band as she works towards graduation and tries to figure out what will come next for her. Orphaned and on her own, she relies on her best friend and band mates to fill the gaps that family can provide. As her band plays to small crowds in crowded bars, she meets people along the way that help her discover things about herself. However, some of those discoveries are scary, especially in a closed minded communities. For Ríona, coming to terms with her gayness is just plain petrifying; it’s a secret she works hard to keep.
This book touches on many of the issues young people deal with while coming out and discovering their sexuality. It address the hostility and hatred that is shown to the LGBTQ community, especially in small towns and rural areas. It deals with the heartache of shunning that queer and gay people receive from friends and family. It deals with the loneliness of loss when the fear remains to great.
Final remarks…
Page delivers an honest account of the trails and tribulations of growing up gay in middle America. She does it with sincerity and warmth; she brings genuine tenderness to the cruelties experienced by so many LGBTQ youth. I applaud Page for tackling an emotional subject with sensitivity and care. This is Page’s first book and it will be interesting to see where she goes with her next one. There were a few typos and word choice errors in this one, but with more writing experience, I feel Page has real promise.
Strengths…
Honest
Heartfelt
Poignant
November 12, 2020
"Traveller" by Caitriona Page is lesfic at its best.
Riona is an Irish immigrant who is graduating from college. She decides to purchase a Volkswagen Bus and fix it up so she can travel the country wit it and her trusty fiddle. A sudden tragedy and an unplanned romance urge her to give up on her dream.
Riona must rise up against an evil mystery and embolden herself to come out of the closet as a gay woman. If she doesn't, she may not just lose her future hopes, but also her present loves.
Riona is bright and talented, playing her father's old fiddle in a traditional Irish band while she finishes her exams in her music school. Parentless, she has found family through her best friend, Jordan.
Then one horrific car accident changes her life forever. Riona is forced to live a lie. Just as she was about to come out of the closet, her devotion to he adopted family shuffles her back in.
When her heart is broken and the truth comes out, who does she have to turn to?
Th characters in this book are vivid and realistic. Even the minor characters shine through. Tomi, the former airfare pilot who Riona falls for, is a sexy and intriguing woman.
The way the minor and major plot lines intertwine is both natural and surprising.
The response to coming out as a gay person, addressing drug abuse, and showing overt prejudice against LGBTQ individuals in society was handled delicately at first, then head-on.
The love scenes are described with passion without being overtly graphic.
There were some grammatical errors, but not bad enough to take away from the richness of this book.
"Traveller" is a great romantic novel perfect for teen and adult readers.
Riona is an Irish immigrant who is graduating from college. She decides to purchase a Volkswagen Bus and fix it up so she can travel the country wit it and her trusty fiddle. A sudden tragedy and an unplanned romance urge her to give up on her dream.
Riona must rise up against an evil mystery and embolden herself to come out of the closet as a gay woman. If she doesn't, she may not just lose her future hopes, but also her present loves.
Riona is bright and talented, playing her father's old fiddle in a traditional Irish band while she finishes her exams in her music school. Parentless, she has found family through her best friend, Jordan.
Then one horrific car accident changes her life forever. Riona is forced to live a lie. Just as she was about to come out of the closet, her devotion to he adopted family shuffles her back in.
When her heart is broken and the truth comes out, who does she have to turn to?
Th characters in this book are vivid and realistic. Even the minor characters shine through. Tomi, the former airfare pilot who Riona falls for, is a sexy and intriguing woman.
The way the minor and major plot lines intertwine is both natural and surprising.
The response to coming out as a gay person, addressing drug abuse, and showing overt prejudice against LGBTQ individuals in society was handled delicately at first, then head-on.
The love scenes are described with passion without being overtly graphic.
There were some grammatical errors, but not bad enough to take away from the richness of this book.
"Traveller" is a great romantic novel perfect for teen and adult readers.
December 25, 2020
Caitriona Page is a first rate story teller true to her own Irish roots. She weaves the plot around twists and turns that transports the reader to the story. Her characters have a depth that build on each other. It was a tale of a true modern day bard. This tale of coming of age and working through trials is just what I needed. I look forward to reading more from this wordsmith.
December 26, 2020
I loved this story. I wasn't sure when I picked it up if I was going to like it, but the story telling is fantastic. I laughed at parts and I cried at a few parts. It is a beautiful coming of age story. The imagery that Ms. Page creates is one of a kind, I felt as if I was there. I cannot wait for the next book by this author.
October 15, 2020
Wow
What a story. This book took me through so many emotions. I would absolutely recommend this book. I look forward to the next one
What a story. This book took me through so many emotions. I would absolutely recommend this book. I look forward to the next one
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews