Dandelion Soup

by Babs Horton

1947. In the remote village of Ballygurry in western Ireland, middle-aged Solly Benjamin is roused at midnight to find a small child on his doorstep, carrying a battered suitcase, a length of cord loosely tied round her neck. On the attached name tag is written his own name and address. The child is Dancey Amati, abandoned by her mother on the Camino de Santiago, and subsequently looked after by an old pilgrim, Peregrino Viejo, who teaches Dancey the recipe for dandelion soup, favoured dish of saints and martyrs. Together, Solly and Dancey embark on an epic journey across France and into Spain, following the medieval Pilgrim Trail to Santiago de Compostela, seeking news of the mother who abandoned Darcey and the elusive Peregrino Viejo, who always seems to be one step ahead of them. As Solly painstakingly pieces together the story of this remarkable child and the reason why a complete stranger would send her to him, he is forced to look back on his own past, to confront his greatest fears and rekindle his dreams.

Genres: Book Club, Fiction

Paperback

First published May 4, 2004

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book, a lot of mystery, humor, little cliff hangers and wonderful characters, who are all so diverse, yet so linked as well.
It felt like I was reading a fairy tale at times, as the scenarios were so interesting.
It is a rather long book at almost 500 pages, but a quick read, because you just want to know what happens next and to find out more about these characters and how they all relate, from both Ireland to Spain.
It starts in 1946, in Spain with the old Pilgrim and a young abandoned girl that he comes across, to 1947, where a young girl is left on the doorstep of a man in Ireland, Solly Benjamin, with just her name, his address around her neck and no reason why.
Ballygurry a small town in Ireland was the home of an Orphanage looked after by some not so nice nuns, where a young boy Padraig O'Mally, a smart and mischievous young man lives, and he is one of the main characters, and one that I came to love.
With the arrival of the little girl, once she has been discovered by the towns people, they all get somehow involved in finding out where she came from, thus a trip to Spain and many adventures.
This book was well written with so many little details to follow. I loved it.

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babs Horton is a wonderful writer, her first book already made me a fan. Now it's confirmed with Dandelion soup. It's like a fairytale about the good and the bad, the scenery in Spain and England is described wonderfully and imaginative, it's like as if you were there... the atmosphere is mysterious, the characters are colourful and the various storylines all come together in the end. I recommend this writer, great read!

[Layla Tobin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice easy to read book. I really enjoyed the setting of the book, going between a small village in Ireland and a pilgrimage route in Spain. There is a nice air of mystery throughout the book and a lot of likeable characters. I also loved the language used in the book, I think Babs Horton has a great grasp on the Irish slang and conversational style in the time the book is set.

The only negative thing I have to say regarding the book is the last section. I think she should have stopped introducing new characters in the last section. It began to get a bit confusing when more names were introduced at the end and I don't think it was completely necessary for the story.

However, I'd definitely recommend this book for an easy feel-good read.

[Ann Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read, the book was full of very vivid description, so easy to imagine yourself there.

[Ruth Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating network of characters woven into an intriguing puzzle.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mum gave me this book to read, set in Ireland and concerning Catholicism, orphans, travel and Spain she felt it would intrigue me. She had also visited some of the places in the book so there was a personal attachment to the story for me too.

I loved the interconnecting storylines with twists and multiple characters touching each other's lives. The vocabulary evoked a real sense of place from the orphanage and the wet Irish weather to the sun kissed courtyards of Spain.

There is comedy in this book too and I caught myself more than once laughing out loud; pick your place carefully to read this book if you don't want to cause any internal injuries whilst trying to stifle your giggles.

It was a real pager-turner and I found myself constantly wanting to know "what happens next". Potentially because of this I felt the book finished too suddenly for me. Whilst the conclusion was not what I expected it felt rushed. The author was almost still setting the scenes right up to the last few pages.

I found the plot intriguing, the subject matter very interesting and overall a very good-read.

[Priti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The year is 1947, the place a remote village in Ireland. A man finds a small girl at his doorstep, without any idea who is she and why somebody has sent her to his home. There are orphans, wicked nuns, a nice teacher, a helpful bar owner and sundry other characters which enliven this tale of mystery and adventure. The story takes us from Ireland to Spain, on the quest for lost secrets and forgotten dreams.

First book I read by this author and it was thoroughly enjoyable. The only small downside was there seemed to be too many characters, with their personal issues and agendas, which made it a bit difficult to keep track of them all and made the plot just a bit complicated. Still it’s a tale well told.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging characters and wonderfully descriptive story. The contrasting images of Spain and Ireland reminded me of The Enchanted April, especially the transformative power in visiting a foreign land. The weaving of the different stories and tragedies within the novel, while interesting, were a bit difficult to follow at times. All in all, an enjoyable read that goes well with a hot toddy.

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second book by Babs Horton but not as much as her first one " A Jarful of Angels". But still , if you´re looking for a light , humorous and entertaining read this is the one. The part concerning the octopus was really hillarious.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book by this author and I really enjoyed the book.There are characters you will love and others you will hate but they are all well drawn.This is another book that I wouldn't have looked at only for the risi reviews.

[Andreea Tanase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful, light-heartedly written, surprising and funny. I recommend it warmly to those who still believe there is such a thing as coincidence. This book is about proving that everything happens for a reason and openness and communication is the key to it all.

[Andrew]

A cleverly constructed tale of Irish pilgrims travelling through Spain. I do enjoy the way Babs Horton just gives you a little bit of the puzzle at a time until the big picture forms in front of your eyes.

[Skyelee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Fast, witty narative, and a good mystery to keep you enthralled. the list of characters that you have to keep track of became a little many towards the end, but did not detract from a delightful read.

[Deborah aka Reading Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, quirky, unusual book. Hard to categorize, but I enjoyed it