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The O'Briens by Peter Behrens - 3* - My Review

Sweeping family saga covering the 1900s to 1960s. Joseph O’Brien is the eldest son of a large Irish family who has settled in the wilderness of Quebec. The narrative covers Joe’s life story as he endures abuse at the hands of his stepfather, leaves home, marries, has children of his own, and eventually becomes a successful railroad executive. Joe’s life contains many setbacks, tragedies, and addictions. The story is told from the perspectives of Joe and his wife, Iseult.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the positive side, the author’s writing style is atmospheric. I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscapes, moving from Quebec to British Colombia to California to Maine. Where it did not work as well for me was in “character management.” It starts off with a large Irish Catholic family, but characters are killed off or otherwise disappear from the narrative, sometimes with no explanation. It is more the story of a marriage, and its ups and downs. The historical elements remain largely in the background. Personally, I like a bit more history in my historical fiction – and there is so much potential here, since it covers the time period of tumultuous events of the early twentieth century, such as the Great Depression, WWI, and WWII.