Kelegeen
At the cusp of the Great Famine in Ireland, the O’Connor and Quinn families look forward to the union of their eldest children, Rory and Meg. But when the potato blight arrives, and the winters grow harsher, both families and their neighbors endure loss, tragedy, starvation, and cruelty at every turn. As the years march and the crop continues to fail, Rory and Meg are unable to marry, though it’s the least of their troubles as death stalks in many forms. Their local parish priest, Father Brian O’Malley, is a constant beacon of faith and love, but even he must battle his own inner demons and face his past once and for all, thanks to a surprising friendship.
O’Finlan is clearly well-versed with the history of Ireland, and her grasp on history is woven well within the lines of Kelegeen. The tragedies unfold slowly and with a touch of despair and horror. However, with much of the plot carried through in dialogue instead of action, repetition can slow the pace, and a reader will be hard-pressed to describe the town, the landscape, or even the physical characteristics of any of the characters. O’Malley’s personality is realistic, but the rest of the cast and the conflicts offered by O’Finlan are not strong enough to truly set Kelegeen apart from other books tackling the Famine. Unfortunately, this book could also do with a professional editing team to tighten it, fix the grammar and spelling, and polish the overall execution.
