My last three picks for Reading Ireland Month (two audios and a hardcover) –

The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan

A story of cold feet. On the eve of their wedding, Celine and Luke, reflect on their compatibility. A handful of friends also offer their perspective on the relationship, and the result is that you’re left guessing until the end – will they or won’t they tie the knot?

This was a great audio choice – easy listening and the rotating narrators kept it bouncing along. I enjoyed the dry humour and the excellent dialogue but in terms of emotional complexity, Dolan doesn’t break new ground (and there were opportunities given that Luke is a self-declared ‘serial cheater’).

3/5

Mouthing by Orla Mackey

This is absolutely what I want (and expect) from my Irish-misery-porn.

Five interlinked stories focus on the people in one small town in Ireland. Each story is told from a handful perspectives. The fourth story, Walking Corpse, is exquisite. The main narrator is a little girl, Joanne, whose mother is depressed. A neighbour takes Joanne under her wing, and from there we learn more about Joanne’s parents. It is pretty much a perfect short story.

Every so often I enjoy an audio book so much that I need a hard copy. This is one of those books.

4.5/5

Before the Leaves Fall by Clare O’Dea

A gentle story examining the life lived – and not lived – and how we reckon with that.

The focus is on Swiss widower, Ruedi, who volunteers with an assisted dying organisation – his role is to act as a guide and companion in a person’s final weeks. His first client is Margrit, an elderly woman living in residential care. Margrit is not interested in time for reflection. Instead, she wants to fast-track the process, navigate around her disapproving sons, and leave the world on her own terms. Yet the process is complicated when she and Ruedi realise their paths have crossed once before.

Ruedi and Margrit’s individual stories are told in parallel, yet Ruedi has time to make changes in his life, should he wish. So, Margrit resists looking backwards and Ruedi resists looking forwards and each have something to learn from the other. Thankfully, O’Dea has kept the story simple, and the relationships are explored in a believable and relatable way.

3/5