Library of Clean Reads: Frank Delaney

Showing posts with label Frank Delaney. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney

The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney
Random House
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6785-5
Published Feb 7, 2012
Hardcover, 400 pages

I like Frank Delaney’s style of writing. It’s different and undoubtedly quirky, but somehow perfect for an Irish tale. I can hear an Irish lilt as I read it. The Last Storyteller is the third book in a trilogy that began with Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show followed by The Matchmaker of Kenmare and it brings to a close the story of Ben MacCarthy and Venetia Kelly.

Ben’s mentor, James Clare once told him, “There’s no story, no matter how ancient, as important as one’s own. So if we’re to live good lives, we have to tell ourselves our own story. In a good way. A way that’s decent to ourselves.” Ben is now an old man doing just that - writing a family memoir, his own story, for his twin children.

The setting is Ireland circa 1956. The IRA is at work and Ben inadvertently becomes involved in gun-running with an IRA sympathizer and is pursued both by the IRA and the police. Despite that, he still constantly thinks about his former wife and true love, Venetia Kelly, who was kidnapped from him 25 years earlier and pregnant, unbeknownst to him. When Venetia and her new husband, a brutal, abusive man, return to Ireland to perform Ben is determined to not lose her again, so he snatches her off the stage and they are reunited. But she is a sad shadow of her former self – “life” has happened to her. They can’t seem to recapture their former love although they enjoy their time together despite being pursued by the IRA, the police and Venetia’s husband. Venetia disappears again and Ben believes that her husband,
“Gentleman Jack” Stirling is involved so hires thugs to kill Jack. He feels instant remorse and regret.

Ben becomes an apprentice to the last storyteller, John Jacob Farrell O’Neill. Ben says of their time together, “I was relearning life.” He receives details about being a successful storyteller and embarks on his new profession of travelling around Ireland telling stories. Gradually he overcomes his feelings of guilt and anguish and learns to understand himself.

As in all of Frank Delaney’s books we learn something of Irish history, Irish politics, Irish customs and ways….always bittersweet, but done with humor and warmth, although with liberal use of religious expletives.

Frank Delaney’s descriptions are so amazing! Can’t you just imagine it when he says, “I eavesdropped on the silence around me.” Or “his eyebrows met, like a pair of black, dangerous insects.” Or “the coat’s folds sank to the floor like a tired widow.”

If you have read the two previous books you must read The Last Storyteller to see how Ben and Venetia’s story ends. Even if you haven’t read the earlier books, this can be a stand-alone novel. And, oh my goodness, the epilogue! Un-put-down-able! Frank Delaney pulls all the threads woven throughout the three books together into a satisfactory whole. He is truly an exceptional storyteller.

This book is rated P = Profanity for religious expletives.

We will be giving away a copy of this book on Feb 29 for the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop! Don't miss it!

Reviewed by Sandra

Disclosure: Thanks to Random House for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney

The Matchmaker of Kenmare Frank Delaney (Rated:C)
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6784-8
Random House
Published February 2011
Hardcover, 416 pages

Reviewed by Sandra

When I finished reading Delaney’s previous novel Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show I remember hoping for a sequel. Well, here it is in all its glory!

The novel takes place in Ireland and Europe during World War II. The story appears to be Ben Murphy’s relentless search for his wife and child (?) who disappeared under mysterious circumstances over a decade earlier. But that’s only part of the intrigue. Ben, the narrator is also writing a memoir of his life with Kate Begley – the matchmaker of Kenmare – a woman who successfully arranges marriages. Both Ben and Kate are in the 20’s. It is plain that Ben is attracted to her, though still pining for his wife, Venetia. Kate, however, falls in love with and marries an American soldier, who is a covert agent. Even after Kate’s marriage, Ben refers to her as “Miss Begley.” When Kate’s husband goes missing somewhere in Europe, Kate and Ben set off into France to find him and stumble into the war zone. Or, as Ben put it “we walked right into the Second World War.” Disastrous news awaits them they learn that Charles Miller, Kate’s husband, is missing in action, presumed dead. Kate absolutely refuses to believe that and drags Ben into the war zone again. Ben describes it as “that last, awful foray, during which all my views about life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and every other damn thing in the world were scuttled.” At one point they find themselves behind enemy lines fearing for their lives. Eventually they make it back home to Ireland and go their separate ways.

Ben finds his wife, but…….
Kate’s husband comes back into her life, but…..

This is a quirky novel peopled by unusual characters and circumstances. For example, when Ben first meets Kate she is on her hands and knees drawing a chalk line around the outside doormat. The reason is “this is to keep out the ants. Ants hate chalk. It makes them vomit.” At another point Ben describes Kate as “she speaks 3-1/2 languages.” Kate can find missing people by dangling a threaded needle over a map. Then there is the part about the man searching for a new set of teeth – new to him, that is. He does meet a shopkeeper who can provide those teeth and who “will hire them out to you for six months.”

Delaney uses delightful tidbits to keep the reader enthralled. For instance, Ben relates “that was the moment at which two strangers walked into the dance hall – and that was the beginning of so many things, and the continuation of so many things, and the end of so many things.”

The book is full of wonderful descriptions. For example, “a low sea-mist had draped the coast in a long gray stole.” Or what about “his face reminded me of brown wrapping paper that had been scrunched up into a ball and then smoothed out.”

The book is about love, espionage, matchmaking, history, mystery, renewal of hope, Ireland’s place in the war, and the meaning of true friendship. I believe Frank Delaney has another winner!

Disclosure: Thanks to Leah Paulos from Random House for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney and Giveaway

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney (Rated: C)
Random House
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6783-1
Published Feb 23, 2010
Hardcover, 448 pages

Reviewed by Sandra

The opening words of this novel captured my attention. As the novel progressed, however, I was disappointed because I expected a serious novel but seemed to be confronted with a comedy, for example: the writer’s references to “Tiny Digressions, Important Digressions, Relatively Important Digressions, and Unimportant Digressions”. Initially, I was put off, but I was determined to continue reading to see what the novelist had to say. Happily, the reward was a tale well told.

The writer describes Venetia so well that she comes alive in our mind’s eye. It is easy for the reader to see how she captivated both a man of mature years and a boy of 18. Venetia was 32 and Ben 18, yet they seemed to fit together. We understand that Venetia is vulnerable and we wonder why, when she seems to have “everything” going for her - beauty, allure, talent, money. Venetia’s use of a ventriloquist’s dummy named Blarney was intriguing and revealed her inability to speak her thoughts directly to Ben. Early on in the narrative, through Blarney, we hear Venetia’s true feelings about her grandfather, Thomas Aquinas Kelly (often referred to as “King” Kelly) and later on about her love for Ben. Blarney helps the reader to “know” that “King” Kelly is not a good man and we feel the novel building to reveal his sins.

The novel came to life for me in chapter 65 and continued to the end at a relentless pace. The reader understands that the novel may not end on a happy note. There is a hint of incest when Kelly learns of the marriage of Ben and Venetia. We wonder if “King” Kelly is Venetia’s father but nothing more is said on the subject so the reader may conclude that she is his granddaughter, but who is her father? And why does “King” Kelly have such a hold on his daughter, Sarah, and his granddaughter, Venetia?

I was completely surprised with the ending – a true bitter/sweet ending because we realize, as events unfold, that Ben and Venetia had a special, loving relationship that will affect both of them throughout their lives.

From a historical viewpoint much can be learned about the Irish political situation in the 30’s in this book. The last few pages of the novel reveal the reason why many of the Irish writers frame their stories within the typical bitter/sweet Irish story - never wholly joyful nor wholly sad but always a combination of the two in various degrees.

Frank Delaney has won me over. I now want to read his other books.

Would you like a chance to win this book? Thanks to Evelyn, I have one copy of this book to give away! Here are the rules: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

1. Open to US and Canadian residents only.
2. No P.O. box addresses.
3. Must be a follower of this blog, new or current.
4. Leave a comment with your email address. For example: laura (at) aol (dot) com
5. For an extra entry post this giveaway on your blog (on the sidebar) and leave me the link.
6. Giveaway ends June 18, 2010.

Disclosure: Thank you to Evelyn for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.