Review by: Úna Nic Cárthaigh
This short novel is about Áine and her family which now consists of her daughter and son, the teenage twins Aoife and Naoise, and her mother-in-law Mamó Peige. Áine is a young widow since her husband Brian died two years ago and herself and her family are still grieving and adapting to life since his death. The story is set during the time of Covid and it looks at, not only the differences that the pandemic and lockdown bring about for the family, but also other changes such as Áine starting a new relationship. It is a story about family, grief and change, and shows how Áine is getting used to her new life, how the two teenagers are accepting their new reality and the wise Mamó Peige who provides sage advice and clever sayings as needed.
The biggest change that affects the family during this story is when Áine meets a local man Gearóid and starts a relationship with him. She is keen for her family to get to know him and feel comfortable with their new relationship, even the dog Leo who doesn’t seem convinced at first. Aoife is also unsure of the new relationship at the start, afraid that it will cause them to forget and move on from her father.
The simple story is told in Conamara dialect with lots of rich phrases and sayings. The Irish is rich and readable and the subject suitable for teenagers and adults, it is a perfect read for adult learners too. Most phrases and sayings come from Mamó Peige who is a legend of language and stories that a man Liam comes to visit her to collect and record her knowledge and stories for an archival project..She is full of gems such as ‘le ham, cuireann an croí caoi air fhéin’, ‘caithfidh muid fanacht go n-íosfaidh an fear mála salainn linn’, ‘níl ach oiread na fríde idir gol agus gáire’, ‘d’íosfainn an chloch fhaobhair’, ‘tá bearradh eile ionat’.
The story is told through short chapters with a mix of ordinary narration and diary entries from Aoife who writes to her father about the changes that are happening. Grief and sadness is relayed in a very human, realistic way for example when we see Áine visit her husband’s grave looking for his go-ahead in her new relationship. The story is full of family dynamics and conversations and author Jackie Mac Donncha captures the Irish family so well.
Make sure to have a notebook at hand when reading so you can jot down some of Mamó Peige’s sayings!
