Hello book buddies. It's crazy that we are a week away from November and the time change. I am hoping to get out today for early voting. It was in the local news that ICE parked in our library parking lot, a location for early voting that's huge and always busy. Thankfully law enforcement, both local and state, ran them off. Hopefully they weren't able to intimidate anyone.
I am just back from a reconnaissance trip to Nebraska where we visited our son. After recovering from the activity and airline travel I have made a list of all the book reviews to catch up on.
Today I will start with The Coast Road by Alan Murrin.
The Coast Road is set in a small town in Ireland where everyone knows one another and their personal business as well. Hard to believe there wasn't a single happy healthy marriage represented but I suppose that was the point of the book. It was depicting the sad situation women were in before divorce was legalized in the late 1990s. Yes....in 1995 divorce was finally legal.
The storyline centers mostly on three women and their unfortunate marital situation. Delores is married to Donal, a man who cheats. She has three children and is pregnant with another. They have a vacant cottage on this coast road near their home but it doesn't usually rent out during the off season. This cottage comes into play soon.
Enter Colette into the storyline. She is from this same little town in Donegal and fled her marriage to live in Dublin with her lover. Now Colette has returned alone and wants to rent the cottage. While Delores isn't sure about it, she rents to this "disgraced woman."
Finally we meet Izzy. She is not happy with her politician husband's narrow-minded views and seeks activities to keep herself busy and happy. She takes writing classes taught by Colette and they renew the "friendship," such as it was. After Colette left her husband he wouldn't allow her to see her children. She hopes Izzy will arrange for her to see her sons as both Izzy and Collete's sons attend the same school...maybe a visit could be arranged.
This reminded me somewhat of A Family Matter by Claire Lynch in regard to Irish laws and how men could control the terms of a marriage. Are you happy? No? Well too bad because this is how things are. Period. That's not to say a man can't be unhappy in a marriage but he is not without options. He couldn't file for divorce either but the law was on his side to keep the children if he wished or exile the wife as unfit.
There is a good twist at the end of this book. Some resolution, a bit of justice but with any Irish story....some sadness. Good writing and could be slow at times but you get a good solid snapshot the characters and their daily life. 3.75 stars
Other books I have read but not reviewed are:
The things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (finished on my the flight up to NE.)
Thirty Below by Cassidy Randall (nonfiction buddy read with Susan)
At this point I may write a review for these but will likely just rate them on Goodreads.
Finally, Mr. Loki was one happy camper to get picked up from boarding. We missed him and we may never leave him again for boarding. Apparently I am a fan of travel in theory but not in real life.
