Donal Ryan’s writing is a joy to read, it bubbles along effortlessly. “The Queen of Dirt” set in a small, rural, Irish town beautifully focuses on four generations of women bound tightly together by loss and love.
- best book club reads -
Readability
★★★★★★★★✰✰
Talkability
★★★★★★★✰✰✰
Den scores
★★★★★★★★✰✰
THE QUEEN OF DIRT
BY DONAL RYAN
256 pages
Donal Ryan is becoming quite a favourite author in the Den. His latest book, “The Queen of Dirt” once again set in a small, rural, Irish town beautifully focuses on four generations of women bound tightly together by loss and love.
Eileen Aylward’s life is turned upside down when her newly married husband is killed in a car crash a few days after the birth of their daughter, Saoirse. After his death, Eileen is supported by her mother-in-law Nana and they forge a particularly strong bond even though Nana has two other sons. When it looks as if history is destined to repeat itself with Saoirse, these strong women unite to be creators of their own destiny. This is a beautiful story of determined women keeping their family together and proving they can not only survive but shine in a tough and judgemental small town community.
Ryan’s writing is a joy to read, it bubbles along effortlessly. Every chapter is no more than a few pages so in each one we capture a glimpse of a time or event, often ending with a monumental declaration before beginning the next chapter. This means he is able to capture a long of period time without the book ever becoming unwieldy. Ryan beautifully brings ordinary lives to the forefront with humour, empathy and ultimately joy.