this is one of the most sensitively written books i have come across in a long time. the life of lilly bere and her dramatic, terrifying and most defining relationship with tadg, which brings her to america....her marriage to joe and the birth of her son ed.
the wars which killed her brother willie, consumed the soul of her son ed and left a shell in its stead, which shocked a young bill her beloved grandson who sees oil fields being burnt in kuwait and people running to escape the war....are all described with a poignant intimacy because of her dear ones being invariably drawn to these circumstances.lilly comes across as an uncomplaining person, surrounded by helpful and caring people while simultaneosly being abandoned and betrayed by the one's she loves.
she is able to cope with her tragedies because of the comfort of genuine and warm friends. they restore her faith in humanity. its a very human story, written in the most poetic prose...not a word is jarring, not an emotion out of place, such gentleness in her pathos that lilly wins your heart before the end of the first page.
