In an interview with Library Love Fest, the HarperCollins YouTube channel, author Alan Murrin says that he has always "...had a thing for a female character that is difficult, but that you are rooting for." In his debut novel "The Coast Road" he has nailed that. Colette Crowley is a character who would always stand out in a crowd, but in a rural Irish town in 1994 all eyes were on her.
Thanks to the stranglehold of the Catholic Church, divorce was still constitutionally illegal in Ireland, long after the rest of the world accepted it. Colette had left her emotionally dead marriage and ran off with another man-- a relationship doomed to fail. When she returned to the small town of Ardglas, her husband forbade her from seeing her children. Not only was she cut off financially, but the town saw her as a jezebel and the gossip raged.
Colette's neighbor, Izzy, had an up and down marriage of her own to a politician, a man who places appearances above all else. In order to get out of the house, she enrolled in a poetry class Colette was offering and the two bonded there. Izzy reluctantly agreed to set up a secret rendezvous for Colette and her son, something that held the possibility of a blow-up if their husbands found out about it.
Another family in this triangle is the Mullens. Delores Mullen, currently pregnant, rented their cottage out on the coast road to Colette. Her husband, Donal, took advantage of Colette's solitude and state of mind-- resulting in an affair. Delores had her suspicions but tried to ignore the reality of the situation.
...and then comes the plot development, an explosion that blows everything up and sparks a long overdue turn of events.
In this, his debut novel, Alan Murrin paints the picture of how claustrophobic things are for these women. They are trapped in a world limiting what they are allowed to do, what they are allowed to be. The subject of divorce is barely mentioned, but the fact that it is not accepted colors the way Colette is viewed and barricades the options these women have for their future. While Colette is the focus of everyone's attention, so much is bounced off Izzy's viewpoint and what she learns about herself. Delores, too-- early on she is portrayed as so subservient-- she is capable of surprising. The men, the husbands, are very believable-- if not universally bad. Surprisingly (maybe refreshingly), the only male with any redeeming qualities is the village priest.
"The Coast Road" is a wonderful read with brilliantly realized characters. The landscape-- you can feel yourself in the beautiful and rugged County Donegal. I highly recommend it and anticipate seeing it listed on end of year award nominations.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks to the stranglehold of the Catholic Church, divorce was still constitutionally illegal in Ireland, long after the rest of the world accepted it. Colette had left her emotionally dead marriage and ran off with another man-- a relationship doomed to fail. When she returned to the small town of Ardglas, her husband forbade her from seeing her children. Not only was she cut off financially, but the town saw her as a jezebel and the gossip raged.
Colette's neighbor, Izzy, had an up and down marriage of her own to a politician, a man who places appearances above all else. In order to get out of the house, she enrolled in a poetry class Colette was offering and the two bonded there. Izzy reluctantly agreed to set up a secret rendezvous for Colette and her son, something that held the possibility of a blow-up if their husbands found out about it.
Another family in this triangle is the Mullens. Delores Mullen, currently pregnant, rented their cottage out on the coast road to Colette. Her husband, Donal, took advantage of Colette's solitude and state of mind-- resulting in an affair. Delores had her suspicions but tried to ignore the reality of the situation.
...and then comes the plot development, an explosion that blows everything up and sparks a long overdue turn of events.
In this, his debut novel, Alan Murrin paints the picture of how claustrophobic things are for these women. They are trapped in a world limiting what they are allowed to do, what they are allowed to be. The subject of divorce is barely mentioned, but the fact that it is not accepted colors the way Colette is viewed and barricades the options these women have for their future. While Colette is the focus of everyone's attention, so much is bounced off Izzy's viewpoint and what she learns about herself. Delores, too-- early on she is portrayed as so subservient-- she is capable of surprising. The men, the husbands, are very believable-- if not universally bad. Surprisingly (maybe refreshingly), the only male with any redeeming qualities is the village priest.
"The Coast Road" is a wonderful read with brilliantly realized characters. The landscape-- you can feel yourself in the beautiful and rugged County Donegal. I highly recommend it and anticipate seeing it listed on end of year award nominations.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
