Publisher/Format:Forge Books (2010), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 464 pages
Characters: Dr. F.F. O'Reilly, Dr. Barry Laverty, Kinky Kincaid, Kitty O'Hallorhan
Subject: small town life and love in rural Ireland
Setting: fictional town of Ballybucklebo, County Down, Northern Ireland
Series: Irish Country
Genre: fiction
Source: public library
This is the latest in a very cozy comfy series about life in rural Ireland in the mid 20th century. When I got the book, I thought the courtship would have to do with the romance of young Dr. Barry Laverty who, at the end of the previous episode (An Irish Country Christmas) was unceremoniously dumped by the love of his life Patricia Spence. His hang-dog attitude seemed certain to make life miserable for everyone around him. Instead, we are actually treated to the more senior Dr. O'Reilly's bumbling later in life courtship of his long time-ago love, Kitty O'Hallorhan. How the housekeeper Kinky Kincaid reacts to another woman in her doctor-dear's life adds an amusing and heartwarming touch to all the relationships.
Taylor does an excellent job of back-fill in this one so even if you haven't read the others, this will do nicely on its own. The Irish Country series is a delightful, uplifting, fun, and easy to read look at a town of characters who have flaws, of villains bent on making money on the backs of others who stand to lose, on women who seem stuck in a time warp, on drunks who aren't always as well behaved as they might, of comical animals, shy maidens, mischievous urchins at the school, and old folks hanging onto life--whose hopes and dreams are the hopes and dreams of all of us, and whose doctors manage to keep them well enough in body and soul to live interesting and rewarding lives.
This was a perfect story to balance some more deep and heavy reading I've been doing. It's a great series, lots of fun, and one needing no catchup wherever you start. They are also available in absolutely enchanting audio editions.
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Listening to this book probably enhances the story is the narrator has a nice Irish accent. I read the book because it was an arc but if I see any more of his on audio, I might try it.
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