Agent: Marianne Gun O’Connor, Marianne Gun O’Connor Agency. Short vignette-style chapters sometimes disrupt the flow, though each of the characters shimmers with life. Drama ensues with a conflict between Eileen and her brother over ownership of Dirt Island, and Saoirse’s trust in her child’s godparent is compromised. Nana moves in with them after having a stroke, and Chris gets married and Paudie is arrested for hiding guns for the IRA. She also picks up on the meanness of the world during a visit to Eileen’s childhood home, which Eileen and her relatives call “Dirt Island.” Later, teenage Saoirse gets pregnant after a hazy encounter with a musician, causing much heartache. As Saoirse grows up, she adores Eileen, her Nana, and her two paternal uncles, Chris and Paudie, who dote on her. Id be hard pressed to choose my favorite woman, but Nana (Mary) the elderly mother-in-law, would probably win. If you like strong women characters, this is for you. This is his latest novel, so Ill be looking for his earlier work. Now, as a widow, Eileen finds a dear friend in her late husband’s mother, Saoirse’s Nana. This is my first book by Donal Ryan, although Ive heard him being raved about, and now I understand why.

Her mother, Eileen, a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking woman who tells Saoirse she loves her every night, has been estranged from her family ever since her premarital pregnancy.

Saoirse Aylward is just days old in 1982 when her father is killed in a car accident. Ryan ( Strange Flowers) returns with an inspired story about four generations of women and girls living together in a small Irish village.

The queen of dirt island by donal ryan