Ireland: A Novel

Frank Delaney

Oct 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

“Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic. . . these historical chronicles, legends, myths, tall tales and fables, featuring warriors, kings, monks, explorers and clever common folk, imaginatively tell the history of Ireland.”  — Philadelphia Inquirer

This New York Times bestselling epic is an unforgettable tour de force that marries the intimate, passionate texture of the Irish spirit with a historical scope that is sweeping and resplendent. Storyteller extraordinaire Frank Delaney takes his readers on a journey through the history of Ireland, stopping along the way to evoke the dramatic events and personalities so critical to shaping the Irish experience.

In the winter of 1951, a storyteller, the last practitioner of an honored, centuries-old tradition, arrives at the home of nine-year-old Ronan O'Mara in the Irish countryside. For three wonderful evenings, the old gentleman enthralls his assembled local audience with narratives of foolish kings, fabled saints, and Ireland's enduring accomplishments before moving on. But these nights change young Ronan forever, setting him on a years-long pursuit of the elusive, itinerant storyteller and the glorious tales that are no less than the saga of his tenacious and extraordinary isle.

Ratings and reviews

This is one of the very BEST books I have read in a very long time - and I read a lot of books. It captures the imagination with stories that bring Ireland to a life in a way we can ALL relate to. I think in many ways it can help us to appreciate wherever we live, whatever we are doing. The oral tradition of passing on stories is a human Heritage that has become nearly lost. This story pays homage to it, even though in written format. Almost as if it is our birthright! I recommend it to everyone!

I just loved this book. The stories are totally suitable for your friend's kids (or yours), but the main character's plot is not really. Beautifully written and the two threads are beautifully intertwined. The audiobook is fabulous too - read by the author - I'm getting the print version because the stories are so great, they really could be stripped out for short story consumption. I'm looking forward to his next book - out in february - I think it's called "the last storyteller"...

Loved the stories and the history beneath. Loved the characters and the plot. Mostly loved Ireland. Frank Delaney could easily have been the last storyteller of Ireland. He is also a professor of creative writing, a master of the pen, a genious for words, a wizard of mental images. I am totally mesmerized by this book that is easily in my top ten among the about a thousand books I have read so far!!!

About the author

Frank Delaney was born in Tipperary, Ireland. A career in broadcasting earned him fame across the United Kingdom. A judge for the Booker Prize, several of his nonfiction books were bestsellers in the UK, and he writes frequently for American and British publications. He now lives with his wife, Diane Meier, in New York and Connecticut. Ireland is his first novel to be published in the United States.