61   Ireland – Mary Costello  – Academy Street (Score 7.0)

This is the story of Tess Lohan, pre-school when we first meet her, and aged when we leave her on the last page. She is one of a large and growing family which has its troubles.

Her mother’s funeral is early in the story. When her coffin is being put into the hearse the word “shove” is used rather than “push” or “put”. This suggest to me that the people from the funeral parlour are rather uncaring.

Later, Tess mentions her sister, Maeve, rubbing Zam-Buk on her feet for chilblains. About 65 years ago, so this book resonates. Tess herself later loses her voice for an extended period after seeing the death of a traveller girl who, and she, put out their tongues to each other. She eventually got her voice back when she battered her head off a workbench.

On page 69 someone uses the word “citóg” which is Irish Gaelic for a left-handed person. In Scots it is a combination of Gaelic and Scots, ie corrie-fisted.

Tess emigrates to the United States and, several years later, falls pregnant to David, a military-man who, the next day goes off to fight in Vietnam. He ignores all her letters about the baby. On page 117 Tess hums along with Etta James singing “I would rather go blind”. I remembered the song but it took me a search on Google to find the singer.

Many years later Tess finds that David had returned unharmed and had a successful career, and married. He had, presumably, never given a second thought to Tess.

I didn’t think much of this book. Although it, being based on an Irish girl had no real relevance to my childhood or youth, brought back memories. I thought the story was rather predictable and deserved only a score of 6.0