Novels From Ireland Blend Romance, Past and Present

Two new audio books have been released by bestselling Irish authors. An audiophile could do no better than Nuala O’Faolain’s first novel, “My Dream of You.” (Simon & Schuster Audio; abridged fiction; four cassettes; 6 hours and 30 minutes; $26; read by Dearbhla Molloy.)

O’Faolain splashed onto the literary scene a few years ago with her memorable debut memoir, “Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman.”

The new novel’s protagonist is middle-aged Kathleen de Burca, an Irish travel writer living in London, estranged from her family and homeland. As the story opens, we learn she is shattered by the death of her closest friend. De Burca decides to make a change in a life that is lacking love, passion and meaning.

Quitting her job and temporarily heading back to Ireland, she researches a book based on the case of an Englishwoman who supposedly carried on an illicit affair with an Irish servant during the Potato Famine. The woman, who lost everything after being accused of this adulterous romance, may or may not have been guilty.

What de Burca finds is not what she expected, either in the histories of the people she is researching or in the details of the time in which they lived. As her research unfolds, she is caught up in the tragedy of those destroyed during the famine, their sad histories always present as she scribbles notes and hunts for clues.

While working on the novel, de Burca begins a romance with a married Irishman who may be offering her a last chance for love. As the specter of the historical romance haunts her present, de Burca visits the themes so prevalent in the author’s memoir: a strained connection to a loveless family, the plight of Irish women, and a solitary woman’s quest for a life filled with meaning.

Considering only about half of the original novel made it into the abridgment, this works better than expected. There are times when the story moves along at an unnaturally fast clip, but rarely are the lost details felt. Still, it’s a shame that such a well-written and thoughtful novel is offered only in a partial format.

Narrator Molloy deftly handles the dual stories with a pretty Irish brogue and a no-nonsense manner that suits the lack of self-pity in O’Faolain’s narrative. She manages a decent British accent, and imbues an elderly woman with an air of frailty by making her tone sharper and her voice thinner.

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Another recent novel from a bestselling Irishwoman is “The Scarlet Feather,” by Maeve Binchy. (Penguin Audiobooks; abridged fiction; four cassettes; six hours; $24.95; read by Caroline Winterson.) Like O’Faolain’s novel, only about half of the original material made it into the audio book.

Unlike O’Faolain’s novel, the truncated material is not likely to be missed.

In her trademark style, Binchy introduces a cast of characters, focusing on Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather, close pals who finally open the catering business they have dreamed of since college. Cathy’s twin cousins, Simon and Maud, are perhaps the most memorable of the spouses, friends and family members who move through the caterers’ lives. The two waifs, abandoned by their immediate family, have come to live with Cathy’s parents. Their serious outlook on life is alternately touching and hilarious.

But, other than the children, little about the novel stands out. It is fast moving and easy on the ears, but also lightweight and predictable. It entertains moderately but lacks the tenderness and cassette-flipping appeal of Binchy’s last novel, “Tara Road.”

A few of the characters are fully developed, but some that are given fuller lives in print merely make an appearance in the audio. As this is one of Binchy’s weakest efforts to date, the lack of detail only detracts from a novel already diminished by familiarity and sentimentality.

Though Caroline Winterson often reads too quickly, she does alter the characters’ voices, giving each just enough of a vocal personality so the large cast of characters sounds varied. She also does a commendable job of capturing class differences through pacing and attitude. A nice touch is the upbeat Irish music that begins and ends each tape.

Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.