The long and winding road

 

    Early on in Frank Delaney's lovely new novel The Matchmaker of Kenmare the narrator, Ben McCarthy, asks for forgiveness from his audience for the digressions which will be a feature of the tale he is about to tell:

"It's a habit I picked up on the road. I spent most of my life listening to people telling me stories by their firesides, and those storytellers loved to digress; they wanted us to see not just the trees in the forest but the leaves on each tree."

Well, as the book progresses there is plenty of detail, but Frank Delaney is such a consummate storyteller that he never loses his way, never veers off, but keeps to his winding narrative highway, and delivers his characters - and his readers - to their destination in fine style. It's a story of journeying - both in the physical world and through the internal landscape of its central character - and its theme is neutrality, whether there really is such a thing (and particularly where relationships between men and women are concerned), or whether it's a cover for indecision or even cowardice.

    Ben travels round Ireland collecting stories for the Irish Folklore Commission and in the course of his work he meets the comely Kate Begley, known as The Matchmaker of Kenmare. Charged with recording her modus operandi, Ben observes Miss Begley as she makes suitable matches for the single people of the district, but his interest in her is more than just academic, and when she finds her own soulmate in the shape of an American army officer - for this is wartime, and though Ireland is neutral, it has its part to play - Ben is drawn into Miss Begley's future in a way he would never have imagined.

    Following on from the events of Venetia Kelly's Travelling Show, though you need not have read that book to pick up the threads of this one, it's a beautifully pitched, fluent story of charm, humour and some inspired - and even Homeric - touches. There's too much to it to go into fully here, but as I read, the image which came to mind was of the twinkly-eyed, alchemist-like Delaney, combining ingredients and elements in balanced measure to create this thoroughly involving, thought-provoking entertainment. At times whimsical and escapist, elsewhere painfully real and true to life, it is, as I said before, lovely stuff, and from the way it ends it would appear that there's a sequel in the offing. I do hope so.

Comments

[Anji]

I am half way through Venetia Kelly's Travelling Show and I am thoroughly enjoying this story, it does ramble but you don't feel like you are a being taken off course, as the digression all seems to make sense a bit further on into the story. As I am reading I feel like Ben McCarthy is sitting opposit me just telling me the story. It feels so personal and it has been a long time since a story has felt that personal. I have Irish Uncles who tell stories in this manner and I find it so delightful and I can't wait to move on to the Matchmaker of Kenmare.

[Cornflower]

You're right, Anji, that very personal voice is a great part of the charm, and FD has a lovely turn of phrase.