CONFESSIONS: REVIEW

(I will definitely be keen to read any further offerings this author may publish in the future. Review by Fiona de Goede)

This is a debut novel for Catherine Airey – it borders on being a hefty tome, clocking in at more than 450 pages. Of those pages, more than 300 or so had me totally enthralled.

By the time I felt the book had started to lag, I was good and solidly invested and keen to see how the author would go about tying up the various threads and story lines. This she managed to do.

It is a multigenerational novel depicting the lives of three interlinked characters from the same Irish family, each with a unique voice and story to tell. It is set over various timelines and I enjoyed this aspect as it gave one a glance into the early 2000’s, back to the 1970’s and then to more recent times, 2018.

 

The story of Cora, set in New York in the aftermath of 9/11, had the power to grip me instantly and reel me in. The author manages to capture her character clearly and convincingly. I felt her loneliness, fear and despair as she searched the streets for her missing father. As her mother, Maire had died when Cora was much younger, she is now utterly alone in New York. When she receives a letter from a relative in Ireland, offering a safe haven, she accepts this opportunity.

The part of the book dealing with Maire, Cora’s mother, an artist with mental health issues, is quite harrowing to read. I found this segment of the story very realistic and quite traumatic. Maire’s character is convincingly depicted and her actions are, mostly, believable. It is only when Cora moves to Ireland to live with Roisin, Maire’s sister, that the reader gets to understand the family dynamic better. Roisin reminiscing about and remembering her and Maire’s childhood manages to clarify aspects and choices that previously may have seemed unclear.

The final part of this intricate story is seen through the eyes of Lyca, Cora’s daughter. She manages to unravel the puzzle and solve the mystery that is evident throughout the book.

The crux of this tale is that most choices have repercussions, that life is messy and that history repeats itself. Perhaps a more streamlined approach to this intricate family saga would have been more impactful. However, having said that, I enjoyed this book and felt invested in the characters albeit some more than others. I will definitely be keen to read any further offerings this author may publish in the future. - Fiona de Goede

Confessions is published by Penguin Random House:  ISBN 978-0-241-72807-9