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We meet in-person once per month in Forest Hills to discuss either a book written by an Irish author or a book about Ireland. You don't have to be Irish as everything we read is in English and the books we choose and discuss are diverse.
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While fishing in an Irish salmon stream one rainy morning, Father Declan de Loughry ponders the recent deathbed confession of his parishioner Kevin Dennehy. It seems Dennehy and his wife, Enda, had been quietly living a lie for fifty years. Yet the gravity of their deception doesn't become clear to the good father until Enda shares the full tale of her suffering, finally confiding the all of it.
The novel follows the Barnes family in a small Irish town after the 2008 financial crash. Patriarch Dickie Barnes, once a successful car dealer, struggles to maintain his business and retreats into building a "futureproof" bunker with his eccentric handyman, Victor, rather than confronting reality. His wife, Imelda, battles despair and isolation, attempting to cope by selling jewelry online and reflecting on her traumatic past. Their teenage daughter, Cass, a gifted student, spirals into self-destructive behavior, drinking heavily and exploring her sexuality, particularly in her complex friendship with her best friend, Elaine. Meanwhile, their twelve-year-old son, PJ, faces bullying and seeks refuge in video games and fantasies of heroism, highlighting his innocence amid adult turmoil
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