Part of Irish Country, book 13
First published 2020
A devastating blaze tears through Donal Donnally's thatched cottage, leaving him, his wife, three young children, and their dog homeless with only the clothes they wear. The fire strikes just after Christmas in the Irish village of Ballybucklebo, but the family survives without serious injury. Doctors O'Reilly and Laverty mobilize the entire community to help rebuild what the flames consumed. The reconstruction proves slow and difficult, yet neighbors from every corner of village life pledge their support to restore the Donnally home. While the cottage takes shape again, the doctors face delicate medical situations involving fertility and family planning. Barry Laverty and his wife Sue struggle with their inability to conceive and seek help from modern medical techniques. O'Reilly carefully counsels a married woman who must prevent another high-risk pregnancy. As the 1970s approach, sectarian tensions threaten to disturb the peace across Ulster, but Ballybucklebo remains a sanctuary where community bonds prove stronger than division.
Genres: fiction, family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, rebuilding
Setting: Ballybucklebo, Ireland, Ulster
Period: 1970s
432 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Forge Books