First published 2019
John, Philly, and Fonsie Ryan leave Dublin and drive west to Gloria Bog for their uncle's funeral. The three brothers return to the rural territory they once knew, now viewing it through different eyes after years in the city. As they participate in the day's customs and rituals, each brother responds to the familiar landscape in ways that surprise them. The funeral becomes more than a family obligation. It forces them to confront their own mortality and the passage of time. McGahern captures how the brothers navigate their tender, complex feelings about loss and memory. The story reveals how returning to one's origins can unlock unexpected emotions about life's fleeting nature.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, return-to-hometown
Setting: Dublin, Gloria Bog
Period: 20th-century
79 pages · Paperback · Faber & Faber