I often have to manage my expectations when reading books that feel so deeply embedded in a particular time, place, and set of people that either too much is lost on the reader without the full context or, more uncomfortably, there is almost too much familiarity, too many unsettling feelings stirred up by recognition.

So, I was a little wary when I started The Queen of Dirt Island. I had never read Donal Ryan before, though I knew of his reputation. I picked this copy up second-hand at a school fair. It looked barely touched, either unread or carefully handled by someone who loved it enough to keep it pristine, which only deepened my curiosity about what I was getting into.

“Happiness was a strange notion, something that was wrapped neatly and packed into the closing scenes of television shows and daytime films, sharply relieved on the screen but blurry in real life, a vague ideal. She wanted Pearl to be happy, of course, in a pure and uncomplicated way, and she thought that she was… she ruled her little queendom with a kind of replete joy.” The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

What followed was an unexpected surprise. The further I read, the more I loved this book. The characters are so fully formed and firmly rooted in who they are, culturally and socially, yet they feel utterly individual too. I found it impossible not to become attached to all of them. Although the language is occasionally quite crass, it felt honest and served the characters’ authentic voices.

I was also struck by the structure of the book. Ryan tells an expansive story, spanning many years, through a very rigid chapter framework. The scenes he chose are precise and carefully placed, and each short chapter advances the story with remarkable economy. To say so much with so few words felt artful and assured, and it left me wanting to read more of his work.

I admit I was cautious going in, knowing this was a male author writing three central female characters. But again, I was pleasantly surprised. Each voice felt distinct and authentic. There was no sense of an agenda, only a commitment to telling their stories as truthfully and gently as possible.

As you can probably tell, this book caught me off guard and won me over completely. An unassuming gem that stayed with me long after I closed it.

“There’s nothing anyone can do to stop the tide, but the tide will always turn itself.” The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

You might also enjoy I am Homeless if this is not My Home by Lorrie Moore or The Sea by John Banville.

Happy reading

Chantelle