I was delighted to see a new Donal Ryan in the publishing schedules, jumping at the chance to read it as soon as it appeared on NetGalley. Heart, Be at Peace returns to the setting of Ryan’s debut, A Spinning Heart, a decade after many in the town were devastated when the son of the local builder fled to Spain in the wake of the financial collapse which pulled the rug out from beneath its property boom. It follows the same structure, telling the story through twenty-one voices beginning with Bobby’s visits to his dying mother-in-law.
We’re all traumatised by our childhood, I think. We all drag those invisible weights through our lives, some more than others.
A new scourge has arrived in the small, rural town so badly hit by the demise of the Celtic Tiger. Augie Penrose and his henchmen are peddling drugs, driving around in a flash Audi, its windows blacked out. Bobby is terrified that his children will fall victim to this thriving business further discomfited by the picture of him leaving an Amsterdam brothel on a stag night, snapped by his best friend Seanie, anxious that his adored wife will see it. Pokey has turned up, years after leaving so many in the financial lurch, spinning his father a yarn about a language school he’s setting up with a Maltese friend. As Augie’s Audi patrols the streets, Bobby becomes determined to do something about this menace to the town, far from the only one concerned at the damage being done.
Bobby is one of those rare men who measures himself against the wellbeing of people around him.
As with A Spinning Heart, Ryan unfolds his story through a large cast of interrelated narrators. Inevitably, some voices are more vivid than others – several are bit players in the town’s drama, a few in leading roles. Bobby holds the moral compass of the novel, just as he did in Ryan’s debut. He’s a complex character, haunted by his father’s violent nature and afraid that it will manifest itself in him, yet loyal and capable of great love. There’s a reasonable helping of dark humour to be enjoyed, not least in the novel’s resolution welcomed by Bobby’s wife Triona, unaware of its implications for the future. Ryan’s writing is characteristically striking and his plotting meticulous, carefully revealed through connections made between his characters but so many narrative voices meant that I was constantly on the lookout for those connections, not as immersed as I would have liked to be. It’s a virtuoso novel, for sure, but I preferred the more straightforward approach of The Queen of Dirt Island, hoping that the brief mention of Saoirse Aylward signalled her reappearance sometime soon.
Doubleday UK London 9780857525239 208 pages Hardback (read via NetGalley)
It’s getting a lot of exposure here in Ireland. Some reviews similarly referring to the plethora of characters. Maybe he is travelling similar terrain to Tobin by producing a follow up book to a previously popular 1st one. I did like A Spinning Heart, and might get to this sequel at some point.
I think readers who loved A Spinning Heart will be delighted with this one, too. I much prefer his later novels. Interesting point about Tobin. They’ve both clearly felt they wanted to revist past characters.
That’s quite a range of perspectives to cover in one book and I can easily see all not being equally strong. I do hope there’s more of Saiorse too, I really liked Queen of Dirt Island.
I’ve persuaded myself that Ryan wouldn’t have mentioned her if he didn’t expect to give her another outing. Fingers crossed!
You’re not the only reviewer not to be totally wholehearted in your appreciation of this book. But a less-than-perfect book by Ryan is probably at least as good as the best books of lesser writers!
Very true! I wasn’t a huge fan of A Spinning Heart which is probably why I’m not as unqualified in my praise as I have been of his others. Hoping that his next one will see the return of the Aylward women.
I loved A Spinning Heart so would be interested to find out what happened to the community subsequently. But I do find it hard to get engaged when there are multiple characters vying for my attention.
Definitely worth reading, Karen. As I remember, the structure’s very similar to A Spinning Heart.
Ooh, I’m very encouraged by the mention of Saoirse Aylward – fingers crossed!
Wouldn’t it be great to meet them again!
His popularity seems to ever-increase; I’ve yet to get there, but I’m sure I’d enjoy them.
I think you would, Marcie. There’s a touch of Kent Haruf about some of his books.
This is an author I keep meaning to read and never quite getting there. I know I’ve got one of his books on my kindle, yes, just checked – The Queen of Dirt Island which I see you mention above in positive terms. Is it a good one to start with? I do like the idea of polyphonic narratives, but my memory is not what it was these days and I fear I’d lose a lot of details in something so granular.
I think you could start with The Queen of Dirt Island. The Aylward women are very engaging characters. I’ve reviewed that and several other Ryans if that helps. Like you, I’m attracted to polyphonic narratives but 21 voices, none recurring, were too many for me. I loved Orla Mackey’s debut, Mouthing, which is much more manageable.