Family Drama That's Both Sad and Enjoyable
I really liked this book! The soothing cover design of The Connellys of County Down belies the interesting struggles of the characters. The story immediately drew me in as Tara Connelly prepares to leave the prison that has been her limited life for 525 days. Something about a large number rather than referring to it as a year-and-a-half sentence really establishes how time has dragged by for thirty-year-old Tara as she served her drug-trafficking sentence.
And now, the so-called fresh start presents a series of new issues for Tara and her two siblings with whom she will be living. Older sister and brother Geraldine and Eddie are Tara’s life line since she has no money and employers aren’t exactly beating a path to her door to hire a convicted felon. She certainly won’t be able to return to her much-loved previous career as a children’s art teacher. Unfortunately, Eddie is a single father with brain injuries from an accident in years past, so Geraldine, grudgingly, must act like the guiding force.
This is a very good family drama, and while the description of character-driven novel fits, that does not mean the book lacks suspense. There are secrets and police with suspicions about Tracey, and everything is intensified by the setting of an Irish town that readers will recognize if they read author Tracey Lange’s first book, WE ARE THE BRENNANS. Whether you liked or did not like that first book or have never heard of it, don’t worry; THE CONNELLYS of COUNTY DOWN is a stand-alone novel. Read and enjoy! The characters may not be perfect people, but they are ones that a reader will care about. The book was not quite a perfect 5 star read for me, but it was too good to round down to a 4.
And now, the so-called fresh start presents a series of new issues for Tara and her two siblings with whom she will be living. Older sister and brother Geraldine and Eddie are Tara’s life line since she has no money and employers aren’t exactly beating a path to her door to hire a convicted felon. She certainly won’t be able to return to her much-loved previous career as a children’s art teacher. Unfortunately, Eddie is a single father with brain injuries from an accident in years past, so Geraldine, grudgingly, must act like the guiding force.
This is a very good family drama, and while the description of character-driven novel fits, that does not mean the book lacks suspense. There are secrets and police with suspicions about Tracey, and everything is intensified by the setting of an Irish town that readers will recognize if they read author Tracey Lange’s first book, WE ARE THE BRENNANS. Whether you liked or did not like that first book or have never heard of it, don’t worry; THE CONNELLYS of COUNTY DOWN is a stand-alone novel. Read and enjoy! The characters may not be perfect people, but they are ones that a reader will care about. The book was not quite a perfect 5 star read for me, but it was too good to round down to a 4.