The Hill Road (ISBN 0143037935)

"They believed that they should suffer...but that all of their anguishes in this world would be repaid...after death.":
Without a trace of romanticism, Patrick O'Keeffe recreates the lives of four sets of characters who live in and around Kilroan, a small town on the southwestern coast of rural Ireland. Winner of the Story Prize for the four overlapping stories/novellas in this book, O'Keeffe depicts the hard lives of those residents who did not emigrate--who stayed behind, scratching out lives from the poor soil and difficult topography on which they had built their farms. Love offers their only chance for happiness, but as O'Keeffe shows here, love and death are closely intertwined, and few residents ever find fulfillment through love. In the longest of the selections, "The Hill Road," filled with specific details which make the town come alive, young Jack Carmody tries to understand some mysteries which have affected his family, especially his Aunt Mary. When Albert Cagney, to whom she believed she would be married, returned from World War I, he was a changed man, and Mary's life, too, changed. Connecting the history of these families to the history of Ireland, Brian Boru, and the Vikings, O'Keeffe gives universality to the interconnected lives of these characters. "Her Black Mantilla" tells of Alice Gilmartin, an orphan whose much older sister, now deceased, once found love, temporarily, in Kilroan. As Alice begins work for the Tarpey family, she inadvertently begins to repeat her sister's life--until that becomes impossible due to outside interference. In "The Postman's Cottage," a young man vanishes just after selling five bullocks for a good price at the local fair. As his relationships are explored and his friendships examined, the fate of the young man becomes clear. "That's Our Name," is a story of secrets evolving from the discovery of the body of a young woman who may have been connected to more than one of the young men in town. In all cases, O'Keeffe shows how difficult rural life can be and how close the relationships are which develop among the residents--for good and for evil. Love offers--and nearly always denies--happiness, and the lives of the local women are full of endless chores, responsibilities, and quiet acceptance of their fate. O'Keeffe's prose is masculine but full of local detail, which creates atmosphere and gives depth to the picture of rural life, and his ability to conjure characters, often in just a few paragraphs, is brilliant. A realistic picture of rural Ireland without the false romanticism with which it is so often painted. n Mary Whipple

A Journey Through Ireland Along The Hill Road:
This book is actually 4 short stories that all take place in the same small rural community in Ireland. Each story is comprised of unique characters and stands on its own, yet the characters are so real and so down to earth, you feel as though you've met them and have actually touched them. The first story, "The Hill Road," is a bit long and at times meanders, but does set the stage for the rest of the stories. It's tale of lost love makes one's heart ache. The subsequent 3 stories move along much more quickly (they are shorter) and the flow seems more focused - I enjoyed them much more. The author has a way of painting a picture for the reader, and making his homeland come alive. I've never been to Ireland, yet I felt as though I have through these stories. I feel as though I've met honest, down to earth people with real struggles in life, who showed the power of the human spirit. This is a great book to just get caught up in on a rainy afternoon. Quick to read and a pleasure for the imagination!

a different kind of read:
This was an interesting read at times but sometimes I had a difficult time staying with it. I wasn't sure I liked the book for it was often difficult to get into it.

Patrick O'Keefe: Brilliant:
I must share this in all fairness: I was fortunate enough to learn from Mr. O'Keefe at the University of Michigan last year. As modest as he is, I was totally unaware of this book when I was his student. It is a wonderful collection of narratives. Serene and chilling. Complex and brave, but never pretentious. Though I would disagree with the book review selling O'Keefe as someone who reminds us of Joyce - since O'Keefe is actually readable! I admire his dreamlike prose, the subtle details, and alarming plots, which reveal as much about the characters as they do the time and place. Just brilliant.

Another Found Treasure:
Taking a break from my own writing, I was drawn to this book - must say it - because of the cover. Reminded me of a solitary walk I took many years ago up into the hills of Bronte country in England. In the past couple of years have discovered the Irish author and fell in love with most all of them. What a find for me this one was. Patrick O'Keeffe writes to my heart. As others here have said before me, can see every blade of grass, smell the air, ache with the loss and desperate yearnings of both the males and females, the harsh burdens on the very young before it should be, feel pity for the overworked animals. The line, said several times in The Postman's Cottage - "I walked out with him a few times" how endearingly simple and heartwrenching. I loved every word of all four stories, did not find anything difficult to follow. A quiet time to read and a heart that remembers being told of a great-grandmother - Hallie Kelly Dawson - who came from Ireland in 1870 as a five year old - I was there walking the Hill Road, seeing it, feeling it, hearing it, smelling it, experiencing it all through the beautiful language and storytelling of Patrick O'Keeffe. I cannot recommend this wonderful book highly enough!