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Donal agus Jimmy
The best jobs in 1911 Belfast are in the shipyards, but Donal Gallagher’s pay packet at Harland and Wolff doesn’t stretch far enough. He needs someone to share his rented room; fellow ship-builder Jimmy Healy’s bright smile and need for lodgings inspire Donal to offer. But how will he sleep, lying scant feet away from Jimmy? It seems Jimmy’s a restless sleeper, too, lying so near to Donal…
In a political climate turned volatile, Jimmy and Donal could emigrate or choose sides. Will shoveling coal on the ship nicknamed The Pride of Belfast make a new beginning for them, or the end?
In a political climate turned volatile, Jimmy and Donal could emigrate or choose sides. Will shoveling coal on the ship nicknamed The Pride of Belfast make a new beginning for them, or the end?
79 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
About the author
P.D. Singer
59 books171 followersP.D. Singer lived in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, one young adult, and seventy-nine pounds of pets. She was a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain PD skied down a mountain face-first, had been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and rethought a novel that included sky-diving.
When not writing, playing her fiddle, or walking the sheddiest member of the family, she could be found with a book in hand.
When not writing, playing her fiddle, or walking the sheddiest member of the family, she could be found with a book in hand.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 28, 2011
Wow! Just wow! The author transported me to another time and place where I followed Jimmy and Donal down the streets of Belfast to the shipyards where they crafted giant vessals that they could only dream of sailing away on.
Their relationship, from first tentative glances to sharing a bed for what they thought might be the last time for a while, progressed at a perfect pace to build tension without dragging on and on. Writing short stories is difficult, to complete all the plot without exceeding word count, but Donal agus Jimmy pulls it off in style.
Tons of research went into this story, yet P.D. Singer makes the telling seem so effortless, as she spins a tale that seemed so real to me that I held my breath on occasion, waiting to see what happened next.
Their relationship, from first tentative glances to sharing a bed for what they thought might be the last time for a while, progressed at a perfect pace to build tension without dragging on and on. Writing short stories is difficult, to complete all the plot without exceeding word count, but Donal agus Jimmy pulls it off in style.
Tons of research went into this story, yet P.D. Singer makes the telling seem so effortless, as she spins a tale that seemed so real to me that I held my breath on occasion, waiting to see what happened next.
March 11, 2025
Re-Read: Mar 2025
Original Read: Feb 2023
I really enjoyed this short but unique historical that focuses on Ireland in the early 1910s. The author did a fantastic job of making time period and setting come to live on the page, despite how short the story was. The historical details and the dialog were wonderfully woven together with historical facts that made this such a joy to read. Donal and Jimmy are both shipbuilders working in Ireland for one of the many companies during this time period which focused on building those enormous passenger ships (and yes, they worked on the ship you're thinking about). Their lives are hard and rough but when they end up becoming roommates, they quickly develop feelings for each other and fall in love. I loved the details of their day-to-day lives and how easily they connected with each other.
The main conflict in the story isn't related to their sexual orientations, which I really liked. I'm not familiar with the political situation in Ireland during this time period and the author doesn't include many details but you get the sense that things are getting tense.
Anyway, the fact that the author found a way to give the MCs a HEA without messing with historical facts was great. . I won't spoil how the author did it but it was really well done.
This all being said, I would have given the story a higher rating if it had been longer. Due to the inclusion of multiple, lengthy smut scenes, everything else had to be kept short and sweet and that included skipping from the MCs getting together to them having been a couple for a year. The author tried hard to establish the chemistry and bond between the MCs and to also make readers care about side characters (such as their landlady and Donal's family members) but due to the story being so short and the author's focus lying on historical details and smut scenes, I ended up not connecting as strongly with the characters as I could have if the story had been longer.
Original Read: Feb 2023
I really enjoyed this short but unique historical that focuses on Ireland in the early 1910s. The author did a fantastic job of making time period and setting come to live on the page, despite how short the story was. The historical details and the dialog were wonderfully woven together with historical facts that made this such a joy to read. Donal and Jimmy are both shipbuilders working in Ireland for one of the many companies during this time period which focused on building those enormous passenger ships (and yes, they worked on the ship you're thinking about). Their lives are hard and rough but when they end up becoming roommates, they quickly develop feelings for each other and fall in love. I loved the details of their day-to-day lives and how easily they connected with each other.
The main conflict in the story isn't related to their sexual orientations, which I really liked. I'm not familiar with the political situation in Ireland during this time period and the author doesn't include many details but you get the sense that things are getting tense.
Anyway, the fact that the author found a way to give the MCs a HEA without messing with historical facts was great. . I won't spoil how the author did it but it was really well done.
This all being said, I would have given the story a higher rating if it had been longer. Due to the inclusion of multiple, lengthy smut scenes, everything else had to be kept short and sweet and that included skipping from the MCs getting together to them having been a couple for a year. The author tried hard to establish the chemistry and bond between the MCs and to also make readers care about side characters (such as their landlady and Donal's family members) but due to the story being so short and the author's focus lying on historical details and smut scenes, I ended up not connecting as strongly with the characters as I could have if the story had been longer.
October 26, 2011
The story is gorgeous. It just is. The setting is so real--sometimes beautiful, sometimes gritty and a little bit scary. The times are shown realistically, which means it's not all smooth sailing (no pun intended, I swear!) for the characters, but it wouldn't be such a true tale without that grounding atmosphere. As always, PD Singer has researched and absorbed and spun what she learned into a realistic story.
Sweet and bitter, beautiful and horrible. So bloody affecting that you can't walk away from this story without it resonating.
I loved Donal and Jimmy with an esoteric bliss. I want to keep reading about them. I want them to have a whole series.
Sweet and bitter, beautiful and horrible. So bloody affecting that you can't walk away from this story without it resonating.
I loved Donal and Jimmy with an esoteric bliss. I want to keep reading about them. I want them to have a whole series.
December 7, 2011
Donal is a carpenter, working the shipyards in 1911 Belfast, creating wonderful fixtures for two gigantic liners being built by Harland and Wolff, shipbuilders. Living near the yards, he rents a room with part of his wages, but takes the rest home for his family. The times are hard, and he has siblings to think about, especially his sister who is looking to marry her beau. Won't be an issue for him - he finds himself looking at the lads.
Jimmy is a boilermaker, working on the big steam engines and fittings. Cheery and young, he is from a local family, living with an uncle who is preparing to marry, so he has to move out soon.
Donal and Jimmy, along with 12,000 other workers on the docks, line up every week for their pay, and strike up a friendly chat while waiting on queue. Donal is quietly drawn to this handsome man, but doesn't dare do anything except smile and have a nice chat.
Donal's sister has lost her job, so he needs to send the family a little more money every week. Maybe they can meet up for a pint, be friends, maybe even...be roommates. That will solve the money problem, right? And nothing else has to happen. Jimmy isn't like that anyway, he guesses. So they move in together.
When their friendship deepens, and becomes something more, will these two young men be safe? The times are tough, they dare not be public, and the political climate in Ireland is turbulent - Home Rule is blowing in the wind, and Jimmy may be forced to act. As they formulate a plan to immigrate and Jimmy scopes out the landscape, will his voyage aboard the maiden journey for one of the behemoth liners - the Titanic - tear them apart forever?
Donal and Jimmy are such creatures of their times. Their wary and tentative romance so haltingly entered into, and the two of them so nervous about what to do with each other. Their love is slow to start but so very very believable.
This is a MUST READ. I am normally not a fan of historical fiction of any genre, but this...this was a revelation! This wonderfully rich and gentle novella was so sweetly innocent, these two young men so beautifully drawn, the relationship so nicely realized, and the detail just amazing. The time Ms. Singer took to build this story and fill it in with so much love just astounds me.
Buy this fantastic book. Today.
So very highly recommended.
Tom
Jimmy is a boilermaker, working on the big steam engines and fittings. Cheery and young, he is from a local family, living with an uncle who is preparing to marry, so he has to move out soon.
Donal and Jimmy, along with 12,000 other workers on the docks, line up every week for their pay, and strike up a friendly chat while waiting on queue. Donal is quietly drawn to this handsome man, but doesn't dare do anything except smile and have a nice chat.
Donal's sister has lost her job, so he needs to send the family a little more money every week. Maybe they can meet up for a pint, be friends, maybe even...be roommates. That will solve the money problem, right? And nothing else has to happen. Jimmy isn't like that anyway, he guesses. So they move in together.
When their friendship deepens, and becomes something more, will these two young men be safe? The times are tough, they dare not be public, and the political climate in Ireland is turbulent - Home Rule is blowing in the wind, and Jimmy may be forced to act. As they formulate a plan to immigrate and Jimmy scopes out the landscape, will his voyage aboard the maiden journey for one of the behemoth liners - the Titanic - tear them apart forever?
Donal and Jimmy are such creatures of their times. Their wary and tentative romance so haltingly entered into, and the two of them so nervous about what to do with each other. Their love is slow to start but so very very believable.
This is a MUST READ. I am normally not a fan of historical fiction of any genre, but this...this was a revelation! This wonderfully rich and gentle novella was so sweetly innocent, these two young men so beautifully drawn, the relationship so nicely realized, and the detail just amazing. The time Ms. Singer took to build this story and fill it in with so much love just astounds me.
Buy this fantastic book. Today.
So very highly recommended.
Tom
October 28, 2011
4.5 stars rounded to 5. For a 73-page story, this was an amazing read. Though Donal and Jimmy are immediately attracted to one another and soon find a way to be together as is almost necessary for a short story, it did not make the story one iota less believable. In fact the setting and relationship were so real to me that I felt I was there. I was held captive until I could finish it.
Beautifully written with many little period details including a smattering of Gaelic. Highly recommend.
Beautifully written with many little period details including a smattering of Gaelic. Highly recommend.
February 17, 2012
What a sweet and beautiful love story. Obviously a tremendous amount of research was done here. This novella is a little gem !! I LOVED it ...
January 5, 2012
It wasn’t until I’d finished this book that I realised that it was actually quite short at 70 odd pages. However it doesn’t read short and it’s well worth every penny of the price. Somehow the author manages to squish a lot–a lot–into those 70 odd pages. But while this would be noticeable with some authors–I often come away from novellas thinking that the walls are being squashed the book could explode into a novel very easily–this is deftly done and it doesn’t seem that it’s wearing boots several sizes too small.
And this is moot, because there was a lot going on in Belfast at this time. Not only were the shipyards the envy of the world, pushing out ships like shelling peas and creating the gargantuans of the shipping world at the time–in particular the White Star Line including The Olympic, the Britannic and the Titanic–but there was unrest (as there had been for centuries) as Ireland chafed against the British yoke.
And it’s into this powder keg Singer drops her story–a simple gay love story which is tender and sweet until outside forces compel them to act in ways that will put their relationship at very great risk.
What I liked most of all about this book is the subtlety of the prose–please do not be put off by what I say here, but Singer weaves the flavour of the language and the rythym of the Irish into the third person narration. Not so much as–say–Jamie O’Neill, but enough just to lift the prose above the ordinary. It’s not there all the time, but it’s a delight when you catch a taste of the lilt. I enjoyed this hugely.
The research, while relayed entirely within the story (no Dan Brown info dumps here, and that would have been the choice of some authors, I know) the author has done a lot of work to learn about the interiors of these ships, the men that worked on them and how things were done, how they were built, how they were launched, tested. It’s great to ride along with Jimmy and Donal as they build these monsters: you can almost see the superstructures rising higher and higher above the dockyards.
You can also understand the duality of the situation, too. Here’s a highly skilled craftsman like Donal, capable of creating the most beautiful woodwork for the first class cabins, and he’s hardly making enough money to support himself and his family back home. He’s forced to take in a room-mate to make ends meet, whilst millionaires will use his washstands on the ships, paying prices for one journey that would keep a dozen families in food and heat for years.
Despite the fact that the book fits its bounds so well, despite the breadth of topics covered, I would have liked more, it’s impossible not to want more when something is this well written. I don’t know P.D. Singer’s work–I beleive this is her first gay historical–but if she writes another I will be snapping it up immediately.
I recommend this book highly, and I’m sure you will enjoy it.
As for the “Maroon” – this is one of Torquere’s bizarre themes, I don’t get why it’s sub-labelled “Maroon” in fact I actually thought that it was part of the title until I looked up the book on the website. However, it’s not the author’s fault. I wish Torquere would stop doing this sort of thing. At least they’ve given this book a decent cover and not one painted by someone’s four year old. Neither is it the author’s fault that Amazon has the wrong title up on their sites!
And this is moot, because there was a lot going on in Belfast at this time. Not only were the shipyards the envy of the world, pushing out ships like shelling peas and creating the gargantuans of the shipping world at the time–in particular the White Star Line including The Olympic, the Britannic and the Titanic–but there was unrest (as there had been for centuries) as Ireland chafed against the British yoke.
And it’s into this powder keg Singer drops her story–a simple gay love story which is tender and sweet until outside forces compel them to act in ways that will put their relationship at very great risk.
What I liked most of all about this book is the subtlety of the prose–please do not be put off by what I say here, but Singer weaves the flavour of the language and the rythym of the Irish into the third person narration. Not so much as–say–Jamie O’Neill, but enough just to lift the prose above the ordinary. It’s not there all the time, but it’s a delight when you catch a taste of the lilt. I enjoyed this hugely.
The research, while relayed entirely within the story (no Dan Brown info dumps here, and that would have been the choice of some authors, I know) the author has done a lot of work to learn about the interiors of these ships, the men that worked on them and how things were done, how they were built, how they were launched, tested. It’s great to ride along with Jimmy and Donal as they build these monsters: you can almost see the superstructures rising higher and higher above the dockyards.
You can also understand the duality of the situation, too. Here’s a highly skilled craftsman like Donal, capable of creating the most beautiful woodwork for the first class cabins, and he’s hardly making enough money to support himself and his family back home. He’s forced to take in a room-mate to make ends meet, whilst millionaires will use his washstands on the ships, paying prices for one journey that would keep a dozen families in food and heat for years.
Despite the fact that the book fits its bounds so well, despite the breadth of topics covered, I would have liked more, it’s impossible not to want more when something is this well written. I don’t know P.D. Singer’s work–I beleive this is her first gay historical–but if she writes another I will be snapping it up immediately.
I recommend this book highly, and I’m sure you will enjoy it.
As for the “Maroon” – this is one of Torquere’s bizarre themes, I don’t get why it’s sub-labelled “Maroon” in fact I actually thought that it was part of the title until I looked up the book on the website. However, it’s not the author’s fault. I wish Torquere would stop doing this sort of thing. At least they’ve given this book a decent cover and not one painted by someone’s four year old. Neither is it the author’s fault that Amazon has the wrong title up on their sites!
November 22, 2011
It amazed me how much background and atmosphere were packed into the few pages of this story, all without taking away from the focus, the romance between Donal and Jimmy. The backdrop of the Belfast shipyards in the early 20th century, Mrs. Deegan’s boarding house,pub life, all were drawn in sparse words and yet so detailed I felt like was there. Donal and Jimmy are even better, right on the button. Everything about them, their mindset, their clothing, their work, their behaviour around family, friends and their landlady, and most of all the way they realize what they feel for each other and conduct their budding relationship makes them realistic children of their time. I can imagine how much research went into this one, but there’s never a hint of infodumping or such. Instead, the story is written light-handedly, with humor and wit and a real fondness for the characters that won them my heart.
For all that Donal and Jimmy were drawn so well, I found them rather alike. Sure Jimmy is the bolder one, the planner and doer, while Donal is more considerate and more likely to dot all his i’s, but their voices were very similar. Yet, since they were both adorable guys, this didn’t bother me overly much. From the secondary cast, I really, really loved Mrs. Deegan. If push comes to shove, I’d like to have someone like her in my field.
Both Donal and Jimmy are Northern Irish; they speak in dialectically tinted English interspersed with Gaelic words. The title alone set the tune for the tone of the narrative: according to my online Gaelic dictionary, “agus” means “and” or “together with”; it’s also a word game with a Gaelic love song mentioned in the story, “Donal Agus Morag”. I found the language charming; the smattering of Gaelic added to the atmospheric feel although it also caused one of my (very few) niggles with this story, since I don’t speak Gaelic. Some little explanatory notes would’ve been nice.
The story is built around a true and fairly well-known historical event, but I’ve never seen this incident approached from this particular angle of the blue-collar workers’ viewpoint. It was delightfully misleading as I must admit that for quite a while I really had no clue where this was going – the light only dawned on me with the actual revelation.
Following said revelation, though, the story lost part of its appeal to me. I’m sure this is only me, as there was “technically” nothing wrong with the tension arc during the last part of the story, but I guessed the end right then and found myself somewhat disappointed to see I’d been right. This was still only a minor disturbance in an otherwise smoothly flowing story with likeable characters and an incredibly strong sense of time and place. Warmly recommended.
reviewed for reviewsbyjessewave.com
For all that Donal and Jimmy were drawn so well, I found them rather alike. Sure Jimmy is the bolder one, the planner and doer, while Donal is more considerate and more likely to dot all his i’s, but their voices were very similar. Yet, since they were both adorable guys, this didn’t bother me overly much. From the secondary cast, I really, really loved Mrs. Deegan. If push comes to shove, I’d like to have someone like her in my field.
Both Donal and Jimmy are Northern Irish; they speak in dialectically tinted English interspersed with Gaelic words. The title alone set the tune for the tone of the narrative: according to my online Gaelic dictionary, “agus” means “and” or “together with”; it’s also a word game with a Gaelic love song mentioned in the story, “Donal Agus Morag”. I found the language charming; the smattering of Gaelic added to the atmospheric feel although it also caused one of my (very few) niggles with this story, since I don’t speak Gaelic. Some little explanatory notes would’ve been nice.
The story is built around a true and fairly well-known historical event, but I’ve never seen this incident approached from this particular angle of the blue-collar workers’ viewpoint. It was delightfully misleading as I must admit that for quite a while I really had no clue where this was going – the light only dawned on me with the actual revelation.
Following said revelation, though, the story lost part of its appeal to me. I’m sure this is only me, as there was “technically” nothing wrong with the tension arc during the last part of the story, but I guessed the end right then and found myself somewhat disappointed to see I’d been right. This was still only a minor disturbance in an otherwise smoothly flowing story with likeable characters and an incredibly strong sense of time and place. Warmly recommended.
reviewed for reviewsbyjessewave.com
April 14, 2012
The hundredth anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking is nearly here, making me wish for fiction about it that doesn’t involve Jack or Rose. PD Singer has provided that with Maroon: Donal agus Jimmy, a novella length story that follows men who built and sailed her rather than the glamorous passengers and officers. Working men love and dream too.
Donal, the problem solver, flies into action once he’s found, or been shown, what needs to be fixed -- he’ll solve his family’s financial crisis, even at the cost of sorely needed privacy. What seems like a sacrifice at first, and then the torment of closeness that can never become more, turns into the great joy of Jimmy. Donal’s never had a lover before, and when Jimmy makes it possible to express their interest, we are treated to a sweet, tender love story. The two of them must invent everything as if it’s new just for them, and keep it all hidden, because the world isn’t ready to be happy for them.
Jimmy, the visionary, sees what could be, both good and evil, and acts to make one happen or mitigate the other. He must see enough small clues to risk finding a way to let Donal know of his interest, and oh, how good life becomes for them. But he also sees the evil that will come from the growing muttering for Home Rule, and how it could touch him and his Donal.
His job in the boiler works makes him a likely candidate for passing along contraband, which Jimmy sees as a real possibility. “If they offer threat to you….I will do anything they want.” A good man and non-partisan, he looks for, and finds, a way out.
This is 1912, and the Pride of Belfast, which they’ve helped to build, is the next ship Jimmy can sail in to see what lies for them in “Amerikay”, and that ship’s other name is the Titanic. Though we can see it coming, the author slides that in so delicately that the reveal comes as a heart-wrench. Jimmy’s worked so hard to get aboard that ship, and they don’t know. I knew it was coming and I still cried.
The period detail is woven seamlessly into life in early twentieth century Belfast, with gas lights and newly electrified trams, a pint at the pub and a job at the shipyard. With men who want to change their world, and our couple, who doesn’t want to be crushed under the change.
And I cried again at the end, because it’s happy after all.
Donal, the problem solver, flies into action once he’s found, or been shown, what needs to be fixed -- he’ll solve his family’s financial crisis, even at the cost of sorely needed privacy. What seems like a sacrifice at first, and then the torment of closeness that can never become more, turns into the great joy of Jimmy. Donal’s never had a lover before, and when Jimmy makes it possible to express their interest, we are treated to a sweet, tender love story. The two of them must invent everything as if it’s new just for them, and keep it all hidden, because the world isn’t ready to be happy for them.
Jimmy, the visionary, sees what could be, both good and evil, and acts to make one happen or mitigate the other. He must see enough small clues to risk finding a way to let Donal know of his interest, and oh, how good life becomes for them. But he also sees the evil that will come from the growing muttering for Home Rule, and how it could touch him and his Donal.
His job in the boiler works makes him a likely candidate for passing along contraband, which Jimmy sees as a real possibility. “If they offer threat to you….I will do anything they want.” A good man and non-partisan, he looks for, and finds, a way out.
This is 1912, and the Pride of Belfast, which they’ve helped to build, is the next ship Jimmy can sail in to see what lies for them in “Amerikay”, and that ship’s other name is the Titanic. Though we can see it coming, the author slides that in so delicately that the reveal comes as a heart-wrench. Jimmy’s worked so hard to get aboard that ship, and they don’t know. I knew it was coming and I still cried.
The period detail is woven seamlessly into life in early twentieth century Belfast, with gas lights and newly electrified trams, a pint at the pub and a job at the shipyard. With men who want to change their world, and our couple, who doesn’t want to be crushed under the change.
And I cried again at the end, because it’s happy after all.
March 28, 2012
This is the first story I purchased from Torquere and I'm so glad I did! Everything about it is so perfect, from the characterisation, to the setting, to the language. It's especially impressive when you consider the story's length (59 pages on my Kobo). The amount of details and passion that's crammed into those short pages is phenomenal! When it comes to research, P.D. Singer is after my own heart! From the very first page you find yourself falling in love with and rooting for the characters, as well as being drawn into the life of the Irish shipyards. By the time the very last page I had to let go of a breath I didn't realise I was holding.
If you're a fan of the period surrounding the Titanic, and the yards that built her, then give this one a go. Heck, even if you're not and you just need a stroke of happiness to light up your life, give it a whirl! Start to finish, an absolutely perfect story!
If you're a fan of the period surrounding the Titanic, and the yards that built her, then give this one a go. Heck, even if you're not and you just need a stroke of happiness to light up your life, give it a whirl! Start to finish, an absolutely perfect story!
April 13, 2012
4.5 stars
February 5, 2012
Maroon: Donal agus Jimmy is an amazingly complex story that deftly interweaves three distinct themes; a tender love story of sexual discovery, the debate about Irish Home Rule, and the building of the great passenger steamers at the Belfast Docks. I said amazingly complex because the book is only 73 pages long, but the melding works beautifully.
PD Singer's novella begins as Donal Gallagher is waiting in line to collect his pay at the Harland and Wolff dockyards in Belfast. Donal is a master carpenter, skilled labor on the ship builder. He creates fittings for the luxury cabins. Normally his wages are enough to send money back to his parents and siblings, but tragedy has struck at home and they need more. He needs to find a roommate.
Salvation arrives in the form of a man two lines over. Jimmy Healy, a boilermaker, also needs to find a room to share. The only problem for Donal is that he has noticed Jimmy for quite a while, in a way that would be more than embarrassing in the extremely religious atmosphere of Ireland in the early 1900s, let alone the testosterone fueled work-place that is the dockyards. Donal knows he's gay, but there isn't another soul in Ireland who does.
Jimmy does take the other half of Donal's rented room, and moves into his life. He also moves into his heart. At last, Jimmy fakes being drunk one night in order to break through Donal's reserve to explore what they both feel. The love scenes are very touching, in their sense of discovery. Both men know what they want, but don't really have a clue about what to do. In that time and place, who the hell would they have asked?
This story begins in 1911. The Archduke Ferdinand is still alive and well, and World War I will not start for another 3 years. Ireland in its entirety is still under the dominion of Great Britain, and will be for another 9 years. Irish Home Rule is under heated debate. The Great Irish Potato Famine is 60 years in the past, but the diaspora it left in its wake means that every Irish family has kin in America.
Irish Home Rule is the one that gets them. Jimmy is a boilermaker, which means he's an engineer, among other things. The Irish path to independence was long and bloody, and the ends of the journey were still drawing blood not all that long ago. But this story takes place at the beginning. Some very hard men come to see Jimmy, wanting him to store guns in the empty boilers. Jimmy puts them off with excuses, but he knows they'll be back, and they won't take no for an answer. What can he and Donal do?
The history involved in this story was what really drew me in. Donal and Jimmy manage to keep their relationship secret for a couple of years, but when Irish Home Rule starts heating up, they get sucked in. Jimmy doesn't have any family, but Donal, and Donal's big family, makes him vulnerable to pressure. If Donal were threatened, Jimmy would have to give in, and he would start making guns for the men who threaten their happiness. But Jimmy has found an alternative: emigrate to America. The risks involved seem less, but are they?
Escape Rating B+: The author sent me this story, and I started to read it at my computer, thinking I had a sample. Halfway through, I realized that I was hooked, that I had the whole thing, and that I needed to download it to my iPad and find a comfier chair. The amount of stuff packed into this story was amazing!
PD Singer's novella begins as Donal Gallagher is waiting in line to collect his pay at the Harland and Wolff dockyards in Belfast. Donal is a master carpenter, skilled labor on the ship builder. He creates fittings for the luxury cabins. Normally his wages are enough to send money back to his parents and siblings, but tragedy has struck at home and they need more. He needs to find a roommate.
Salvation arrives in the form of a man two lines over. Jimmy Healy, a boilermaker, also needs to find a room to share. The only problem for Donal is that he has noticed Jimmy for quite a while, in a way that would be more than embarrassing in the extremely religious atmosphere of Ireland in the early 1900s, let alone the testosterone fueled work-place that is the dockyards. Donal knows he's gay, but there isn't another soul in Ireland who does.
Jimmy does take the other half of Donal's rented room, and moves into his life. He also moves into his heart. At last, Jimmy fakes being drunk one night in order to break through Donal's reserve to explore what they both feel. The love scenes are very touching, in their sense of discovery. Both men know what they want, but don't really have a clue about what to do. In that time and place, who the hell would they have asked?
This story begins in 1911. The Archduke Ferdinand is still alive and well, and World War I will not start for another 3 years. Ireland in its entirety is still under the dominion of Great Britain, and will be for another 9 years. Irish Home Rule is under heated debate. The Great Irish Potato Famine is 60 years in the past, but the diaspora it left in its wake means that every Irish family has kin in America.
Irish Home Rule is the one that gets them. Jimmy is a boilermaker, which means he's an engineer, among other things. The Irish path to independence was long and bloody, and the ends of the journey were still drawing blood not all that long ago. But this story takes place at the beginning. Some very hard men come to see Jimmy, wanting him to store guns in the empty boilers. Jimmy puts them off with excuses, but he knows they'll be back, and they won't take no for an answer. What can he and Donal do?
The history involved in this story was what really drew me in. Donal and Jimmy manage to keep their relationship secret for a couple of years, but when Irish Home Rule starts heating up, they get sucked in. Jimmy doesn't have any family, but Donal, and Donal's big family, makes him vulnerable to pressure. If Donal were threatened, Jimmy would have to give in, and he would start making guns for the men who threaten their happiness. But Jimmy has found an alternative: emigrate to America. The risks involved seem less, but are they?
Escape Rating B+: The author sent me this story, and I started to read it at my computer, thinking I had a sample. Halfway through, I realized that I was hooked, that I had the whole thing, and that I needed to download it to my iPad and find a comfier chair. The amount of stuff packed into this story was amazing!
March 11, 2014
Donal meets Jimmy in the pay line at the shipworks in Belfast where they both work. Donal wants a roommate and Jimmy wants to move out of his parents' home, so they move into a boarding house together. Donal feels the strong attraction to Jimmy that he doubts the other man feels for him, but one evening of drunkenness gives them both the excuse to take their friendship to a more physical level. They mange to hide their relationship, yet become very close, until an opportunity arises for one to ship out on their latest liner on the maiden voyage. The name of the ship is the HMS Titanic. Donal is crushed when he hears the news of the ship's disaster. He doesn't think he will ever love again.
1912 and the years surrounding it was a tumultuous time in Ireland. There was no political separation of Northern and southern Ireland then, and the fight for Home Rule is the talk in every pub in every part of the nation. The Easter Rising is just four years away. Singer presentss us with the sort of look at historical events that make historical fiction such a valuable adjunct to history itself, a view into the life of the "man and woman on the street", in this case the streets of Belfast. Donal and Jimmy try to stay away from the hot debates in the pub over whether Ireland should have its own goverbment. One Protestant man shouts, "Home Rule is Rome rule!" The lovers have enough to deal with with hiding their love, keeping their jobs, and making plans to leave someday for "Americay". The drama of the Titanic looms, and the reader also knows that the Great War is just around the corner.
The author does a fine job of capturing Belfast in that decade, bringing the young men and their families and friends fully into being as characters. The story of the Titanic would be hard for any author to resist as part of the drama, and Singer has a light and deft hand at the tiller. The cadence of Belfast is in the voices of the characters, and she paints the sort of family culture that fits the society in which the novel takes place.
I should have liked to know more about the two older men one of the young men's sister goes to work for, and if I would have changed anything I would have liked to get a glimpse into the lives that Donal is certain mirrors his and Jimmy's relationship. But as an afficianado of that period in Irish history, I am quite content with this simple, unassuming yet profound love story.
Christopher Hawthorne Moss is the author of WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING and BELOVED PILGRIM, both available from Dreamsppinner Press.
1912 and the years surrounding it was a tumultuous time in Ireland. There was no political separation of Northern and southern Ireland then, and the fight for Home Rule is the talk in every pub in every part of the nation. The Easter Rising is just four years away. Singer presentss us with the sort of look at historical events that make historical fiction such a valuable adjunct to history itself, a view into the life of the "man and woman on the street", in this case the streets of Belfast. Donal and Jimmy try to stay away from the hot debates in the pub over whether Ireland should have its own goverbment. One Protestant man shouts, "Home Rule is Rome rule!" The lovers have enough to deal with with hiding their love, keeping their jobs, and making plans to leave someday for "Americay". The drama of the Titanic looms, and the reader also knows that the Great War is just around the corner.
The author does a fine job of capturing Belfast in that decade, bringing the young men and their families and friends fully into being as characters. The story of the Titanic would be hard for any author to resist as part of the drama, and Singer has a light and deft hand at the tiller. The cadence of Belfast is in the voices of the characters, and she paints the sort of family culture that fits the society in which the novel takes place.
I should have liked to know more about the two older men one of the young men's sister goes to work for, and if I would have changed anything I would have liked to get a glimpse into the lives that Donal is certain mirrors his and Jimmy's relationship. But as an afficianado of that period in Irish history, I am quite content with this simple, unassuming yet profound love story.
Christopher Hawthorne Moss is the author of WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING and BELOVED PILGRIM, both available from Dreamsppinner Press.
April 19, 2012
The story is about two young men, Donal and Jimmy, who work in the shipyards in Belfast in 1911. Donal discovers he likes Jimmy's smile and handsome blond looks a little too much. They end up rooming together and Jimmy has to resort to faking drunkenness to show Donal that he has feelings for him too. They begin a sweet love affair that obviously has to be hidden from all around them. Then Jimmy decides to take a trip to America on a new ship that Donal has been working on, called the Titanic.
I bought this as an e-book on the strength of a sample. What sold me was the author's fantastic use of Irish dialect. I could really hear these two speaking. The descriptions of their work in the shipyards also seemed well-researched and very authentic. But I wanted more than this slim novella gave me. Unfortunately, after Donal's initial unrequited love is resolved (fairly quickly), there was little conflict. I could barely read the sex scene in one of the Titanic's opulent staterooms because I was so afraid they'd be discovered, but it didn't happen. What conflict there is, Donal's grief over the fate of his friend when he learns that the Titanic sank, is too quickly resolved. There is also potential conflict with the Irish uprising and differing loyalties but nothing came of that either. So, in the end, I felt the book could have been a really good historical novel but opted to be a sweet romance instead. If I think about it as a long short story, it comes off better in my mind. Maybe there will be sequels.
I bought this as an e-book on the strength of a sample. What sold me was the author's fantastic use of Irish dialect. I could really hear these two speaking. The descriptions of their work in the shipyards also seemed well-researched and very authentic. But I wanted more than this slim novella gave me. Unfortunately, after Donal's initial unrequited love is resolved (fairly quickly), there was little conflict. I could barely read the sex scene in one of the Titanic's opulent staterooms because I was so afraid they'd be discovered, but it didn't happen. What conflict there is, Donal's grief over the fate of his friend when he learns that the Titanic sank, is too quickly resolved. There is also potential conflict with the Irish uprising and differing loyalties but nothing came of that either. So, in the end, I felt the book could have been a really good historical novel but opted to be a sweet romance instead. If I think about it as a long short story, it comes off better in my mind. Maybe there will be sequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2012
Oh, so very lovely -- Donal and Jimmy are roommates & shipbuilders. Jimmy is an engineer & Donal a carpenter, and they've been building the Titanic. Jimmy sails away, intending to come back with a hefty pay packet so that he and Donal can immigrate together and begin a new life away from prying eyes who would condemn them for their love.
These two young men were so very thoughtfully drawn -- they eased into a relationship which they had to hide constantly from their landlady and their families (well, Donal's family). They worked hard for little pay, and they only have evenings with each other. This was so short, it's hard to find things to say without spoiling, but Oh! The motivation behind Jimmy's deep need to GetTheHellOUT and be on the ship is wholly believable. The neat way Jimmy is kept alive (you knew he wouldn't die; it's NOT that kind of story!) is perfect, and the touching way Donal grieves and then the way he rejoices when he understands that his beloved is, in fact, still alive and their plans are not all forsworn!
There was no excess to this story; just neatly pared to the bones of How and Why and When they fell in love and came together, and the How and Why of their parting and coming together again. While I don't know much (any at all) Gaelic, the context in which the few phrases were used allowed for an easy rough translation -- it was mostly endearments, and you don't need to know *which* one, just that that's what they are.
These two young men were so very thoughtfully drawn -- they eased into a relationship which they had to hide constantly from their landlady and their families (well, Donal's family). They worked hard for little pay, and they only have evenings with each other. This was so short, it's hard to find things to say without spoiling, but Oh! The motivation behind Jimmy's deep need to GetTheHellOUT and be on the ship is wholly believable. The neat way Jimmy is kept alive (you knew he wouldn't die; it's NOT that kind of story!) is perfect, and the touching way Donal grieves and then the way he rejoices when he understands that his beloved is, in fact, still alive and their plans are not all forsworn!
There was no excess to this story; just neatly pared to the bones of How and Why and When they fell in love and came together, and the How and Why of their parting and coming together again. While I don't know much (any at all) Gaelic, the context in which the few phrases were used allowed for an easy rough translation -- it was mostly endearments, and you don't need to know *which* one, just that that's what they are.
February 18, 2013
This book was such a great pleasure to read! Set in 1911-1912 Belfast, it recounts the lives of Donal Gallagher and Jimmy Healy both of whom work for Harlan and Wolff, world renowned ship builder.
The writing is superb, often allowing me to "hear" the lilting Irish dialect. The historical details brings the time to life without overburdening the reader with dry, boring facts; everything is woven smoothly into the story's narrative.
Best of all, I enjoyed the sweetly innocent explorations of love between the MCs, watching their relationship grow from strangers to lovers.
A must read! Don't let the historical scare you away!
The writing is superb, often allowing me to "hear" the lilting Irish dialect. The historical details brings the time to life without overburdening the reader with dry, boring facts; everything is woven smoothly into the story's narrative.
Best of all, I enjoyed the sweetly innocent explorations of love between the MCs, watching their relationship grow from strangers to lovers.
A must read! Don't let the historical scare you away!
July 7, 2012
I seem to be finding a lot more good historicals lately and this is yet another one. I am a sucker for this particular story anyway, and this new twist with Donal and Jimmy is something that I really enjoyed. Wonderful storytelling!
February 28, 2012
A very good story. I loved it. It made me cry but ended on a happy note...
July 25, 2016
Absolutely loved it!!!
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