Ahoy for Joy

by Keith Reilly

For Belfast teenager, Michael Colgan, words haven’t always come easily. However this changes after he meets Anna, a Dutch schoolgirl, on holiday. During their romantic, care-free, pen-pal exchanges, full of tales of the present and hopes for the future, Michael gives no clue of his true life, at a time when the ‘troubles’ dominated Northern Ireland.

Anna is enchanted by Michael and his words, which include poems painting beautiful visions of idealistic Irish life as well as stories describing the warmth and humour of the people surrounding him.

What Michael doesn’t write about is the trauma he experiences, which leaves him all but invisible to his peers, silently suffering as the conflict rages around him. Little does he know the profound effect that his words will have on others…

264 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2014

About the author

Born in Belfast in 1962, Keith Reilly left to travel the world at 18, exploring Europe, India and South East Asia and meeting Dutch wife, Maryke, en route. Today they live in Dorset and have two grown up children. Keith focused on his career and became managing director of an international electronics firm. However, his creative side could not be ignored. Over the years he has published a number of artworks of Belfast and other cities, but more recently has turned to words for creative expression, from which emerged his debut novel, Ahoy for Joy.

Reviews

[Gela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have to come back and write a review about this book. This book is beautiful. And for a writer to be able to take something tragic and turn it into something beautiful is beyond me. It reads like a classic. It's... I don't know, I'm lost at words but it's a 5 plus star. I look forward to reading more by this author. I hope Ahoy for Joy gets the recognition it deserves.

[Rachel Bustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahoy For Joy is 'An inspiring tale of love, loss and forgiveness'. Readers are given this quote on the cover, and sums up the book perfectly. The cover is an illustration from an oil painting by the author, Keith Reilly. I think it's a beautiful touch and well fitting with the novel.

The story focuses on Michael Colgan, a quiet teenager with little words from Belfast who meets Anna, a Dutch schoolgirl on holiday with the Boys Brigade in Morecambe in 1978. Their chance encounter starts a romantic pen-pal relationship full of poems and tales of life for Anna in Holland. Michael doesn't let on to Anna about the 'troubles' that are happening all around him in Northern Ireland at that time.

What made me like the story is how the author's style of writing is so beautiful and very descriptive of the surroundings, in particular Belfast. I love how the Titanic gets a mention as well, for being built there. Little details like this makes it seem so real and believable.

The story was a bit slow for me to start with, and I must admit that the first few pages took a lot of work for me to get into the story, but I am so pleased I kept on persevering. I understand now that it was building to something that really shocked me halfway through. Days later after finishing it I still find my thoughts go back to those few pages. I did wander how the author would follow through with the story after that shock. It seemed to change into a direction, but for the better. I enjoyed the second half very much.

I was eager to find out why the book was called Ahoy For Joy and you will find that all out near the end of the book, I don't want to spoil that for you, it's very special.

If you are looking for an emotional, beautiful love story which is very well written and descriptive, this debut novel is the one for you. I have shed a few tears, laughed and smiled along the way.

It is a book that will stay with me for a while, and one I would love to read again one day.

I want to say a big thanks to the author for giving me this book to read, and these were my own honest views.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the type of story that I would normally read. As a southern Irishman it is hard to read anything about "the Northern Ireland troubles" without all sorts of feelings being stirred. So when out of the blue, the author of this book contacted me through the Goodreads website, and asked me if I would read and review Ahoy for Joy, my initial instinct was to politely decline the request. I just didn't think I could stomach reading another book by someone from one side or the other of the Religious divide there, telling me why his cause justified the bigotry and sectarianism and hatred that epitomised society in that troubled statelet a mere sixty five miles up the motorway from where I live. However, having read the introduction to the book, it seemed to me that the author was approaching this often written about subject from a different angle and that there was the prospect of a good story. I am glad I decided to read it.

The story opens at a seaside resort in England where a group of young Northern Irish boys are attending their annual Boys Brigade camp. Michael Colgan is quiet, shy, withdrawn, and totally uncomfortable in the company of his fellow Boy's Brigade members. He is away from home and the only comfort he knows, his mother. Michael is a damaged child, severely traumatised by an event that occurred when he was much younger, an event from which he has not recovered. The daily terrors of the camp are made more bearable for Michael , by the chance encounter with a young Dutch girl Anna who is camping in the same field with her brother and some friends. This all too brief meeting of these two young people leads to a pen-friendship which blossoms and grows and holds out the promise of a loving relationship. To tell you anything else about what follows, would spoil the story. Suffice to say that I was torn between savoring the author's beautiful descriptive writing and wanting to get to the end of the book to find out how things turned out.

I loved this book. Yes it horrified me at times, yes it took my breath away and reduced me to tears at times, but if this was the price I had to pay in order to get to know these two children who were so full of love despite the evil forces that were lining up against them, then it was a price worth paying. The characters and situations are so well drawn that I wonder if there isn't an auto-biographical aspect to this book. The author clearly knows his subject intimately, and has written this novel with such impartiality that apart from the Boys Brigade clue, I was never sure about which side of the “divide” he came from himself. No mean feat when writing about a place and a people where sides are so important.

This is a story that does offer an insight into the mindsets that have prolonged this tragic conflict for way too long now. It also offers a glimmer of hope for the future of this troubled part of Ireland. That hope is to be found through one thing, and one thing only, forgiveness.

[Anne Mackle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The opening chapters of the book shows us Michael as a young boy from Belfast camping in Morecambe with the Boy's Brigade.
I found myself really liking Michael. He was a young boy during the troubled times in Belfast and had been affected so badly that he couldn't relate to any of his peers,until he met a Dutch girl called Anna. They met while he was camping with the Boy's Brigade in Morecambe and fate would have it that her and her friends were leaving the very next day. Michael manages to get a note to her with his address and a correspondence between the two young people begins.
Halfway through the book something happens which I was not prepared for and I had no idea how the author was going to handle the rest of the book. He handled it brilliantly and the book had a good ending.
That's as much as I'm prepared to tell you I want the rest of it to surprise you as much as it did me.
I must admit I cried a few times towards the middle and definitely at the end of the story and today as I write about it I can feel the tears pricking my eyes.
This book is not my usual read but I'm so glad I read it.

Ahoy For Joy is a love story. It tells how two young people who through one quick meeting can have a profound effect on each others lives.
I love the author's style of writing it is almost poetic. The descriptions of Belfast added to the atmosphere of the book. There is a paragraph near the beginning that really touched me and I'd like to share it.
" The little words of encouragement that people receive from time to time. The little comments that make us feel okay about ourselves and our decisions sometimes come from unexpected sources. Life can be like that, just when we doubt ourselves the most,when our fears have invaded our consciousness,when our limitations seem to have been breached and our thoughts are at their lowest ebb,a little light shines."

Reading on the plane to Belfast where the book is set.
How very true.
I loved it and highly recommend it.

[Sally Boocock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was beautifully written in places.The descriptions really made me feel I was there. I loved the first part of the book about Michael and his meeting with Anna in Morecambe but without giving anything away after that I felt it was almost two books in one.I didn't really enjoy the second half of the book as it didn't seem to ring true. There are some stunning descriptions of the scenery in and around Belfast and I appreciate trying to bring the Irish way of life to life but unfortunately for me it didn't work within the context of the book.
I really appreciate the chance to be given to read it.

[Beth Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book, and I am so touched by it. I have felt many emotions while reading, from sadness to anger to joy. To me, that is the mark of a good writer. A chance encounter changes a young man, and in turn, changes others. The poetry is so beautiful, and I don't generally like reading poems. Sadly, I know little about the troubles in Belfast except some vaguely remembered news reports on TV, and while there is so much more to this novel than that, I appreciate the prompting to make me learn more. This book is wonderfully written. Read it and prepare to be touched in so many ways. Read through the sadness; it is worth the journey.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Set in Ireland during the times of the Irish 'Troubles' it follows the story of teenage Michael and a dutch teenager Anna who he meets in England on a Boys Brigade camp. The story has many shocking revelations. At one point in the book, I didn't see how the story could continue.

The characters are so real you could touch them, it feels like you actually know them. The story has great depth, grit and is vividly realistic.

I loved this book, I cried reading this book. This book evoked so many emotions it was simply amazing.

[Jackie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual kind of book but the author contacted me via Goodreads as I'd read some of similar genre.
I'm glad he did because this book is a hidden gem, it's essentially a love story but also so much more.

Set around real life events of Ireland's 'Troubles' its sad but inspiring at the same time. Very well written and the kind of story that stays with you long after the book is finished.

[Sahil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway.

Keith has done a brilliant job with this book. Beautifully written prose, carefully developed characters and a brilliant way of expression, this book has it all. It is perhaps one of the most mature works of modern literature that I've read so far!

I'd definitely recommend this book to my friends!

[Jarad Sergent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank the author for reaching out to me and recommending this book. It was a beautiful love story. The descriptive writing is on point! I was surprised a few times, the story is incredibly sad and I shed a few years in the middle and a few more in the end. Overall though, two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen year old Michael Colgan is on a Boy’s Brigade camping holiday to the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe when he meets Anna, a young Dutch girl. Their meeting is brief but powerful and leaves such a profound impression, that their relationship, such as it is, continues by letter when Michael returns home to Belfast and Anna returns to Pijpersbos, in the Netherlands. However, Michael returns to the Belfast of the 1970’s, when the troubles were vicious and sectarian hatred flourished in dark corners. Anna’s life in an affluent Dutch suburb is, by comparison, the light to Michael’s darkness.

After a slow beginning, the story picks up and starts to flow quite well, although there are times when the narrative meanders a little too much and would have, perhaps, benefited from a tighter edit. However, there are some nice descriptive touches which capture time and place really well. The emotional impact of the story is dramatic without being over sensational and which nicely captures both the pain of lost love and the emotional pull of separation. The first part of the story is particularly well done and the troubles in Northern Ireland are written with a compassionate eye for detail by someone who clearly knows and understands this uneasy period in Irish history. I felt that Anna’s story, in part two, lacked energy but was written with thoughtful consideration and succeeds in bringing the story to a sensitive conclusion.

Ahoy for Joy is a tender and rather sad story about first love and lost love and of the memories we cherish in our hearts, and which the passage of time can never dim.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author, who asked me to read it and write a review. This is the story of an Irish boy, Michael, and a Dutch girl, Anna, who meet by chance in England, where he is at a church-based camp and she's on a holiday with her brother and some friends. The two meet only briefly, but Michael writes a poem to Anna and asks her to write to him when she gets home. Over the next year and a half the two exchange letters, and fall in love with each other. Then Michael's letters stop coming.
The first part of the story focuses mostly on Michael, what it was like growing up in Northern Ireland which was torn by fighting between Protestants and Catholics. It also explains why Michael stopped writing to Anna.
The second half of the book is about Anna, her life growing up in Holland, and how she comes to find out about why Michael stopped writing to her.
I loved the story, cried in a few places, thought the ending was great. I have to admit that throughout the story I didn't understand the title of the book. The meaning isn't revealed until the last few pages. My only complaint about the book is a minor thing, but if you're a grammar Nazi like me, proceed with caution. The book needed a more critical eye during editing. But overall, I liked this book.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed and beautifully written poetic account of a love story between 2 young people. Michael is a teenager living in Belfast at the time of "the troubles" who meets Dutch girl Anna at a Boys Brigade camp. They correspond after returning home with the letters becoming a window into a innocent but intense love story.
I loved this book and took my time reading it to appreciate all the information that must have taken plenty of research. The author has obviously written about what he knows and this shows with the confident writing about Belfast and the troubles in the seventies. He is obviously a similar age to myself and I found myself smiling at childhood memories of my own that I had forgotten. His descriptions of The Netherlands are spot on (my mum and stepdad are Dutch) and I liked the way he mirrored Northern Ireland with the struggles Holland had during the second world war as these had affected both families history.
I preferred the first half of the book due to a twist that happened about half way through but would certainly recommend this book to fans of The Letter.
Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy of this book.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Keith - I was pleasantly surprised by your story. From looking at the title and front cover I was not sure this was a book for me. However the story centres around a 16 year old boy Michael Coghlan and the troubles in Northern Island. It is basically a love story with a twist and the plot develops over a 30 year timescale. The final twist is not revealed until the very last page when "Ahoy for Joy" is explained. It is a very satisfying ending leaving a "feel- good factor". I have given four stars - firstly because I was disappointed that Anna the main character , highly intelligent, educated and articulate became a "housewife" and lived her life through her husband! Secondly I felt some of the descriptions could have benefited from a further review as there seemed to be some over long sentences with many clauses and sub -clauses which gave a rambling feel. A good summer read - worth a look.

[Linda Ste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a prize from the Goodreads site and thought being a first novel written that it may not be much to be excited about. How wrong I was. I quickly realised this was one of those novels that I want to share with everyone but am scared it won't come back after lending it out. I'm going to write my name all over the cover to make sure it makes it's way back to live on my bookshelf for a happily ever after.

The characters are very real, the pictures created are vivid and although the story is often tragic it is also a story of hope and one that shows the tenacity of mankind.

I can't wait for the next book written by this talented new author!

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by Keith Reilly and at age 18 he left Belfast to explore the world where he met his wife. Ahoy for Joy is his debut novel. This is an inspiring book about love. loss, and forgiveness. Belfast has always had it's troubles and conflicts which can make for a difficult life. I enjoyed this book every much. I never knew about Ireland before.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me feel. It was beautifully written, and worth the two days I spent reading it. Pft, sleep? Who needs it! I recommend this to everyone, anyone!!

I was fortunate enough to win a free copy from goodreads in exchange for my honest review

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book by a Belfast-born author who writes evocatively about love, tragedy, and hope during troubled times.

[Jean Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was slow getting started but I enjoyed reading about the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the '70s and 80s. Very sweet ending.

[Yvonne Guérineau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story took me on a powerful journey of emotions. I swung between anger and sadness, relief and hope.

[Paula Sealey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy for Joy follows 16 year old Michael. Having suffered a trauma in his childhood, he is a quiet, but thoughtful young boy. On an outing with the Boy's Brigade, he meets Anna, a young Dutch girl on holiday. Although their meeting was brief, Michael decides he really likes her, and when she returns to Holland, they begin a friendship via letters. The letters to Anna stop suddenly, and it is not until many years later that she starts on a journey to find out why.

I enjoyed parts of this story and it started strongly, but it lacked a little cohesion in places. Michael's story was touching, but his initial meeting with Anna felt a little rushed, and I was waiting for something else to happen between them that would explain the strength of feeling they seemed to gain for each other. I must admit to drifting off somewhat in the last section concerning Anna, as it was a little overlong.

There is the basis for a really good story here and lovely writing in parts, I just feel it needs some heavy editing to condense the story and remove some over descriptive sections.

*Thank you to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.