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And no bird sang
Eleanor Ross, a successful career woman, newly widowed after a troubled marriage, decides to take a much-needed rest from her overburdened work schedule as a psychotherapist. She chooses the quiet, idyllic fishing village of Coill as her rural retreat. No previous experience - and she has had many - has prepared Eleanor for what she is about to encounter in this new world - a world of gossip, rumour, innuendo.
The village of Coill is inhabited by a motley crew of interesting characters, who know each other's family histories and secrets and idiosyncrasies. The main focus of attention for all is The Lodge, a guesthouse, owned by the condescending Victoria Laffan who looks after her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
While Victoria is aloof and imposing, Granny Laffan, despite her progressive illness, is a lively, kind-hearted old lady who delights Eleanor. The Lodge, is to be Eleanor's new temporary home. The other guests and staff entertain and intrigue Eleanor too. Nothing is as it seems.
Eleanor uncovers a strange tale of love, betrayal, revenge and murder. Ultimately she learns a harsh personal truth: "It can be dangerous to meddle with the past."
The village of Coill is inhabited by a motley crew of interesting characters, who know each other's family histories and secrets and idiosyncrasies. The main focus of attention for all is The Lodge, a guesthouse, owned by the condescending Victoria Laffan who looks after her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
While Victoria is aloof and imposing, Granny Laffan, despite her progressive illness, is a lively, kind-hearted old lady who delights Eleanor. The Lodge, is to be Eleanor's new temporary home. The other guests and staff entertain and intrigue Eleanor too. Nothing is as it seems.
Eleanor uncovers a strange tale of love, betrayal, revenge and murder. Ultimately she learns a harsh personal truth: "It can be dangerous to meddle with the past."
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Mary McCarthy
4 books1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mary McCarthy (1951-2013) was an Irish novelist from Glasnevin in Dublin, the author of five novels: Remember Me, And No Bird Sang, Crescendo, Shame the Devil and After the Rain with Poolbeg Press.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McC...
Mary McCarthy (1951-2013) was an Irish novelist from Glasnevin in Dublin, the author of five novels: Remember Me, And No Bird Sang, Crescendo, Shame the Devil and After the Rain with Poolbeg Press.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McC...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 20, 2016
I found this on my old bookshelf at my mom's place and I think I read it like 10 years ago, but I completely forgot what it was about so I decided to re-read it.
This book may not be the best book but I just love the atmosphere of it. It's about a woman taking some time off to write a book in a little forest house, isn't that cute? Well, things are getting mysterious and creepy in the dark forest very fast.
This book may not be the best book but I just love the atmosphere of it. It's about a woman taking some time off to write a book in a little forest house, isn't that cute? Well, things are getting mysterious and creepy in the dark forest very fast.
December 29, 2024
First read this book when it was published nearly 30 years ago and I'm afraid to say it seems a bit dated now. Some books easily stand the test of time, others not so much.
Like the previous reviewer I found this book on my old bookshelf in my bedroom at my parents house. I've been rereading a lot of my old books so decided to give this one a go. Funny, I couldnt remember a single thing about it, even while I was reading it, not even the ending. It was like reading a new book - which maybe isnt a good sign.
The book is hard going. The dialogue is extremely stilted. It isnt written in the style of almost all irish womens fiction, or chick lit of the time, which is always free flowing and chatty style. This one, I couldnt even work out what exactly the story was about til near the end.
Eleanor Ross a middle aged widow is the main character. And boy, does middle aged mean middle aged in this book! She must have only been in her 40s - by todays standards she'd still be considered young. Maybe another sign of the book being dated. Anyway Eleanor decides to give up her psychotherapy practice in the outskirts of Dublin, rent out her home and takes off for a 3 month stay in a rural backwater of Coill. The landlady of the b&b is a prim, standoffish woman and her mother resides there too - with obvious signs of dementia. Before long the landlady has roped Eleanor into looking after the old lady in the afternoons and it soon becomes clear there is a big backstory there. Added to this Eleanor soon becomes firm friends with other residents of both the b&b and the village. While out one night who should she meet but her very first teenage romance, Aidan and before long she falls head over heels again. Some of the scenes between the two are just way too stomach churning for me, Mills and Boon eat your heart out.
So the book is almost like two stories intertwined. Her romance with Aidan and the mystery of the goings on in the village.
Overall it's not a bad story but god does the dialogue go on and on.
Like the previous reviewer I found this book on my old bookshelf in my bedroom at my parents house. I've been rereading a lot of my old books so decided to give this one a go. Funny, I couldnt remember a single thing about it, even while I was reading it, not even the ending. It was like reading a new book - which maybe isnt a good sign.
The book is hard going. The dialogue is extremely stilted. It isnt written in the style of almost all irish womens fiction, or chick lit of the time, which is always free flowing and chatty style. This one, I couldnt even work out what exactly the story was about til near the end.
Eleanor Ross a middle aged widow is the main character. And boy, does middle aged mean middle aged in this book! She must have only been in her 40s - by todays standards she'd still be considered young. Maybe another sign of the book being dated. Anyway Eleanor decides to give up her psychotherapy practice in the outskirts of Dublin, rent out her home and takes off for a 3 month stay in a rural backwater of Coill. The landlady of the b&b is a prim, standoffish woman and her mother resides there too - with obvious signs of dementia. Before long the landlady has roped Eleanor into looking after the old lady in the afternoons and it soon becomes clear there is a big backstory there. Added to this Eleanor soon becomes firm friends with other residents of both the b&b and the village. While out one night who should she meet but her very first teenage romance, Aidan and before long she falls head over heels again. Some of the scenes between the two are just way too stomach churning for me, Mills and Boon eat your heart out.
So the book is almost like two stories intertwined. Her romance with Aidan and the mystery of the goings on in the village.
Overall it's not a bad story but god does the dialogue go on and on.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews