The Run of the Country

by Shane Connaughton

After his mother's death, a rebellious Irish teenager runs away from his authoritarian father and roams the country, free of responsibility or authority, until he falls in love and must come to terms with the life he had fled. A first novel.

Genres: Ireland, Irish Literature

247 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[John Benson]

I quite enjoyed this book that I picked up at a library sale. The story is a coming-of-age novel about a young man, never named (though the book jacket calls him Danny), who lives in a rural area of Ireland along the Northern Ireland border. The story takes place on both sides of the border and brings out the issues of both countries well. The boy's mother dies and he finds it hard to continue living with his policeman father. He moves in with his friend, Prunty, who is involved with smuggling across the border. He runs into his father quite often. Later, he meets a young Northern Ireland woman, Annagh Lee and they fall in love. The book is written in an engaging style and captures both the highs and lows of life in this area. The author is a screenwriter, as well, and the book was made into a movie. I have not seen it. I found it to be an enjoyable to book.