A Few Men Faithful

by Jim Wills

The first of four Kavanagh stories. It sets the stage, defines the Kavanagh family and tells of a troubled land and an equally troubled romance amid war and treachery. Time 1916 to 1924 in Dublin, County Cork and Northern Ireland. Major Easter Rising, Secret War, War of Independence, the Civil War. This last is little known and less explored, especially through the eyes of a soldier on the losing side. The main character, Danny Kavanagh, escapes Dublin in 1916 only to become one of the Twelve Apostles, that squad of executioners Michael Collins used to shut the spying eyes in Dublin Castle. As a soldier he is haunted, nearly driven mad, by what he has done, what he cannot do, yet still hold onto that deathless dream of a united Ireland. He pays the price, finally, as an exile and IRA emissary in North America. Anyone interested in high-speed historical fiction will find A Few Men Faithful to their liking.

314 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2009

About the author

Jim Wills, author of A Hard Gemlike Flame, the fourth of the Kavanagh stories, and the three other chronologically arranged titles in the Kavanagh saga: A Few Men Faithful I, Philly MC II, and Shooter in a Plague YearIII, has had careers as varied as the novels he writes. He has been a motorcycle mechanic, academic, hard rock miner, book editor, commercial writer, baker and an author.
His lifelong interest in Irish history and literature, with all their triumphs and failures, forms the bedrock for these novels. Each one stands on its own, but they are more rewarding read as a continuous history of the Kavanagh family, in Ireland, in North America, from 1916 to 2020. His fascination with dialect, street vocabulary, and musical lyrics that define a place, a culture, and a time are evident throughout.
He lives in rural Ontario with his partner, Wendy Carlson and, betimes, Wendy's daughter, Kate Amies.
Other works by the same author include Tools Are Made, Born Are Hands: Baking True Artisan Breads in a Wood Fired Oven.

Reviews

[Terry M.]

Historical fiction at its best

Loved this book chock full of Irish history and well developed characters to follow through time. Full disclosure, Jim Wills was my cousin. Gone too soon before his time.

[Christoph Fischer]

"A Few Men Faithful" by Jim Wills is the first of the Kavannagh stories, a series of books about the conflict between the Irish and the English. This book is a competent, well balanced and informative work of art.It deals with the establishment of the IRA in addition to the IRB and it focuses on the years before and after the 1921 Treaty that separated the Southern Republic and the Northern Irish part of the UK.
The story revolves around Daniel Kavannagh and his involvement in the fight against the British but it touches the lives of many other fighters and their families, love interests and the clergy. Through this we get a clear picture of the various positions that different parts of the Irish population took in the battle - and the reasons behind them.
There is a preamble to the book in which the extent of the suppression in Ireland is described, a wise choice for any writer of historical fiction, since it relieves the story teller from feeding historical facts through the dialogue of characters who would already know those facts. Instead we learn about the organisation and lack of coordination of the gradually splitting Irish brigades/ army, the dangers they went exposed themselves and their families to, the endless series of assassinations and executions, hunger and civilian life at the times.
As native German I learned a lot from this book but never felt talked down to or taught something. The history could also be seen as the background for the love story between Daniel and Sophia, which runs as parallel story to the political part of it. I personally enjoyed the political part the most for the objective and factual way the conflict was described, particularly the third part of the book when the Irish fighters split over the treaty, which of course bears relevance up to the presence.
This is a great achievement.

[J.J. Toner]

A reasonably convincing historical novel set in a troubled and difficult period of Irish history. The period after the partition treaty when civil war erupted was particularly confusing and much of that confusion is still there to this day. Why did our negotiators, headed up by Michael Collins, agree to the partition of the country? And who ordered the assassination of Collins? The author makes a bold stab at Irish dialogue of the period, although there were times when I felt it slipping into caricature. (I suspect that very few, if any, historical scholars could say with certainty what Irish idiom actually sounded like in that period). The author includes the lyrics of a number of Irish ballads, which I found myself skipping over, impatient to get on with the story. The storyline was convincing and emotionally fraught and woven into the historical record with care and skill that reflected a lot of diligent research. I liked the way the main character, a multiple killer, emerged with his moral centre more or less intact.

[K.P. Kollenborn]

I found this book from a historical fiction group and was intrigued by the premise of the story. It is a treat when one reads a novel that is both saturated with history and the art of story telling. The language is tight. The dialect is so rich that one can hear the Northern Irish tongue echoing inside one’s head. The beginning scene of introducing the three brothers in the mist of war foreshadows the on-going struggles in a violent trend. I greatly enjoyed the weaving of Ireland’s history which influences the Kavanagh’s family decisions to get involved in the IRA with such conviction one feels just as patriotic. Because the novel also reads like a thriller, one doesn't need to be inspired by history to simple enjoy a thorough read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who takes pleasure in solid story.

[Jane Blanchard]

In A Few Men Faithful, Jim Wills perfectly blends details of Ireland during 1916 to 1924 with fiction; such that, you may question whether the main characters are real or fictitious. For those unaware of the troubles in Ireland, this book is an eye-opener. Additionally it is a story of love and loyalty and the strains of civil war.

The story starts with three Kavanagh brothers fighting the English. One is killed; one is captured and jailed; one, Danny, continues to fight. The story centers on Danny’s exploits and their effects on him, his wife and family, and his friends.

Detailed descriptions, fast-paced action, realistic dialogue, and a well-crafted story made it difficult for me to put the book down. Fortunately, this is the first of a series, and I can look forward to the sequels.