Rooms of Dust: The Search for My Father

by Sarah Pat O'Brien

Sarah Pat O'Brien's father walks out of her life when she is seven years old. All that remain are dreams of where he might be and when he will return to rescue the family from the poverty, disease, and discrimination they suffer. But he doesn't come back; and with the promise of a better life, they leave Dublin for England, like so many in the 1950s. Years on, when Sarah Pat has children of her own, her shadowy memories drive her to trace her father. A long and painful search reveals he was a soldier, a boxer, a poet, and a bigamist. New life, new wife, new son. Who was the real Patrick O'Brien—philanderer, liar, and bully, or loving, sophisticated, indulgent father? Looking through the eyes of a child bewildered and betrayed, Sarah Pat O'Brien tells the story of her quest for her father—and for herself.

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first section of this book. Patty O'Brien writes of her impoverished childhood in Dublin, abandoned by her cad of a father, but sustained by the love of her extended family. I found the second part a more difficult read, with the impact of this early rejection, exacerbated by her inability to form a meaningful relationship with her half-brother, impacting greatly upon the adullt Sarah Pat.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read how though life was growing up in Dublin and how important family is.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. A very easy book to read as it was so well written. Thank you Sarah for sharing your life with us.