Book Review by The Judi Singleton Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Memoirist McKenna's debut novel—a pastoral, feel-good yarn set in 1974 County Derry—concerns two Irish 40-somethings who meet through a newspaper Lonely Hearts column. Both farmer Jamie McCloone and schoolteacher Lydia Devine have suffered the recent death of a loved one. Jamie's traumatic childhood at a sweatshop run by the nuns from hell precipitates his dependence on Valium and whiskey. Lydia, meanwhile, grew up under the oppressive thumb of her now-dead rector father and—at age 40, still a virgin who has never tasted alcohol—decides it's time to live a little. The pair, of course, are grossly mismatched—she prim and buttoned-down, he a rough-edged rustic—which is underscored repeatedly during their lengthy postal courtship. Comic relief comes from Jamie's neighbors, the McFaddens, who do their best to aid Jamie and lift him from his saturnine moods. McKenna—who's written a memoir, My Mother Wore a Yellow Dress—places a few twists in the narrative, saving the most startling until the close. (Mar.)
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Review

"Her portrait of rural life is amusing and affectionate, wittily and winningly detailed..." -- Kirkus

About the Author

Christina McKenna grew up in County Derry, Northern Ireland. She received an honors degree in Fine Art from the Belfast College of Art, and studied postgraduate English at the University of Ulster. The Misremembered Man is her first novel.

Judi Singleton Review

This is wonderful book is really two stories with an unexpected ending. The time is 1976 and the two main characters are two people who are lonely but have nothing else in common.. Jamie is a farmer and a loner.  He was raised in an extremely cruel and sadistic ophanrange in Northern Ireland.     Because of his cruel childhood he is always depressed. He recently lost his adoptive father he calls Uncle Mick, and that adds to his depression.

Lydia is a school teacher who has been sheltered.  She still lives at home and takes care of her mother at age 41.  .The mother is whiny and complaining.  She is scared to death that Lydia will leave her alone in her old age.  .   Lydia's  recently dead father was a stern minister and obsessively protective. Lydia has a institutional depression going on as she does not know how to change things and does not want to abandon her mother.   The second story which is James's growing up years in the orphanage. He was ten  before he was adopted.  He was mentally, physically and sexually abused. These stories of James are hard to bear or even read but they shape who James is today.  This book is beautifully written with a great deal of sensitivity.  One feels for both characters is their loneliness, and their plights. I hightly recommend this book.Judi Singleton owns and operates bejewelu.com where you can dress the whole family for less

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