Lyrical and poetic (would you expect anything less from a Canadian poetess?), this novel is lush with prose and story, chronicling the personal, invward journey of a woman who moves _closer_ to who she is, not away. However, she does pull from those around her in order to do this and involves many other characters in her life who are touched by her "absence." If you enjoy the rich prose in "The Shipping News," give this one a try.

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A beautifully written book, much of which is very poetic/lyrical and mythical although the story changes as it moves to another generation and has more of a political tone, while continuing the same saga with the similar swept away theme. I found that reading about the Irish Potato Famine and the Fenians at wikipedia.org and D'Arcy McKee helped me understand the Irish and Canadian history which is a backdrop of the book. I highly recommend it - it's one of the best written novels I've read in years.

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Loved this book - magical realism and a great look at Irish history.

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