Readers of Patrick Taylor’s books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. She is a trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, and it often seems as though Kinky has always been there.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Some forty-odd years before and many miles to the south, the girl who would someday be Kinky Kincaid was Maureen O’Hanlon, a farmer’s daughter growing up in the emerald hills and glens of County Cork. A precocious girl on the cusp of womanhood, Maureen has a head full of dreams, a heart open to romance, and something more: a gift for seeing beyond the ordinary into the mystic realm of fairies, spirits, and even the dreaded Banshee, whose terrifying wail she first hears on a snowy night in 1922. . . .
As she grows into a young woman, Maureen finds herself torn between love and her fondest aspirations, for the future is a mystery even for one blessed with the sight. Encountering both joy and sorrow, Maureen at last finds herself on the road to Ballybucklebo---and the strong and compassionate woman she was always destined to become.
An Irish Country Girl is another captivating tale by Patrick Taylor, a true Irish storyteller.
An Irish Country Girl: A Novel (Irish Country Books)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Taylor (An Irish Country Doctor; etc.) continues his charm streak with this latest dip into Ballybucklebo, Ireland, spinning out the story of Kinky Kincaid. Known to series readers as the housekeeper for the town's two doctors (the protagonists of earlier books), Kinky takes her turn at center stage beginning on Christmas Day as she recounts the story of the St. Stephen's Day ghost to the village children. The story is set in her own childhood in County Cork, where Kinky, then Maureen O'Hanlon, develops the ability to see the future. As the older Kinky unspools a tale of dark fairies, a young Maureen navigates the complicated road from girlhood to adulthood, culminating with a tough decision whether to follow her heart or her career aspirations. Taylor, like Kinky, is a bangup storyteller who captivates and entertains from the first word. With its melodic language, compelling characters, and folklore-rich plot, this installment can stand on its own, though it's best enjoyed in the company of its predecessors. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Taylor, like Kinky, is a bangup storyteller who captivates and entertains from the first word."--Publishers Weekly on An Irish Country Girl
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Patrick Taylor, M.D., was born and raised in Bangor County Down in Northern Ireland. After qualifying as a specialist in 1969, Dr. Taylor worked in Canada for thirty-one years. He now divides his time between Canada and Ireland. www.patricktaylor.ca
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Getting to know Kinky better,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: An Irish Country Girl: A Novel (Irish Country Books) (Hardcover)
'An Irish Country Girl' is the 4th book in Patrick Taylor's "Irish Country" series. I strongly recommend reading the first three books first. 'An Irish Country Doctor', 'An Irish Country Village', and 'An Irish Country Christmas', in that order. You should really get to know Kinky Kincaid (the doctor's housekeeper) as the woman she is today, before taking this pause in the stories of Dr. O'Reilly and Dr. Laverty's adventures and misadventures as country doctors back in 1960's Ireland. 'An Irish Country Girl' takes a step away from the doctor's, and gives us the charming tale of Kinky's girlhood, growing up in County Cork before moving to upland County Ulster and settling into Ballybuckleboo. A few questions are answered here, especially Kinky's ability to be fey at times.As Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Caitlin "Kitty" O'Hallorhan, and young Dr. Barry Laverty make their way out of the house on Christmas day to Ballybuckleboo House for the marquis' Christmas Day Open House, housekeeper Kinky Kincaid welcomes the visiting children with hot black current juice and sweet mince pies ... and the promise of a tale of ghosts and spirits. Therefore, Kinky begins, with a tale from her own youth. She tells of Conner MacTaggart, and how he cuts down a Blackthorn tree, even after being warned by Kinky's mother that the "Doov Shee", or dark fairies, live under Blackthorns. Kinky, known as Maureen back then, knew her older sister Fidelma, was sweet on Conner and planning to marry him. The story isn't a happy one, as Conner angers the Doov Shee and the Queen of the Doov Shee takes her revenge. The children leave satisfied at Kinky's tale, but as Kinky continues to prepare the doctor's Christmas dinner, her thoughts continue to wander back to the time of her girlhood, Fidelma's loss of Conner, and how Kinky met her own young husband Paudeen. It was great to get to know Kinky better, but as I said you'll want to introduce yourself to her in the first books. It's better to know where she is now first, before getting acquainted with her as a girl. There's a lot to the tale, and the book is a fast read just as the previous 'Irish Country' books are. There was a little slowing at the end, drawing out the finale, but that would be the only grouse over the story. Taylor has the ability to absorb you into his world, take you all the way to Ireland and really feel what it was like for Kinky during that timeframe in a sometimes volatile place. Reading about Kinky made me feel young again too! Taylor is a talented and knowledgeable writer, speeding you through the pages with fully fleshed characters that you find yourself caring a great deal about. Included in the back of the book are some of Kinky's recipes and a glossary of the Irish terms used in the book. Now I can't wait for the next book, and get back to Dr's O'Reilly and Laverty with their busy medical practice and budding romances. Thank you, Mr. Taylor, for another great installment in 'Irish Country'.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fun cozy,
This review is from: An Irish Country Girl: A Novel (Irish Country Books) (Hardcover)
In Ballybucklebo, Ireland, Kinky Kincaid serves as housekeeper to small village's two doctors (Dr. Barry Laverty and Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly). On Christmas Day, Kinky turns storyteller as she spins a spellbinder to the children with the tale of the St. Stephen's Day ghost.When she was a child the age of her audience, Kinky was known as Maureen O'Hanlon. She had the unique skill of seeing the future. As Kinky tells about dark fairies to enraptured fans, back then Maureen must choose between her heart and her career. The latest Ballybucklebo Irish County cozy (see An Irish Country Christmas, An Irish Country Doctor and An Irish Country Village) is another superb tale with a neat twist as the previous support player housekeeper takes the lead effortlessly. The story line has two key plots one of which is Kinky's past when she had to make up her mind and choose one of two roads and the present when she tells the ghost tale. Fans will relish this terrific twist as Kinky proves to be a superb storyteller as the top banana title lead character. Harriet Klausner
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
KINKY TAKES THE LEAD IN THIS ONE!,
This review is from: An Irish Country Girl: A Novel (Audio CD)
Narrator Terry Donnelly is a deft voice performer who easily segues between accents from American to English to Irish. And when her text calls for Irish her voice is as authentically Irish as it can be. Her accent is true, crisp, and her voice is often lyrical as she switches to different characters by changing pitch. Thus, her reading of the fourth in Patrick Taylor's Irish Country series is a delight.With AN IRISH COUNTRY GIRL we learn more about a favorite character, Kinky Kincaid, housekeeper for Drs. Laverty and O'Reilly. We have come to know her as reliable, resourceful, and almost as if she had always tended to the doctors, Not so we learn as Kinky takes us back in her memory to when she was Maureen O'Hanlon, the young daughter of a farmer in County Cork. She was an unusual girl in many ways, but most certainly due to her gift of being able to see what others could not - the mystical world of fairies, spirits, and (shiver) the Banshee. Kinky is reminded of her girlhood when children come to visit on Christmas and are rewarded not only with sweet treats but also a tale of spirits - a true one. It is the story of Conner MacTaggart who chopped down a Blackthorn tree despite being warned that dark fairies live underneath it and will surely avenge themselves. That is precisely what they do, which is sad news for Maureen's older sister who wanted to marry Conner. From this reminiscence Maureen who is now Kinky remembers how she met her own husband. Fans of this series will enjoy the opportunity to know more about Kinky and how she came to Ballybucklebo. Enjoy! - Gail Cooke
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
So You'd Like to...
|
|
