From Publishers Weekly
Delaney's meandering novel follows an American priest as he travels along Ireland's Shannon River in search of his family roots, and while it's peace he seeks, trouble has a way of finding him. After witnessing the atrocities of WWI, Father Robert Shannon returns to the United States shell-shocked, and the church eventually sends him to Ireland to restore himself and seek out his origins along the famed Shannon River. Along the way, he gets by through the kindness of strangers and witnesses Ireland's descent into civil war. With leads to his family history few and far between, Robert finds comfort in the home of a nurse he knew while serving as a chaplain during the war in France. Meanwhile, there's a hired killer from the states hot on his tail, and an unknowing Robert could make for a very easy target. The narrative is slow and thoughtful, spiritual though not overbearing and rounded out with a nice vein of intrigue. Though the family roots/hired gun mix may sound bizarre, Delaney handles the disparate thematic elements with a sure hand. (Feb.)
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Review
“A rousing tale of forbidden love, civil war, horrible death and other things Irish. …A fine adventure in storytelling…[and] a well-crafted, satisfying work of historical fiction, as are all of Delaney’s novels; respectful of the facts while not cowed by them, and full of life.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A tale of personal healing and spiritual redemption against the Irish Civil war…Delaney takes great pains to evoke not only the physical but spiritual beauty of the land and people along the River Shannon. He provides incredibly researched details about not only the geological nature of a river winding its way to the sea but the mystical effect this simple body of water has had on its residents for millennia [and] provides timely insights about the raw, damaged output of war and the far-reaching impact it can have…This book is almost impossible to put down and provides a very satisfying, and maybe even surprising, conclusion to all the different storylines.”— Midwest Irish Focus
“Thoughtful, spiritual though not overbearing, and rounded out with a nice vein of intrigue.” — Publishers Weekly
From the Hardcover edition.