Tailorstown Series by Christina McKenna

The Misremembered Man is a beautifully rendered portrait of life in rural Ireland which charms and delights with its authentic characters and gentle humor. This vivid portrayal of the universal search for love brings with it a darker tale, heartbreaking in its poignancy.

It's the summer of 1981. Newly widowed Bessie Halstone is fleeing Belfast with her young son, Herkie. She's wrongly suspected of pocketing ?10,000, the loot from a heist carried out by Packie, her late (and unmourned) husband. Bessie has plans. She longs to make a fresh start. But first she must reach the safety of her sister's home, in County Sligo, to borrow money for the trip. She doesn't make it. Car trouble forces her to sojourn in Tailorstown, a sleepy rural community... moreIt's the summer of 1981. Newly widowed Bessie Halstone is fleeing Belfast with her young son, Herkie. She's wrongly suspected of pocketing ?10,000, the loot from a heist carried out by Packie, her late (and unmourned) husband. Bessie has plans. She longs to make a fresh start. But first she must reach the safety of her sister's home, in County Sligo, to borrow money for the trip. She doesn't make it. Car trouble forces her to sojourn in Tailorstown, a sleepy rural community. Her plans are put on hold as she decides to lay low for a while. She?ll need cash. She finds work as a housekeeper for the handsome but mysterious parish priest. In the meantime, Lorcan Strong, an artist and a native of Tailorstown, is summoned home. With reluctance, he returns to the place where he feels almost a stranger, a town he has long outgrown. A chance meeting with young Herkie Halstone leads Lorcan into the world of the disenchanted Bessie ? and into a grave danger that has pursued them both from Belfast. The Disenchanted Widow is an unforgettable peek into small-town life in Ireland's recent past. It's a glorious successor to McKenna's first ?Tailorstown? novel, The Misremembered Man. less

When Ruby Clare’s father was alive, they happily toiled together on their small dairy farm in Northern Ireland. Since his death seven months ago, Ruby—thirty-three years old, plain, and plump—has become a veritable drudge for Martha, her endlessly critical mother. Then comes the day when Ruby finds her late grandmother’s old suitcase in the attic. Among its strange contents: a slim, handmade volume called The Book of Light... moreWhen Ruby Clare’s father was alive, they happily toiled together on their small dairy farm in Northern Ireland. Since his death seven months ago, Ruby—thirty-three years old, plain, and plump—has become a veritable drudge for Martha, her endlessly critical mother. Then comes the day when Ruby finds her late grandmother’s old suitcase in the attic. Among its strange contents: a slim, handmade volume called The Book of Light.The deeper Ruby delves into its mysterious pages, the more confident she feels. But Martha, convinced that her newly empowered daughter must be possessed, enlists the help of psychiatrist Henry Shevlin. Henry is unflappable on the surface, yet inwardly he’s reeling from his wife’s unexplained disappearance the year before. As Ruby undergoes therapy alongside other local patients, including lonely bachelor farmer Jamie McCloone, all their lives intersect in unexpected ways. And Ruby, alone for so long, finds the courage to connect—with Jamie, with Henry, and with her own loving, indomitable spirit. less