AN IRISH COUNTRY GIRL

Taylor’s novel starts slowly as Maureen Kincaid tells a group of children a ghost story. As the story she tells sparks memories of her youth, Terry Donnelly's reading gradually enchants listeners as much as it does Maureen's fictional audience. Donnelly’s Irish brogue creates a strong sense of place. He’s especially good at emphasizing emotion: the warmth with which the woman who once dreamed of teaching tells her tale, the worry with which she first greets her psychic gift, or the sadness with which she remembers her late husband. Nostalgia, the lost dreams of youth, and a mystical world of spirits combine to keep listeners spellbound. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2010]