The Book of the Gaels by James Yorkston Blog Tour

 Over the years I have found myself more and more drawn to poetry, and that includes books that use a sort of lyrical prose.

And that's exactly what I got with James Yorkston's books The Book of Gaels.

Rural West Cork, Ireland. Two Kids, Joseph and Paul, and their struggling, poet father, Fraser, are battling grief and poverty. When a letter arrives with a summons to Dublin and the promise of publication, it offers a chink of light – the hope of rescue. But Dublin is a long, wet and hungry way from West Cork in the mid-70s, especially when they have no money - just the clothes they stand up in and an old, battered suitcase.

So begins an almost anti-roadtrip of flipsides and contradictions – dreams and nightmares, promises and disappointments, generosity and meanness, unconditional love and shocking neglect.

This is a novel that takes us on quite a poignant journey.

James' writing style is really what makes this story so special.

His use of lyrical prose makes what the protagonists go through somehow so much more - can you tell I'm finding it hard to put into words. 

Written mainly from the point of view of a grieving child, I was blown away by how beautiful the author made this tale.

Despite the sadness that had to be faced, there was so much to be taken away from this tale.

Great care has been taken with this unassuming adventure and I really enjoyed the use of the father's (Fraser) collection of poems to cement certain meanings and emotions. 

What I felt throughout was a sense of unconditional love and hopefulness. The feeling that there can be more to life after suffering loss.

Touching.

A moving look at a child's view of the world when faced with a need to survive.

I will definitely reading more books from Yorkston in the future.