Shannon
A Novel of Ireland
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4.3 • 24 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In the summer of 1922, Robert Shannon, a Marine chaplain and a young American hero of the Great War, lands in Ireland. He still suffers from shell shock, and his mentor hopes that a journey Robert had always wanted to make—to find his family roots along the banks of the River Shannon—will restore his equilibrium and his vocation. But there is more to the story: On his return from the war, Robert had witnessed startling corruption in the Archdiocese of Boston. He has been sent to Ireland to secure his silence—permanently. As Robert faces the dangers of a strife-torn Ireland roiling in civil war, the nation’s myths and people, its beliefs and traditions, unfurl healingly before him. And the River Shannon gives comfort to the young man who is inspired by the words of his mentor: “Find your soul and you’ll live.”
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.
Customer Reviews
Another great novel
Having read Delaney's "Ireland" with relish, I was excited to devour another of his Irish tales and "Shannon" did not disappoint. His mastery of storytelling shines through in this touching tale of exploration and self discovery in post-WWI Ireland. Not only a scholar of Irish literature, Delaney is also one of Ireland's literary treasures in his own right. I look forward to reading the remainder of his published works and highly recommend this and "Ireland" both.