“Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic. . . these historical chronicles, legends, myths, tall tales and fables, featuring warriors, kings, monks, explorers and clever common folk, imaginatively tell the history of Ireland.” — Philadelphia Inquirer
This New York Times bestselling epic is an unforgettable tour de force that marries the intimate, passionate texture of the Irish spirit with a historical scope that is sweeping and resplendent. Storyteller extraordinaire Frank Delaney takes his readers on a journey through the history of Ireland, stopping along the way to evoke the dramatic events and personalities so critical to shaping the Irish experience.
In the winter of 1951, a storyteller, the last practitioner of an honored, centuries-old tradition, arrives at the home of nine-year-old Ronan O'Mara in the Irish countryside. For three wonderful evenings, the old gentleman enthralls his assembled local audience with narratives of foolish kings, fabled saints, and Ireland's enduring accomplishments before moving on. But these nights change young Ronan forever, setting him on a years-long pursuit of the elusive, itinerant storyteller and the glorious tales that are no less than the saga of his tenacious and extraordinary isle.
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"An interesting combination of Irish folklore/mythology and a simple narrative about the relationships of 2 generations of 1 family. Chapters alternate between the story about a boy and various people telling Irish legends. Most of the interesting family part is revealed in the last chapters; before that, it's mostly the boy obsessively searching for a wandering Storyteller who came to his house when he was young. The story was OK; just enough to make me curious. I read it for the Irish stories, which fascinate me -- this bumped it up from 3 to 4 stars."
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Laura (4 out of 5 stars)