OUT OF THE BLUE

Author: Gretta Mulrooney ISBN: 9780709084297 12/2007 FICTION Publisher: ROBERT HALE

Liv Callaghan inherits her grandmother's cottage in Ireland. This unexpected legacy offers escape from her paralysed marriage to Douglas, an alcoholic. Liv travels to Cork, to the glen where she spent childhood holidays. There she begins to create a tranquil life which is enhanced by the welcome from relatives and community. Unexpectedly, Liv encounters Aidan, her first love. Twenty years ago he ended their relationship, leaving her in despair. Now he is married, living locally with his family.The novel traces the course of their brief, intense affair and its impact on those around them. The chaos caused by their passion reveals troubling family secrets and leads to the shattering of their hopes for a joint future.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I have read a number of books by Gretta Mulrooney and have always been delighted with the stories she tells. Her writing style is crisp and clear, and the vivid way she describes the settings in her novels makes this reader feel like she's stepped into Ms. Mulrooney's tales. So when I began to read OUT OF THE BLUE, I was excited. I expected to love this story as I had the others. Unfortunately, what I expected was not what I got.

OUT OF THE BLUE is not like any of the other books I've read by this author. While there is the wonderful writing style, vivid images and realistic dialogue Ms. Mulrooney consistently delivers, the story itself is somewhat dark. Gloomy. Almost depressing.

Liv is a librarian married to an alcoholic. From the first Liv appears as a woman who is unable to change the course of her life, almost like a leaf blown about in a breeze. Her grandmother leaves her an unexpected inheritance, a cottage in Ireland, and Liv decides to get away from her husband Doug for a while. At this point I'm hoping she sorts her life out a bit, but when she arrives in Ireland, she runs into an old flame. Instead of being a tale of a woman's journey toward a happier existence, this is a story of an affair.

As I said, the writing itself is excellent, the characters fully developed and the setting is enchanting. I could see the cottage, with its magical well, so clearly I wished I could be there instead of Liv. But, sadly, the story itself left me feeling down. This wasn't my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it won't be someone else's. And I love Gretta Mulrooney's style so I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this talented author.

Kay James