Shannon: A Novel of Ireland

Shannon: A Novel of Ireland – by Frank Delaney

Yes, this book is definitely a ‘novel of Ireland’ as its title implies.  The same is true with the one other book that I have read by this author titled (obviously) ‘Ireland’.  It’s apparent that author Frank Delaney has a soft spot in his heart for this country, and this is actually an advantage to the reader since Delaney makes it so easy for us to virtually travel to the fabled Emerald Isle and bask in its many descriptive beauties.  We fall in love with the country even though we may have never actually traveled there.

The year is 1922 and our focus is an American traveling abroad; a priest named Robert Shannon.  Father Shannon was a chaplain during World War I and, like many, he physically survived, but his psyche became permanently damaged with PTSD, or what was then termed “Shell Shock”.  His monsignor in Boston suggests a trip to Shannon’s native Ireland in search of his family history.  This, the monsignor believes, just might start the young priest on a load road to recovery.

Since the time is 1922, customs allow the elder priest to dictate several letters to the people in places in Ireland where Father Shannon will eventually journey.  This means that folks will be on the lookout for a wandering American and be able to open their doors and their hearts to aid the priest in his healing process.  The location for most of the travels in Ireland is up the Shannon river, which may or may not be named after the same namesake as the young priest. But, it’s as good a start as anywhere.  So Father Shannon begins his journey, and as he meets a slew of strangers, the majority are incredibly hospitable and allow Father Shannon to stay and eat with them as long as he would like.  This seems a fitting way to treat of man of God, after all.

The journey isn’t always pleasant.  There’s a civil war going on in Ireland, and although we read about small snippets of encounters, the bigger war is still going on in Father Shannon’s mind and in his soul.  It’s a very long healing process, and who knows if he can ever be completely healed.  Fortunately (and I hate to use that word) the great war had killed and maimed millions across Europe, so a case of ‘shell shock’ isn’t really much of an abnormality for the masses that Father Shannon meets along his travels.

There’s a bit more to the story as well.  It seems as though there’s a bit of an ulterior motive for the Boston Diocese for sending young Father Shannon out of the country.  I won’t get into the particulars, but the subplot actually helped the overall story.  After all, as beautiful as 1920’s Ireland is, there does need to be a bit more substance if a reader is going to stay interested throughout several hundred pages.

I thought this was a very rich and beautiful novel.  Had the story been changed with different events that would allow the tale to be told in ‘modern’ times, I’m not sure it would have worked.  Although I’ve never visited Ireland, I can’t believe that in today’s world, many would open their doors to a stranger from another continent, even if he was a man of the cloth.  To my knowledge, most if not all of the late Frank Delaney’s books take place, in some form, in the country of Ireland.  If that’s the case, I’m perfectly fine with it.  It’s always nice to find an author that has a slightly different niche that helps them stand out among their peers.  Taking the reader on a virtual journey to a beautiful foreign country worked out very well for me.  I thank the author for the magnificent trip.