An Irish Country Christmas

Sometimes when we go to the library I decide to take a step outside my “comfort zone.”  For me, that comfort zone is re-reading books or authors I’ve already read at some point in my far and distant past and reconnecting with whatever the book made me feel way back when.  Reading is a pleasure thing and I do it to relax, to unwind and settle my mind down for sleep.  I only read books in bed and the last thing I want then is some tense and scary horror scene floating around waiting for my REM sleep to begin.  My brain creates enough of its own nightmares, thank you very much, without adding some writer’s grue to the mix.  Safe, thoughtful, silly, theological, mysterious – those things bring me peace.  Horror fiction – not so much.  True crime, now that’s another thing.  But I digress.

I wanted to tell you about a wonderful book I found last time I was at the library.  I grabbed it because I wanted something in addition to the books already in my tote bag, greedy brat that I am, and the title intrigued me.  “An Irish Country Christmas” by Patrick Taylor.  Turns out the book is actually 3rd in a series but I didn’t know that, and never realized I’d “missed” anything by not reading the other 2 first.  I do know that I will be getting the other 2 next time I go to the library, and if they don’t have them, I’ll be putting in a special request. 

“An Irish Country Christmas” is about – oddly enough – 2 Irish country General Practitioners in rural mid-1960’s Ireland.  What I loved about it was the settled-in feeling of life in a small country place, the kind of place I’ve always thought might be cool to live in.  Everyone knows everyone else, and the locals all seem to have some kind of quirk or eccentricity.  Doctors made house calls and treated their patients, not just illnesses.  You could stop at the pub and run into someone you knew.  Kids were free to run around outside and play with their friends without that fear we have today of them being snatched by a molesting stranger.  Life was simpler and yet somehow richer, I think.  In a weird way, I miss it, even though I’ve never lived it. 

This book brought all that to life for me, and at times made me laugh out loud.  I actually had to stop and read a scene to Darc the other night, and he laughed too.  And being Darc, he could mimic the brogue much better than I can.    I know that when I’m able to, I’ll be buying not just this book, but the others in the series as well.  Lucky me, I can read the same book several times and not get bored.  Same with movies.  Some say it’s because my memory is so bad, but I try to have a more positive perspective.       

I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something fun to read.  It’s entertaining, humorous, and you might even learn a new word or two.