GREAT READS

The Yellow House: A Novel

Patricia Falvey.

An engaging plot (especially if one is interested in the woes of the Irish during the Irish Civil War and the quest for Home Rule). Plausible and enduring characters, along with picturesque images of this island country make this historical novel an absorbing and satisfying read.

Eileen O'Neill's goal is to recover the "yellow house" in which she spent her childhood. The house is lost to her through the political upheaval of the time. Eileen is a fiesty heroine and the reader becomes passionately involved with her quest, both politically and romantically!

It's all here - struggle, disappointment, injustice, joy, romance and a young woman's indomitable resolve to win back her heritage for her family and together make a new future.

A great read for a crisp fall afternoon, or anytime you want entertainment with substance. We learn that living for a dream can sustain us. A second novel by Falvey is to come out in 2011.

Recommended by Ruth Ann Johnson