Let Me Go Mad In My Own Way

When Claire O’Connor’s mother dies, she finally returns to Ireland. In London Claire was a writer and university professor. She had a boyfriend named Tom Morton and a future planned away from the small rural town of her youth. London seemed far enough away from her abusive father and poor sweet mother. At the funeral, Claire receives a mixed welcome. Her brothers and childhood friends are happy to see her, but there is an underlying blame that she abandoned her own mother in her time of need. Afterwards, she returns to London, but things are not the same. Claire falls into a depression and can’t seem to lift herself up as her relationship with Tom falters. Shortly after her father becomes very sick, and most likely out of guilt, Claire returns to arrange his care. With the arrival of the pandemic, Claire finds herself unexpectedly living in Western Ireland again. As family secrets are slowly revealed alongside a brutal Irish history, Claire struggles to get her life back on track. Tom, also a writer, shows up in town searching for her forgiveness while he works on his never-ending novel. Feeney writes with a distinctly Irish cadence that is lyrical, sharp, and full of emotions. This quiet exploration keeps the pages turning. ⭐⭐⭐⭐