For review of all books in this series: Go here.
Stars: 4 / 5
Recommendation: Another pleasant story into the lives of two Irish Country Doctors, making their mark in the lives of the village people while taking care of them. An easy read, pleasant with less dangers however, weaved with surprises in handling various human nature, entertaining the readers thoroughly.
An Irish Country Christmas is the third book in the historical fiction, Irish Country Series, written by Patrick Taylor first published in November of 2008. The plot begins five months after the second book, An Irish Country Village ends, during the winter of 1964.
The series is set in the fictional village, Ballybucklebo, in rural Northern Island, in the 1960s. It follows the life and adventures of the novice doctor, Dr. Barry Laverty, and his partner and boss, Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly as they continue to take care of all patients in Ballybucklebo and little villages around. In the process Laverty learns more about life, love and what it means to belong to a community.
All seems to be going well for Dr. Laverty as Dr. O’Reilly’s apprentice and potential prospect of becoming his partner in near future. The days are coming closer to Christmas and the winter in Ballybucklebo is getting harsher by every day. Yet, the thought of his love, Patricia Spence, coming home for Christmas keeps Dr. Laverty warm until he learns that she may not come home for Christmas. While dealing with his heartache he also takes care of his patients diligently. But a new doctor arrives in the next town adding to their competition.
Patrick weaves another pleasant tale around this fictional village and it’s inhabitants. He has Dr. Laverty dealing with his heartache ad love life while attending to the patients in the bitter and harsh winter. While he is showing how much Dr. O’Reilly is enjoying his new courtship with someone he lost 20 yrs ago. But the rest of the Ballybuklebo moves on while braving the harsh winter.
It is so easy to fall in love with the village and people, for they resemble your everyday life; people who you might have come across daily; or incidents from your very own life. The author uses plenty of Ulster language weaved in with regular Irish / British English. With the glossary he provides at the end of the book, explains several of the Ulster dialect, it’s phrases and idioms. He also weaves some idioms and phrases from Irish English as well within.
Patrick’s love for literature and entertainment continues in this book as well where the doctors exchange healthy banter quoting lines from poems, novels and movies, referencing TV Shows, at every turn of the page. He mentions about C.S. Lewis staying at The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn but is it true or fiction? Something for the readers to ponder about. He also pours in tit bits about India and its heritage through his characters. Did he spend time in India? Hmm.
Hidden behind that humor, he shows how the two doctors address anything that come their way – dealing with a competing doctor who is patient poaching and also to deal with his patients when they come back to the two doctors for further treatment; how Dr. O’Reilly fights his past to stay in present; being part of the Christmas pageant and the Rugby Club parties and solving the day to day troubles involving them; author even shows that the Catholics and Protestants get along for Christmas which is very unusual in a normal world.
This book however, is plain history mingled with life’s truths, set in a time when modern medicine and technology progress was just beginning. As with the last book, Patrick included Ulster Christmas Recipes at the end of this book – Sweet Mince, Brandy Butter, Christmas Cake, Royal Icing, Marzipan, Icing the Cake, Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce. I am not a baker else would have tried to make at least the cake. 😛
Another pleasant story into the lives of two Irish Country Doctors, making their mark in the lives of the village people while taking care of them. An easy read, pleasant with less dangers however, weaved with surprises in handling various human nature, entertaining the readers thoroughly.
Spoiler Alerts:
Plot Reveals:
- Patricia Spence finally comes back to Christmas at the end of the plot putting end to Dr. Laverty’s heart miseries.
Sub-Plots:
- Dr. O’Reilly’s family – Mrs. “Kinky” Kincaid, the housekeeper; Arthur Guinness, his very enthusiastic dog; Sister Caitlin “Kitty” O’Hallorhan, his romantic interest; Diedre, his wife whom he lost to war 23 years ago.
- Dr. Barry’s friends and family – Tom Laverty, his father who served with Dr. O’Reilly; Patricia Spence, love interest; Jack Mills, his best friend at Campbell College; colleagues from Royal Victoria Hospital where he worked before (Mandy, nurse’s unit clerk; Professor Malcolm Faulkner, his previous boss; Doctor Bereen; Connie, cafeteria cashier; Harry Sloan, pathologist; Dr. Ruth; Professor Charley Greer).
- Other characters: Archibald Auchinleck, the mailman & his son Rory; Donal Donnelly & his wife Julie Donnelly nee MacAteer; Sonny Houston & his new wife Maggie Houston nee MacCorkle, their seven dogs and one-eyed cat General Sir Bernard Shaw Montgomery; Councilor Bertie Bishop & his wife Florence; Seamus & Maureen Galvin, their infant boy Barry Fingal Galvin; Mrs. Brown & her son Colin; Fergus Finnegan, a jockey; Paddy & Myrtle MacVeigh, their brood Peter, Lucy, three triplets named Three Rhythm Boys; Kieran & Ethel O’Hagan; Declan & Melanie Finnegan; Helen Hewitt; Miss Alice Moloney, owner of Ballybucklebo Botique; Will Dunleavy & his daughter Mary, run the local pub The Black Swan aka “the Mucky Duck”; Hughey & Doreen; Mr. Coffin, the village mortician; Miss Haggerty, district midwife; Captain O’Brien-Kelly; Turlough Donnelly, Donal’s brother; John, The 27th Marquis of Ballubucklebo & his son Sean, his butler Thompson; Honest Sammy Dolan; Constable Mulligan; Agnus “Aggie” Arbuthnot; John, manager at the Old Inn in Crawfordsburn; Liam & Molly Gillespie; Cissy Sloan; Doctor Ronald Hercules Fitzpatrick, the competition; Charlie & Gertie Gorman and her new baby; Gerry & Mairead Shanks & their kids Siobhan and Angus; Miss Susan “Sue” Nolan, a new teacher.
Grammatical / Character / Location / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
- On Pg. 186, Line 7 Ballybucklebo is mis-spelled.
- On Pg. 353, Dr. Laverty is trying to solve a clue for that day’s crossword puzzle. However the explanation after the clue has an extra line that was not in the original clue.
Galavant Reflections 