Noel O’Regan, born in Tralee, County Kerry, is a notable addition to the wave of literary talent coming out of Ireland. In his debut novel, he writes about difficult subjects such as depression, trauma and absence with a quiet eloquence.
Micheál lives in his family’s bungalow at the end of Kerry Head: “like some tourist’s dream of a rural Irish cottage”. It’s a stunning landscape, but the cliffs exert a powerful pull on the bereft and Micheál’s home is the last port of call before the headland. His parents had felt it was their duty – spiritual and civic – to attempt to save the lost souls they referred to as “visitors”. When Micheál’s father dies, his mother places the burden on her young son’s shoulders – an experience from which he never fully recovers.
