Ireland by Frank Delaney

Ronan O'Mara, at the age of nine, has a life changing experience when a story teller comes to stay at his house. For three nights, he is captivated by the stories told at his fire place. The story teller is banished from the house for blasphemy. From there, Ronan wants to know more about the history of Ireland but longs to find the Story Teller.

Mr. Delaney weaves history into this fiction that blew me away. Some of the events told are too old to know what really happened. Yet everything is set before you like you are actually there while it is happening. Mr. Delaney has a way of putting you right in the midst of the story. I was blown away not only by the details but how each story was laid out. It was never so long that it overwhelmed you and the jumps between the stories and Ronan's story flowed so easily.

Ronan's love of history is cultivated by the Story Teller and encouraged by his father. His mother is a bit quiet but you can tell that she loves him in her own way. His aunt Kate gushes over him when his mother either can't or won't. It's not always easy to distinguish what her reasons were. John, Ronan's father, makes sure to help Ronan in his love of history in every possible way that he can. Even if it means he takes him on trips to go see people who might help them on his journey.

This book was so good that I didn't want to see it end. I fought to read the last bit as it completely captivated me. Having a love of Ireland, the stories presented here made me appreciate them since I knew about most of them. They were very well told and the personal experiences on the part of the story tell at the end had me in awe. The twists in the book surprised me and I never saw them coming. Mr. Delaney is a master at story telling and I definitely hope to read more of his work.

Frank Delaney/ New author/ 651 pages/ Ireland/ Family/Stories/ 5 out of 5

FTC: This book was bought and is part of my book collection.

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin

Jamilet is a beautiful girl who has a huge birthmark that shows up on most of her body. She takes it all in stride. It has cost her a lot of pain but she lives her life day by day. She finally decides to leave her family and go out on her own. Her grandmother is all that is left since her aunt Carmen left months ago. This one journey will put her in the path with a man who has a story to tell. One she could only understand.


Ms. Samartin has a way with words that will wring emotions from your heart. There is joy; pain, love and loss weaved through these pages. I found it most difficult to put it down. The descriptions alone grabbed my attention but the heart that is described made me turn the pages even more so.

Jamilet just wants to be loved. She knows her mother does love her but after she dies, there is little left in the world for her. Even life with her aunt Tia is just more work. She wants to be rid of her birthmark and decides it is time to find a job. I really truly felt for Jamilet. She was a girl who wanted more from her life than she could get on her own. Yet can she find it is what I kept wondering? Senor Peregrino is a man full of life. He has seen so much and yet has to be kept alone in a room at a Sanitarium. Jamilet just might be the only one to hear what he has to say.

This is one book that kept me curious to know if the story that was told through the Senor’s eyes was true. I had to find out the ending along with Jamilet. There is much heartbreak in this story but there was so much going on. This is one author who has peaked my curiosity and I would love to read more by her.

Cecilia Samartin/ New Author/ Fiction/ 352 pages/ Stories/ Coming of Age/ 5 out of 5