From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan

From a Low and Quiet Sea

Donal Ryan

Three men initially separated by different lives, countries and age become unknowingly linked in Southern Ireland through relationships and love. Of the three main characters, two I cared about, but one less so. His treatment of others didn't sit well with me. The novel clearly highlights that at times life is a strange concept, which can be called fate, or to the more scientific, six degrees of separation.

Extract
The knitter looked at Lampy and nodded at the crying man and rolled her eyes to Heaven and back and said, Poor misfortune. That Declan he's looking for is gone a long time now, God help us. Abroad somewhere, like my own lad. And then she looked back at Lampy and she studied him a while and said, What's in the past can't be changed and what's to come can't be known and you can't give your life to worrying. Sure you can't. All you have to do is be kind and you'll have lived a good life. And Lampy agreed with her and she chuckled softly and resumed her inspections of her comrades.
Parallels
  • The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
  • Turbulence by David Szalay