An Unravelling by Elske Rahill

An Unravelling

Elske Rahill

The Gathering meets King Lear in this compelling and lyrical story which gives voice to four generations of an Irish family. Rarely have I read a novel that unleashed the full spectrum of my emotions - like watching a car crash in slow-mo, anticipating the inevitable impact while hoping the driver will take evasive action. At 484 pages this is a hefty book, but unusually for me, I read it in a few days.

Extract
Molly has strange daughters. But there must be some sense to it. They were knitted into life in her private nooks; they are the culmination of it all.
Growing up, they escaped her. Always she was looking, looking and looking, trying to see them clearly like those magic pictures you have to stare at in the right way, but now she never will understand for her mind is full of snow - a blinding thing - and thinking is like wading through it. It is heavy. It stops her breath; cold in her mouth.
Parallels
  • A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
  • The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
  • Everyday Life - song by Coldplay