Wandering in Exile by Peter Murphy Review and Giveaway!

Book Details Paperback: 346 pages Publisher: Story Plant, The; Reprint edition (January 13, 2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 161188182X ISBN-13: 978-1611881820

Danny Boyle was hoping for a fresh start in Canada. With the help of his uncle Martin, he'd soon found a job and a regular gig with a bar band. And when his sweetheart, Deirdre, joined him, Danny seemed set for life.

But Fate wasn’t done with Danny, and when his uncle was stricken with AIDS, Deirdre did the only thing she could think of to save him from the darkness - she got pregnant. Rising to the occasion, Danny became a father with enthusiasm.

With the arrival of their second child, though, mortgages, day-care, and the press of the day took their toll on the young couple. Battling the voice in his head that told him he wasn't suited for this role, Danny found an ally in the bottle. Soon, drinking became the only thing that made sense to him.

Deirdre, however, refused to give up without a fight. If she could only get Danny to join her, they might even win.

The sequel to Born & Bred, Wandering in Exile is the second novel in the Life & Times Trilogy, a cycle of novels that charts the course of one star-crossed life. Filled with poetic prose and brimming with poignant observation, it is a work of uncommon depth and resonance. 

The Author

Peter Murphy was born in Killarney where he spent his first three years before his family was deported to Dublin, the Strumpet City.

Growing up in the verdant braes of Templeogue, Peter was schooled by the De La Salle brothers in Churchtown where he played rugby for ‘The Wine and Gold’. He also played football (soccer) in secret!

After that, he graduated and studied the Humanities in Grogan’s under the guidance of Scot’s corner and the bar staff; Paddy, Tommy and Sean.

Murphy financed his education by working summers on the buildings sites of London in such places as Cricklewood, Camden Town and Kilburn.

Murphy also tramped the roads of Europe playing music and living without a care in the world.
But his move to Canada changed all of that. He only came over for a while – thirty years ago.
He took a day job and played music in the bars at night until the demands of family life intervened.
Having raised his children and packed them off to University, Murphy answered the long ignored internal voice and began to write.

He has no plans to make plans for the future and is happy to let things unfold as they do anyway.

My Thoughts

Wandering in Exile is the second in the trilogy titled The Life and Times, following Born & Bred which started the story of Danny Boyle. In this installment, Danny moves to Canada to start anew and with the help of his uncle, Martin, a former priest who came out of the closet in Born & Bred, gets a job working gigs out of local bars. Not to create a stereotype but Danny likes his drink and his girlfriend Deirdre gets pregnant hoping that having a child will help Danny deal with the demons that torment him. His beloved uncle is diagnosed with AIDS and Danny takes this very hard and gets deeper into the bottle. There are a lot of characters in this book, among them his parents that still live in Ireland. 

I first read Peter Murphy's work in Lagan Love which I loved. Mr.Murphy writes in such a lyrical and poetic way that shows that the Irish are great storytellers. I loved how Danny grew from a young man into a husband and father. Even though Danny is a flawed individual, as we all are, and doesn't often make the best decisions, I loved his character. Deirdre is the rock he needs to lean on and she is the person that I think will finally help Danny get rid of the voice's in his head. As with any type of substance abuse, you have to get down to the bottom and work your way up and I have every faith that Danny will do just that. This is an emotional read for sure as we find out more of what torments Danny and how he works through his feelings. I look forward to reading more from Peter, as he is one of my favorite Irish authors. If you enjoy a great story, then this one is definitely for you. 

I received a copy of this book from the author and was not monetarily compensated for my thoughts.

GIVEAWAY

Mr.Murphy has generously offered to give a set of three of his books. Lagan Love, Born & Bred and Wandering in Exile. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Thank you for reading my post and good luck. Giveaway is open to US and Canada. 

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