They sit on the benches in the ferry depot, waiting. They appear to be typical middle-aged men in their fifties, still full of life but with some issues. One has a significant limp and the other man has a ruined eye. They sit and chat, waiting for it emerges, the daughter of one of the men. But Maurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond are not typical Irish men out for a pleasant outing. They are longtime friends/enemies and the daughter they are waiting for won't be pleased to see them.
As they sit, they talk and over the course of hours, their life stories emerge. It's a tale of modern day smugglers; their cargo the drugs that ruined a generation in Ireland. It's a tale of love and betrayal, friendships forged in love yet betrayed in an instant. It's a tale of women loved and cheated on, families left behind or put in danger, violence when necessary and months of hiding out from those who would do them harm. It turns out the daughter has fled to escape the chaos of daily life around these two and will not be glad to see them if she appears. They are sitting there on the basis of a rumor that she might be passing through, hoping to find her if she appears and that she will be willing to speak with them.
This novel is a Booker nominee this year and one of the best books I've read. The slow unfolding of the men's stories, of their long friendship and casual betrayals, of an entire generation of crime and hopelessness in Ireland is unforgettable. These are not cuddly men but they are men the reader will not soon forget. This book is recommended highly for readers of literary fiction.
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