“Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic. . . these historical chronicles, legends, myths, tall tales and fables, featuring warriors, kings, monks, explorers and clever common folk, imaginatively tell the history of Ireland.”  —  Philadelphia Inquirer This New York Times bestselling epic is an unforgettable tour de force that marries the intimate, passionate texture of the Irish spirit with a historical scope that is sweeping and resplendent. Storyteller extraordinaire Frank Delaney takes his readers on a journey through the history of Ireland, stopping along the way to evoke the dramatic events and personalities so critical to shaping the Irish experience. In the winter of 1951, a storyteller, the last practitioner of an honored, centuries-old tradition, arrives at the home of nine-year-old Ronan O'Mara in the Irish countryside. For three wonderful evenings, the old gentleman enthralls his assembled local audience with narratives of foolish kings, fabled saints, and Ireland's enduring accomplishments before moving on. But these nights change young Ronan forever, setting him on a years-long pursuit of the elusive, itinerant storyteller and the glorious tales that are no less than the saga of his tenacious and extraordinary isle. To paraphrase a World War I song, it's a long, long way to the end of Delaney's reland-- in more ways than one. In 1951, Alison O'Mara cast out the "last" seanachi, a wandering storyteller who told stories from Irish history and myth to the household and neighbors in exchange for housing and food. The old man left, taking with him the family's peace, stirring up family tensions and secrets. By alternating folklore and historical stories with the story of the O'Mara family, Delaney paints a vivid portrait of the country and fits both storyteller and family into it. There's something for everyone in this book: newcomers to Irish history will relish the rich stories based on real and imagined characters, while readers familiar with tales of the old sod will plow through the stories to find out what happens with the O'Maras. Heavy publicity will ensure demand for this novel, which recalls the work of James Michener and will appeal to readers of family sagas and popular historical fiction. Ellen Loughran Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “I wrote this book to tell the world something of my native land, its people, its origins in stone and ice, its society and how it developed, its history and its tragedies, its beauty, its bounty, its place in the world.” - Frank Delaney “An absolute masterpiece. With this extraordinary novel Frank Delaney joins the ranks of the greatest of Irish writers. James Joyce would have been proud of him.” - Jack Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Edge of Danger “Highly recommended … both touching and real. An accomplished historian and novelist, Delaney deftly weaves the story of a people and a country with a poignant coming-of-age tale …. fans of Edward Rutherford’s historical sagas will love it.” - Library Journal (Starred Review) “A sprawling, riveting read. . . the stories utterly captivate. . . in this rich and satisfying book.” - Publishers Weekly “An epic novel of history and storytelling.” - U.S. News & World Report “[A] grand sweep of a novel.” - Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers “A wonderfully engaging novel, an intimate epic that is at once a sprawling account of 2,000 years of Irish history and a meditation on the enduring importance of stories.” - San Jose Mercury News “Warm, intelligent, and unapologetically nostalgic ... Delaney is as much in love with the art of storytelling as he is the story’s subject.” - Christian Science Monitor “Epic. . . . Combines Irish history with the fictional tale of a Senchai, a wandering storyteller who enchants a family with stories of Ireland and its people.” - USA Today “IRELAND touches the heart and moves the soul.” - Richmond Times-Dispatch “In the end, IRELAND is, as the Irish themselves are fond of saying about everything from cabbage to castles, brilliant.” - San Antonio Express-News “Extraordinary … mixes history and fiction in an epic narrative that traces the entire history of [the] country. Delaney is such a fabulous storyteller.” - Connecticut Post “It succeeds both as folk history and as a novel...and in exalting the art of storytelling as well as demonstrating the author’s love of all things Irish -- people, place and language.” - Baton Rouge Advocate “History, legend, memory and myth come seamlessly together in Frank Delaney’s wonderfully engaging new novel, IRELAND, an intimate epic that is at once a sprawling account of 2,000 years of tumultuous Irish history and a meditation on the enduring importance of stories.” - Washington Post “Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic, slyly comic, these historical chronicles, legends, myths, tall tales and fables, featuring warriors, kings, monks, explorers and clever common folk, imaginatively tell the