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5.0 out of 5 stars
LIVES OF QUIET DESPERATION..., Feb 3 2009
This is a beautifully written book, rife with emotion and feeling. It is a book that will keep the reader riveted to its pages until the very last one is turned, so absorbing is the story. It is, as the title of the book says, the story of one Lucy Gault. Her story begins in Ireland in 1921, in the shadow of the Partition of Ireland. Feelings against the English and Protestants were running high, and many of the manorial estates were being targeted for destruction by the local Catholic peasantry in that time of unrest.
The Gault family lived in a lovely ancestral home, Lahardane, tucked away in the remote Irish countryside. Captain Everard Gault, Lucy's father, though Irish, was Protestant and had served in the English Army. He was married to Heloise, an English woman. These facts had evidently not gone unnoticed by the local yokels. When the Gaults find that their home has been targeted for destruction and the threat of arson is all too real, the Gaults reluctantly decide to leave their beloved home in the care of their two faithful family retainers and relocate to England for safety's sake. This is a decision that leaves their nine year old daughter, Lucy, heartbroken.
Lucy is loath to leave her beloved home with its resplendent land, rolling acres of lush greenery, as well as its lovely beach, and a beloved dog for which her feelings run deep. Lahardane is, indeed, a child's paradise. Just before they are due to leave, a distraught Lucy, desperate to change the way things are going, decides to run away in hopes of having her parents see things her way. Instead, what occurs is a tragedy of epic proportions, one that would have far reaching ramifications, changing the lives of many. It would certainly impact profoundly upon Lucy.
This is truly a gloriously written, thematically complex book in which the author examines the way that love and calamity can shape destiny. Its complexity is belied by its simple, yet rich and lyrical, prose. The author lovingly tenders the delicately nuanced words that express the strong undercurrent of emotion that ripples beneath the surface of this haunting novel, drawing the reader into its heartbreaking story of love, forgiveness, and redemption. The fatalism of its characters aptly mirrors the historical fatalism of the Irish. This is a literary gem that the reader will, undoubtedly, read in one sitting, as I did, loath to break the careful cadence of the words that tell so compelling a story. Bravo!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
"Love is beyond all reason when it is starved", Jan 20 2004
In an attempt to ward off intruders from his estate Captain Gault fired a warning shot in the dark that would forever change his life and those around him. As Protestants the Gaults felt their well-being was continually threatened as Partition undermined the political and social foundations of Ireland in 1921. As a result Captain Gault decided to return to the safety of England with his wife and young daughter, Lucy. But Lucy isn't happy at all with the prospect of leaving the only home she has known and she is too young to fully comprehend the reasons. On the day of their anticipated departure Lucy is believed to have drowned when some of her clothing articles was discovered near the shore. It is widely acknowledged that the sea has a tendency to swallow both unaware ships and swimmers. In the midst of their grieving and loss Captain Gault and his wife continue their plans of emigrating, but as they begin their journey they decide that England is not far enough away from the source of their pain. Without communicating with a single person from their previous life they venture on to Switzerland and Italy. Meanwhile back in Ireland it is realized that Lucy has not drowned and is indeed alive but unfortunately there is no way to pass on the news to her parents because no one knows how to reach them. Decades pass while the separation between Lucy and her parents created deep psychological consequences that continue to affect their livelihood.
THE STORY OF LUCY GAULT is a somber and dark tale of individuals searching for redemption and forgiveness for the innocent acts they have committed in their past. William Trevor created a poignant mix of characters that are forever marked with the choices that they have made. This book is admittedly small, but it contains a shocking and realistic story of how one girl's mischief has resulted in such devastating results for all. Individuals living in the surrounding villages all were accustomed with the tale of Lucy Gault, and her life was forever introduced to newcomers. It is a tale that is sure to live for generations in that section of Ireland. While reading this slim book I was sincerely touched by Trevor's portrayal of the longing for forgiveness and the haunting of regret. He excelled in getting inside the minds of his characters and shedding light on the emotional conflicts within their individual consciousness. Recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful story, beautifully told, Dec 27 2003
I couldn't put this beautiful little book down. It is written with a wonderful Irish lyrical voice. You feel as though you are in a dream. Lucy's story is a sad one, but you don't really feel sad for her. You feel as though life proceeds according to a pre-ordained rhythm unknown to those who live it. William Trevor is a man of sensitive genius.
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