Heaven Lies About Us : Stories

Rating:
Summary: AS PERFECT AS WRITING GETS...
Review: Eugene McCabe amazes me more with everything I read by him. I first discovered his incredible talent in his novel DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES -- it caused me to seek out other works. While his output is paced in a way to cause his fans to ache for more, the quality of it all is first-rate. More than anyone I've read, he captures the song of Irish speech and the symphony of the Irish spirit, joys and sorrows alike, in his words.

The characters in these stories come to life before the reader's eyes, and in the reader's imagination, in a way that few authors have managed to master -- and they do so in such a natural manner as to make the transition from the printed page to the living, breathing world seem effortless. That's one of the marks of a great writer -- the work draws the reader in without even a 'bump'. We are transported to Ireland -- past and present -- and bear witness to the drama of these characters' lives. The unimaginably horrific times of the famine years; the day-to-day struggle not only to survive, but to do so in a way that allows the soul and spirit to continue to thrive in the body; the 'troubles' that have for so many generations threatened to claw the country to bloody bits; the conflicts between the classes.

If I had to single out an individual story in this collection for my highest praise, I would have to cite the title piece, 'Heaven lies about us'. McCabe relates the story of a young girl with a terrible secret, who knows she must share it but fears the consequences -- her pain and dread, and the pure heartbreak of her story left a stone in my heart. He has captured every aspect of her situation from her point of view -- and done so with such skill that the characters and setting seem to settle into the room with the reader.

McCabe, born in Scotland (his parents were Irish), returned to Ireland in the 1940s to live -- he lives and works his farm in Co. Monaghan, and writes...thank God he writes. His heart, soul, eyes and ears are at home in Ireland, and his powers of observation are keen. It's a gift that's rare -- I can read these stories over and over and they still move me very deeply.

These stories are collected in this volume for publication in the US for the first time -- it's a great opportunity for American readers to experience his work. He's a true master, and I consider it a deep blessing to have discovered him.