Eighty-eight-year-old Michael Doherty lies in an open coffin, listening to those who have come to pay their respects.
Despite his dead son Cormac’s protests, he’s not yet ready to pass over.
His granddaughter is the reason.
Twenty-something Sarah has inexplicably abandoned her plans to settle in Spain and returned home deeply scarred by the Sandstone City, and he needs to know why.
He is granted a special grace period of forty days.
Forty days to discover and heal his granddaughter’s trauma.
Forty days to face his own past.
Forty days to find peace before he must make his final departure.
But Michael and Sarah are not alone.
Ghosts populate the streets of Salamanca and they have a message for Sarah. Set between modern-day Belfast and the Spanish Civil War, The Sandstone City is a story about the decisions we make, the choices denied us, and how we navigate what’s left.
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The Sandstone City by Elaine Canning is published today, 3 November 2022 by Aderyn Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I do love it when I discover a debut novel written with such beauty and originality. There's such an anticipation that this is just the first of what may be many more from an author who has such flair and style.
The Sandstone City is the story of eighty-eight-year-old Michael Doherty. Michael has recently died and is laying in an open coffin listening to friends and family as they sit and talk about him, as they share their memories and their sorrow.
Michael was a hard worker, a Belfast man with a family. However, he spent a lot of years away from his children when they were young, he worked on the ships and it was his loyal and stoic wife Annie who did most of the child-rearing. Michael has a very special spot for his granddaughter Sarah, and it is her troubles that are preventing him from passing peacefully to other side. As desperate as he is to join Cormac, his son who tragically died when his own children were young, Michael needs to know what happened to Sarah in the Spanish town of Salamanca, and why she's returned so suddenly.
This is a beautiful story, filled with ghosts and memories, the locations are richly described and the sights and sounds of Salamanca when Sarah does return are vivid and colourful.
When Sarah does return to Salamanca, it's to try to discover what has happened to Raul, the man who she loved. However, she finds so much more than that during her stay. When she opens a box of old photographs and cuttings that Michael left for her, she discovers a past life that he led and never spoke about. He too has links to this exotic city and once there, Sarah discovers so much more about the man that she always adored.
The Sandstone City is so original, and whilst there are ghost around every corner, it is not a frightening, or spooky halloween-type read. It's an exploration of a life that has been overshadowed by painful memories, about secrets hidden so deeply that they are almost impossible to believe when uncovered. It is ultimately about love; both romantic and family love, about the ties of siblings and parents and how the mistakes made early in life can affect the years ahead.
A wonderful story that I highly recommend. I cannot wait to read more from this talented author.
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Swansea, South Wales.
She holds an MA and PhD in Hispanic Studies from Queen's University, Belfast and an MA in Creative Writing from Swansea University.
She is currently Head of Special Projects at Swansea University, which include the Rhys Davies National Short Story Competition, as well as Executive Officer of the Dylan Thomas Prize.
Twitter @elaine_canning
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