Official Review: An Untilled Field by Dennis Carey

MsMartha · Post by **MsMartha** » 26 Jan 2016, 14:40

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Untilled Field" by Dennis Carey.]

4 out of 4 stars

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An Untilled Field by Dennis Carey is a historical novel based in the late 1870s-early 1880s time period. Most of the story occurs in Ireland, although some events happen in England as well.

For any kind of novel, it’s important to have interesting, believable characters and a plot that progresses and resolves well. In a book like An Untilled Field, it’s also necessary to be historically accurate about situations and events. I think Mr. Carey has accomplished these things successfully.

The novel begins in 1879 with main character Liam Walshe and his young brother Aiden. They have had a family catastrophe in County Mayo, Ireland: they were evicted from their rented property. Both parents were severely injured and separated from the boys. Liam’s job is to take Aiden to find their parents. This is no easy task, since they have no money, no place to sleep, and Aiden is not a healthy toddler.

The story of the farming Walshe family alternates with the story of Bernie, an Irish boxer living in London in 1876. He had left Ireland hoping for a better life, but only found a different one. Eventually, he returns to Ireland and meets Liam and Liam’s friend, Eileen. It doesn’t take very long for them all to become involved in the serious events that are occurring.

There are other important characters as well, including Harriet Gardiner, who owns the property the Walshe family rents; Billy Cuffe, her Land Agent; and Huddy, a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Mr. Carey does an excellent job of showing their different viewpoints, and how they react to situations and each other.

The story occurs during the beginning of The Land War (1879-1882), a time when there was famine, problems with diseases and crops, and disputes between landlords and tenants. Having characters from different backgrounds shows how a historical event influences people who experience it in a variety of ways. In spite of the differences, some characters also have something in common: they have lost relatives, and are hoping to find them.

In addition to the good plot and characters, there are several things about Mr. Carey’s writing that impressed me. He is very good at dialogue, and sometimes will use it instead of narrative. When Bernie returns to Ireland, for example, he meets an old friend and they have a long discussion about how things have changed while Bernie was away. This shares a lot of information with the reader as well as with the characters. Mr. Carey is also good at including actual historic people, such as Charles Parnell, in appropriate ways, even though they may be imagined as opposed to factual incidents.

I was also very pleased with Carey’s writing style. For example, here is a sentence that grabbed my attention: “The grandmother was never taller than short, but recent events had shrunk her further.” In some instances, such as “…the smells, the slums, the wealthy, the filthy…” the style is poetic.

There was very little about this book that I didn’t enjoy and appreciate. I did have an issue with the last chapter, which only has three sentences. I believe I understood what was being described, but I’m not sure this chapter was necessary. An alternative might have been to give a little additional information, so the reader would be sure to understand what was being said, and why; or it could have been left out entirely.

Because I found so many positive things about this book, I’m giving it four out of four stars. If you’re a reader who likes good historical fiction, or a reader who also likes to see how a writer worked and did a good job, then I highly recommend An Untilled Field.

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An Untilled Field
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kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 02 Feb 2016, 01:16

Sounds like a very touching and moving story. I hope I get the chance to read it. Great review! Congratulations to Dennis Carey for such a wonderful book!

denniscarey · Post by **denniscarey** » 02 Feb 2016, 01:59

Thank you very much for the positive comments and the 'four out of four stars'. I'm delighted you enjoyed it. It sounds like you have gone to the bother of checking the historical facts to give such a thorough review. The hundreds of hours of research have been worthwhile! I am grateful for the comments on writing style.
The last chapter is meant to be a brief, final gasp of shock for the reader, to send the reader away considering the consequences, to keep the book lingering in the mind. It also plants the seed of a follow-on book.
Is there any way you might correct the very last sentence: 'then I highly recommend An Untilled Field' (not The Untilled Field) as I can see me quoting that line in my publicity?
A thorough and fair review.
Thank you very much, MsMartha.

MsMartha · Post by **MsMartha** » 02 Feb 2016, 08:17

denniscarey wrote:Thank you very much for the positive comments and the 'four out of four stars'. I'm delighted you enjoyed it. It sounds like you have gone to the bother of checking the historical facts to give such a thorough review. The hundreds of hours of research have been worthwhile! I am grateful for the comments on writing style.
The last chapter is meant to be a brief, final gasp of shock for the reader, to send the reader away considering the consequences, to keep the book lingering in the mind. It also plants the seed of a follow-on book.
Is there any way you might correct the very last sentence: 'then I highly recommend An Untilled Field' (not The Untilled Field) as I can see me quoting that line in my publicity?
A thorough and fair review.
Thank you very much, MsMartha.

Dennis, you're quite welcome--and let me apologize for misquoting the title. I've requested a correction, and I hope it will be done soon.

I'm glad to hear you've planted the seed. I'll be watching to see how this new plant grows! As you can probably tell, I love to read, and finding an author I enjoy so much makes reading even better--thank you for a great story!

gali · Post by **gali** » 02 Feb 2016, 09:47

Nice review, and it sounds like a great book. Congratulations to the author for the positive review!

DennisK · Post by **DennisK** » 02 Feb 2016, 15:16

Thank you MsMartha, for the excellent review. I look forward to reading this book. I am most interested in historical novels dealing with the periods between the 1800s and the early 1900s. I remember my great uncles, aunts and grandparents who were born during the late 1800s, and I am familiar with their sensibilities, and how they lived their lives. There is a great difference in how we live our lives today. But still, there seems to be something common and repetitive that I sense peripherally, but lack in focus. So, I am drawn to perspectives that deal with those times. Again, thanks for bringing this book to my attention.

denniscarey · Post by **denniscarey** » 02 Feb 2016, 17:06

Thank you kimmyskemy06, thank you gali, and thank you DennisK. MsMartha has done a great job with the review. It is my first on this, or any, book and reading forum and I am excited about the prospect of readers discussing my work. Thank you for participating.

LivreAmour217 · Post by **LivreAmour217** » 02 Feb 2016, 17:17

Wonderful review! This sounds like an amazing book, and I am adding it to my reading list!

Paliden · Post by **Paliden** » 17 Feb 2016, 11:23

Excellent review! I love this time period and setting. Will have to check this book out!

DennisK · Post by **DennisK** » 21 Feb 2016, 21:19

I just finished An Untilled Field. I agree with MsMartha's rating. I suppose the most succinct praise I can make is that the story would not leave me alone. I had to return to it at cost of my daily chores. I do think the last chapter would have been a fitting end – cleverly stated, had there been a clearer explanation. I wasn't sure how to take it – was it bad news or the result of good news? If this is setting me up for another book, I'll be wanting to read it.

I remember a conversation I had with a colleague who was from India. They have quite a cast system there, and this person was raised in a cast that was superior to most of his countrymen. He was very indignant that all he had to live in, here in the U.S., was an apartment. If he were he in India, he would be living in luxurious surroundings with servants. The man wasn't anymore productive than his neighbors, but somehow he felt a god given right to privileges not afforded to most. I'm always impressed with the level of cruelty some people are capable of committing in defense of that illusion. Never-the-less, this situation, coupled with a strong sense of propriety, does make for very interesting stories.
(I think Dennis Carey is a cat person. A cat's tongue is raspy – a dog's tongue is wet and sloppy -just thought I'd mention that).

denniscarey · Post by **denniscarey** » 22 Feb 2016, 03:35

Thank you for reading An Untilled Field, DennisK. And thank you for posting a review. A cat person? I may be quoting that in the future.

chytach18- · Post by **chytach18-** » 22 Feb 2016, 09:16

MsMartha, when I was reading your review, I could almost physically feel the warmth of your writing. I really liked it. Congratulations to Dennis Carey. Your book is definitely my cup of tea.

DennisK · Post by **DennisK** » 22 Feb 2016, 09:51

Thank you for writing it. I thought "cat person" a universal term - a bad assumption. My world is divided into two groups: those who prefer cats for pets - disdain dogs, and those who prefer dogs with an aversion to cats. Personally, I like both, but where I live, I can only keep dogs. Your reference to the raspy lick of a dog tagged you as a cat person .... I know, I know ... I'm nitpicking, but having fun doing so ...

denniscarey · Post by **denniscarey** » 22 Feb 2016, 11:18

I liked the analogy, DennisK. I would prefer my writing to be thought of as 'raspy', rather than 'wet and sloppy'!

DennisK · Post by **DennisK** » 22 Feb 2016, 12:59

Good grief - I wasn't giving an analogy to your writing. My reference was your chapter 19 - "It was the rough rasp of a dog's tongue, licking at the discharge from his eye whilst he slept ...." Sorry for the confusion. I need to be more careful writing these blogs.