An Irish Country Girl

By: Patrick Taylor

Narrated by: Terry Donnelly

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Readers of Patrick Taylor's books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. She is a trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, and it often seems as though Kinky has always been there. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Some 40-odd years before and many miles to the south, the girl who would someday be Kinky Kincaid was Maureen O'Hanlon, a farmer's daughter growing up in the emerald hills and glens of County Cork. A precocious girl on the cusp of womanhood, Maureen has a head full of dreams, a heart open to romance, and something more: a gift for seeing beyond the ordinary into the mystic realm of fairies, spirits, and even the dreaded Banshee, whose terrifying wail she first hears on a snowy night in 1922.

As she grows into a young woman, Maureen finds herself torn between love and her fondest aspirations, for the future is a mystery even for one blessed with the sight. Encountering both joy and sorrow, Maureen at last finds herself on the road to Ballybucklebo---and the strong and compassionate woman she was always destined to become.

An Irish Country Girl is another captivating tale by Patrick Taylor, a true Irish storyteller.

©2009 Ballybucklebo Stories Corp. (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Stick with it!

I was undeterred by all of the reviews I had read here and purchased this book. It was my first by this author. The first few chapters, when Kinky is telling her story to the children is very off-putting and, to be honest, I almost abandoned it in agreement with the negative reviews. However, I stuck with it and ended up enjoying this book very much! Definitely worth it if you persist past the first few chapters.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Shanachie

If you like Irish folktales, this is a book for you. Just sit back and listen to the entertaining story.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

If you are looking for Ballybucklebo it's not here

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the author had stuck with the characters and town that the other books in this series are about. This one is a boring long winded story, told to some kids by housekeeper Kinky Kincaid. Some demons or spirits didn't want her neighbor, when she was a young woman, to chop down a tree. So he chops down the tree and now ooooh scary, all these supernatural things are happening. I think Patrick Taylor had a left over short story in his files and thought he could make it part of this series by having good ol Kinky tell the story within the story. Its a huge disappointment!

What was most disappointing about Patrick Taylor’s story?

Boring, a story about a kid chopping down a tree drags on forever and ever. Get over it--it's a tree!

How could the performance have been better?

Narrator appears to be faking an Irish accent. I liked the male reader of the other books in this series much better.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No, none that I can see.

Any additional comments?

skip this one and read the Irish Country Doctor, Dublin City Student, and Irish Country Village.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love this series

I have enjoyed every minute if the Irish Country Doctor series by Patrick Taylor. I will say that this was my least favorite of all the books but evem with that said, I still loved it.It was great to have a backstory on the lovable houskeeper, Kinky Kencaid. I also would have preferred that the same narrator had read this book. It was a little disconderting for Kinky to have a new voice. Thank you Mr. Taylor for many hours of enjoyment.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very enjoyable!

At first I was disappointed that the narrater was different to the previous books in the series but this is Kinky's story and Terry Donnelly did a great job. I enjoyed getting to know Kinky and her family. Now knowing her story will I've no doubt make the remaining books even more enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This series You will be disappointed by narrator

What would have made An Irish Country Girl better?

Love the series but couldn't listen to this narrator. Ruined the series for me

Would you ever listen to anything by Patrick Taylor again?

yes

What didn’t you like about Terry Donnelly’s performance?

I didn't care for it. It ruined the series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not up to par

Would you try another book from Patrick Taylor and/or Terry Donnelly?

Yes, I have read other books in this series and will go on to the rest.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The next in the series.

What didn’t you like about Terry Donnelly’s performance?

Although the varied children's voices were good, the overall performance was without much emotion.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Sorry, but no.

Any additional comments?

I am very disappointed in this book. I am absolutely hooked on the series and the characters in the village. It would have been nice to hear Kinky's story done well.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wounderful!!!!!!!

I makes me homesick for Ireland altho I've never been there.

7 of 10 people found this review helpful

Not typical for this series

This book does not follow the storyline that the other books to do and is read by a woman rather than the usual Mail reader. I'm not sure if it was because of the reader or because of the story, but I really did not enjoy this and listen to about half before I finally just gave up on it.

Too much of a departure

I am glad I listened to this, but it was too much of a departure from the first three novels for me to enjoy. I am a big fan of many things fairy and fey, but the beginning just seemed to go on for far too long and seemed much more disconnected from the remainder of the story. I didn't really learn what I hoped to about Kinky and it was quite rushed toward the end. John Keating is such a brilliant narrator I don't know I would have liked any other rendition of Kinky. Looking forward to the next book. Not expecting to revisit this one.

Rambling vegetarianism!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

More meat in the storyline , less rambling on! Compared to the others in the series this was like a story written to a deadline rather than to any level of quality. Any literate person could have conjured this out of the other books in the series without stretching their creativity . Poor effort!

Would you recommend An Irish Country Girl to your friends? Why or why not?

No see above

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

As the story rambled on very slowly this would be impossible

What character would you cut from An Irish Country Girl?

Kinky Kincaid

Any additional comments?

None

0 of 1 people found this review helpful