The young Connellys of Port Chester, N.Y., imagined they were "The Connellys of County Down," as their mother spun Irish-inspired tales by the same name, ascribing superpowers to each of her children. But in The Connellys of County Down, the engaging second novel from Tracey Lange (We Are the Brennans), the adult siblings' lives are anything but storybook.
Tension is high as Tara Connelly, 30, leaves the Taconic Correctional Facility after serving 18 months for transporting drugs. She expects her older sister, Geraldine, to pick her up, given that Eddie, the middle Connelly, has avoided Taconic and Tara during her incarceration. Geraldine doesn't show up, forcing Tara to accept a ride from an unlikely rescue--and forecasting inevitable sibling conflict. Back home, fretful and controlling Geraldine and reserved Eddie, suffering chronic pain from a long-ago accident and raising 10-year-old Conor, offer Tara minimal support.
Alternating chapters from the three Connellys' perspectives unveil how long-buried secrets kept them from revealing their love. Years of family instability demanded a fierce protectiveness, and each sibling made sacrifices for the good of the others. "In some ways they were still those three kids, scrambling to hide their shame from the world," Tara thinks. As these characters learn to accept kindnesses--including, surprisingly, from the detective responsible for Tara's imprisonment--readers will cheer for the good fortune that comes their way. The Connellys of County Down may not be an Irish fairy tale, but with well-drawn supporting characters, a suspenseful plot, hard-won romantic joy, and even recurring adolescent humor, it is a hopeful family drama. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.