‘It all began the day he found out that his sister was his mother’
– The Inheritance
[ About The Inheritance ]
It’s 1986 and 29-year-old Marlo O’Sullivan of London-Irish stock has just found out that his sister is his mother. To steady his life, he moves to Glengarriff, to a cottage he has inherited, in the stunning Beara Peninsula.
When a neighbour dies unexpectedly, Marlo takes over his minibus service to Cork. There is nothing regular about the regulars on the bus – especially Sully, a non-verbal 6 year old, who goes nowhere but does the journey back and forth every day, on his own. Marlo is landed with this a strange but compassionate arrangement, fashioned to give the child’s mother respite from his care. Sully’s obsession with an imaginary friend in the ancient oak forests of Glengarriff slowly unveils its terrible secrets – a 400-hundred-year-old tragedy revels itself.
[ My Review ]
The Inheritance by Cauvery Madhaven publishes with HopeRoad September 19th and is described as ‘a beguiling Irish story drawn together with a compelling historical thread.’ As a Corkonian born and bred, with strong ancestral links to West Cork on both sides, The Inheritance was a book I knew would appeal to me. My maiden name is O’Driscoll, a very well established West Cork name from Baltimore, from which one side of my family are from. The other West Cork connection is through my grandmother who was a Collins from Skibbereen, so all the places that feature in The Inheritance are familiar to me.
The Beara peninsula ‘stretches for a distance of 48km (30 miles) from Glengarriff to Dursey Island and back to Kenmare’ in Co. Kerry and it is primarily Glengarriff and the stunning Dursey Island where Cauvery Madhaven sets her scéal (story). In 1986 Marlo O’Sullivan returns to his mother’s homeland in Glengarriff after inheriting an old cottage. Marlo was born and reared in the UK so there is an initial adjustment as he settles in to this remote location. The views are breathtaking and the silence that accompanies the scene before him is a far cry from the cacophony of the life he left behind. Marlo is attempting to reset his life following some recent developments in the UK and he is very hopeful that this time on the Beara peninsula might be just the tonic he needs. He is wary of how he will be accepted but, as he slowly meets the locals and they realise his lineage, he soon finds himself adapting rather quickly to this new life.
Marlo is a writer with aspirations and has secured some work with a newspaper in Butte Montana, where the connection to Allihies in West Cork is very strong but this work is not enough to sustain him. Through his neighbours he picks up a work at a local estate and crosses paths with Kitty. Kitty has her own story to tell but, with a young son, Sully, with developmental issues, Kitty has no time to dwell on her past. Marlo and Kitty start to spend some time together and slowly a bond builds between all three but unbeknownst to Kitty and Marlo, Sully is a child with a very special gift.
As Marlo establishes himself in this new community, a parallel thread weaves its way through the novel. Cauvery Madhaven takes the reader on a journey back in time reminding us all of a terrible fate that befell the people of Beara back in 1602. This was a time of great upheaval in Ireland, following the Battle of Kinsale. The Irish were driven from their homes, with many massacred in a brutal and vengeful attack by the then Queen Elizabeth of England. Through the eyes of another young boy, we are given insights into the horror and heartbreak that was experienced by the Irish, with a particular focus on the Beara peninsula.
Using a clever mechanism, Cauvery Madhaven links these two stories in a mystical manner allowing us to delve into the history of the land while simultaneously following Marlo’s story as he puts down his own roots among this hearty and sincere community.
The Inheritance is an ode to the people of the Beara peninsula and the sense of community that exists in this rural and rugged place. Using historical references intertwined with a more modern story, The Inheritance provides the reader with an education into a land and a people that have stood firm, always struggling for their right to be. Marlo and Kitty have their own personal fight and, as romance filters through the pages, there is also an element of sadness and a longing to belong, to be accepted.
With compelling insights, an emotional narrative, a wonderful community and enjoyable banter, The Inheritance is an engaging fusion of fact and fiction. Cauvery Madhaven has a grá (love) for West Cork and this passion seeps through on every page. With fans including Donal Ryan and Graham Norton, this homage to West Cork will appeal to all who love adventure with an eye to history and who want to immerse themselves into the beautiful landscape of the Beara peninsula.
**Thank you to Cauvery Madhaven for an advance copy of The Inheritance in exchange for my honest review
[ Bio ]
Cauvery Madhavan was born in India and moved to Ireland 37 years ago. Her books Paddy Indian and The Uncoupling were published to critical acclaim. Her last novel, The Tainted was chosen by Laureate Sebastian Barry for his Laureate Picks 2020. It was one of An Post Book Awards’ Top Summer Reads. The book won the runner-up prize for the SAHR Prize for Military Fiction and was chosen by The Times, UK, for their list of top 40 Historical Fiction novels.
A very keen golfer and cook, she lives with her husband in County Kildare.
X ~ @CauveryMadhavan
