PositiveThe San Francisco ChronicleVeronica's narrative is propelled by the force of her need. On the surface, the story relates how Veronica carries on after Liam's death, making funeral arrangements, seeing to her vast, sprawling family, and, at her mother's request, coordinating the wake to be held in her childhood home in Ireland. At the same time, Veronica grows increasingly detached from her domestic life … The route to truth is a slippery one, and several obstacles bar her way. Regarding the past, her family maintains a stubborn silence, whether to protect their mother's peace of mind (‘Don't tell Mammy’ was a persistent refrain in childhood) or preserve an appearance of normalcy. In this family, communication is genuinely impossible. With no one to help her, Veronica must turn inward, to an imperfect memory and a vivid – and unruly – imagination.
