Readers of Patrick Taylor’s books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled town doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. A trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, it often seems as though Kinky has always been there.Nothing could be farther from the truth.Some forty-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.
Sign up to receive information about new books, author events, and special offers.
1
"Run along, make your calls, and enjoy His Lordship’s hooley," said Mrs. Maureen Kincaid, "Kinky" to her friends, as she knelt in the hall and sponged Ribena black-currant cordial from a small boy’s tweed overcoat. "I’ll expect you all back by five, sir, not a minute later. I’d not want the Christmas dinner to be spoiled."
Her employer, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly, said over his shoulder, "We’ll be on time, I promise, Kinky." He strode off accompanied by his guest, Caitlin "Kitty" O’Hallorhan, and his young assistant, Doctor Barry
Read the full excerpt
“Taylor, like Kinky, is a bangup storyteller who captivates and entertains from the first word."--Publishers Weekly on An Irish Country Girl
Patrick Taylor, M.D., is the author of the Irish Country books, including An Irish Country Doctor, An Irish Country Village, An Irish Country Christmas, and An Irish Country Courtship. Taylor was born and raised in Bangor, County Down in Northern Ireland. After qualifying as a specialist in 1969, he worked in Canada for thirty-one years. He now lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.
Patrick Taylor