Becoming Finola
by Suzanne Strempek Shea

This was a slow starter for me, taking nearly 100 pages before it grabbed me. But then it really struck a chord with me and I didn't want it to end. I found the the style of writing was beautiful in a way that's hard to describe. I'm not sure if this will capture my meaning, but this is one phrase that caught my attention:

She'd been studying the village so intensely, but just beyond that lay an entire ocean--bigger than the world, it seemed, and certainly more than large enough to bear all she was seeking. Anticipating her arrival, it had dressed for the occasion, dark midnight-sapphiry-purplish and tinsels of disco ball sparkles as it pitched forward a serious succession of surf-movie-sized breakers.

Yes, that's a mouthful, but the imagery created is really spectacular. Another factor that I really enjoyed was that this took place right after 9/11, and the MC was the same age as I would have been then. The world created in this story accurately captures the state of the world--politically and culturally--at that time, especially for someone (like me) who would have the same memories. I'm talking about random tidbits of glimpses into the time, i.e. references to "email machines" at the local B&B, the telephones tucked into seat backs on airplanes, smoking gazebos at hospitals, the fact that the tourism industry really suffered because people were afraid to travel, one-liners about Sinead being a "bald, angry Pope ripper", tourists wearing red, white and blue Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirts and T-shirts bearing the words "Never Forget", a wedding gown compared to "a lacy 80s prom dress with the 'Gunne Sax' label", people watching episodes of "Sex and the City" and "Jackass" on MTV.

The plot itself had enough twists to keep it interesting. Sophie White travels to a small seaside village (pop. 400+) in Ireland, called "Booley" (from the original Celtic "Buaille") with her friend, Gina. Gina is going through a life crisis after losing her husband to a car accident, her rebellious 18yo daughter to abandonment, and her job to a factory closure. Sophie has devoted 18 months to keeping Gina organized and sane, working as her personal assistant, but mainly helping her through her grief. Gina decides to spend the summer in this little Irish hamlet and pays the way for Sophie to travel with her from Massachusetts.

The day after their arrival, Gina decides to turn around and go back home. She wants to be alone, however, and requests that Sophie stay on in Ireland for the summer. Sophie feels betrayed and abandoned by her friend, but agrees and soon becomes a fixture in the little town. The friendships she makes eventually help Sophie get through her own personal tragedy as she finds out a truth about her fiance back home.

Sophie is coerced into helping out at a little bead/jewelry-making shop when she shows a natural talent for organization and marketing. The jewelry making, as well as the gentle company of its owner, Liam Keegan, become a kind of therapy, and she learns to embrace and enjoy the quiet life Booley offers her. Because tourists want to buy jewelry directly from the "Irish" local making it and it hurt sales when she said she was in reality from America, Sophie begins to take on the name and persona of the woman who originally owned the shop, Finola O'Flynn.

Finola is constantly talked about and grieved over, and Sophie begins to feel like she knows her after hearing stories of her exploits and how she helped so many people during the time she lived in town. Finola, someone who three years prior had suddenly abandoned the town, her job, her little cottage, and the residents--including her boyfriend, Liam Keegan, has become legend to the local Booleyans. Sophie finds her feet and her own success while using the mythical Finola as her talisman, i.e. "What Would Finola Do?" to help her decide how to live her life--including falling in love with Liam.

Her newfound peace gets shaken up, however, when the real Finola returns. ( )

Definitely a lighter read, I enjoyed this book because it dealt with the idea of slipping on someone's else identity, if just for a short while, and trying on a different life. I thought the author did a nice job with the characters, and using the setting as an integral part of the story. ( )