Fintan Doherty's 1950s childhood in Glenbay, Donegal, is filled with two things: tales of America told by a plethora of 'returned Yanks' and the silent sadness after his mother's death.
Soon as he can, Fintan leaves for the States – via Europe – and never stands still again. His journey way out west to Ohio, Texas, California and back up to Boston brings to him an eclectic and diverse array of jobs, rented rooms, landscapes, acquaintances, friends and lovers, each one either confirming or confounding his idea of the land he now inhabits. His life as a new and nomadic emigrant – a self 'missing in motion' – is underscored by his search for a painting of his mother by an American artist, who once visited the home place long before Fintan was born.
Fintan's vision of America as a place of fantasy, escape and adventure is as old as the hills. But Anthony Glavin's gentle coming-of-age story will enthral with its texture and world-building, the many delicately and affectionately observed characters, and its subtle reflections on trauma, loss and a hope that somehow renews.
