
The Visitors
Patrick O'Keeffe(Author)
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Will be published approx. on 10. September 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-4088-5088-6 (ISBN)
Description
One warm July night, when thoughts of Ireland are far from James Dwyer's mind, a homeless man with a sunburnt face, who smells like dry wood, comes to the screen door of his Michigan apartment. Walter has two messages. The first is that an old lady is lying in the middle of his street. But when James goes to look there's nobody to be seen. The second, while apparently more ordinary, is ultimately more troubling: a childhood friend wants him to visit.
Kevin Lyons, the wayward older son of a neighbouring builder James knew long ago as a boy in Tipperary, now lives in the USA too, and wants to reconnect with his past. But James, who has spent years establishing the foundations of his American life, has put that past behind him.
As the day of the visit approaches, James slowly re-examines the mysteries of that time: what happened to Aunt Tess, who went away to become a nurse in Dublin; what Kevin's father was really doing late at night by candlelight in his makeshift office in the yard; what became of Kevin's red-haired sister Una, who young Jimmy fell for in a big way and whether, after all these years, people like Kevin ever really change.
The Visitors is a captivating story of the interwoven fates of two families, of the gap between childhood and the adult world, between a river in Ireland (and all that happened there) and another in America, and of the shocking revelations that come with crossing the divide.
Kevin Lyons, the wayward older son of a neighbouring builder James knew long ago as a boy in Tipperary, now lives in the USA too, and wants to reconnect with his past. But James, who has spent years establishing the foundations of his American life, has put that past behind him.
As the day of the visit approaches, James slowly re-examines the mysteries of that time: what happened to Aunt Tess, who went away to become a nurse in Dublin; what Kevin's father was really doing late at night by candlelight in his makeshift office in the yard; what became of Kevin's red-haired sister Una, who young Jimmy fell for in a big way and whether, after all these years, people like Kevin ever really change.
The Visitors is a captivating story of the interwoven fates of two families, of the gap between childhood and the adult world, between a river in Ireland (and all that happened there) and another in America, and of the shocking revelations that come with crossing the divide.
Reviews / Votes
O'Keeffe writes with meticulous plainness about failure, fresh beginnings and the seemingly inescapable consequences of who you are and where you're from * <b><i>Independent on Sunday</i></b> * Expertly woven ... I enjoyed the secrets which were revealed as the book progressed and I also liked the sad love stories which were revealed * <B><I>Woman's Way</I></B> * Lyrical without being convoluted * <i><b>Vogue</i></b> *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Weight
203 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4088-5088-6 (9781408850886)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Patrick O'Keeffe
The Visitors
E-Book
05/2014
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€8.49
Available for download
Person
Patrick O'Keeffe was born and grew up in Co. Limerick, but moved to the United States in his twenties. His first work, a collection of novellas titled The Hill Road, was published by Bloomsbury in 2005. He currently teaches in the graduate creative writing program at Ohio University.
@PatrickOKeefe
@PatrickOKeefe