The novel begins with the word “End”, and yet the plot blossoms. This acts as a microcosm for how the characters in the novel will band together to make something from a world of absences, over and over again, to find an abundance of happiness, love, and peace, in the face of strife.
The opening chapter depicts the death of Saoirse Aylward’s father. The author then projects us into the life of Saoirse Aylward, who lives with her mother and grandmother, cushioned by a realm of powerful femininity as she navigates her way through to adulthood. We are taken along Saoirse Aylward’s journey, a path which is often threatened , but ultimately maintains its clarity albeit disrupted occasionally by is ultimately defined by a hum of security which demonstrates the power of female connection.
Saiorse Aylward’s path to adulthood is often threatened by unforeseen overgrowth which naturally thrives in her situation; this overgrowth is ultimately chopped down and dealt with by the wood chopper of feminine companionship, marked by the constant hum of love and security which ploughs the women of the novel forth, and which allows Saoirse Aylward’s journey to blossom towards security. Although the chapters are extremely short, there is a consistency to this. This forms a pattern, which may allude to the compact and consistent nature of the relationship between Mary Aylward, “Nana” Aylward, Pearl Aylward, and Saoirse Aylward.
One of the things that struck me the most throughout this novel was the style of narration. Throughout the novel, we experience the plot through a third-person who seems to be Saorsie Alyward, but is stripped of this title. This may be a reflection of how she is somewhat an outsider in her life, and at the mercy of other people, and therefore not given her due credit or independence. As she blossoms into a lady, she is able to achieve her individualism — demonstrated by the fact that she is finely given the title of narrator (an apt reflection of the guidance she consistently presents) and writes about “The Queen Of Dirt Island”.