Forever Home by Graham Norton

‘They had always lived his way, but how were they to live now he had lost his way?’

Carol, a divorced teacher, lives in a small country town in Ireland. Her only son Craig has grown up. Through his daughter Sally whom she teaches at school, Carol meets Declan. Declan is much older than Carol, but the two of them bring joy to each other and Carol moves in. Declan’s wife apparently abandoned Declan and their children Killian and Sally years before. Of course, the locals are fascinated.  What would Carol see in Declan, and what really happened to his wife Joan?

But things change after Declan is diagnosed with dementia. Carol manages him at home for a while but circumstances change. Declan is placed in a home by his children, who then force Carol out of the house so they can sell it. Carol moves back home with her parents, Moira and Dave.

Ah, Moira. A force to be reckoned with, a woman who hasn’t yet met the question to which she doesn’t have an answer. Moira decides there’s more to the story of Declan than meets the eye. Carol’s parents buy the house (through a company, so Killian and Sally are unaware) and they decide to do a little work before reselling.

And that, Gentle Reader, is where the story becomes very interesting. I’ll stop here: you really don’t need me to spoil the experience of your read of this darkly comic novel.  Okay, so Moira is my favourite character and I want to hire her if I ever have a big problem to solve. Definitely.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith