I'm going to open my review of Kerry Dwyer's Ramblings in Ireland by quoting Kerry's self-commentary. I couldn't possibly improve
on this bit for pinpointing the charm of her travelogue-plus book, which she
describes as "a memoir of sorts":
"There is a lovely French expression 'il ne perd pas le
nord.' Literally this means 'he doesn't
lose the north.' It means someone who knows exactly what they want and where
they are going. They are focused on
their target and don't lose track of it.
"That doesn't describe me at all."
I laughed out loud,
partly because I'm one of those people
fixed on the goal. But focus doesn't help one be a more sensitive partner or a more
observant traveler, which is often required where cultural differences come
into play--she's British, her husband is French, and they're rambling through
Ireland. The book is a memoir primarily
because it is more than the sum of its walking tours, which sometimes end in
disaster. The bittersweet experience of
going off track is the point of Kerry's work and also the nature of the
experience one has in reading it.
I haven't been to Ireland, so I don't know whether the descriptions are perfectly apt or not. I can say I found them enjoyable to read. It's not fiction, so I don't have to judge
the plausibility of theme and characters.
However, some themes emerge, as do well-rounded characters,
principally the author and her husband, who come to know one another much
better for their wander. The dialogue is
sometimes over-used, but it helps to establish the reader's bond with the
characters.
There are nine chapters with brief titles (such as Underwear
and Walkingsticks ). These derive,
cunningly, from a list she jots down before
the trip of "things I didn't want to forget." I found the first couple of chapters a bit
slow--airports and bags don't interest me.
Chapters I particularly liked were "Walking Boots," which
includes a useful bit on the difference
between a full English and a full Irish breakfast; "Maps," which
delves into the way accents both join and separate people; and
"Underwear," which has some truly beautiful nature descriptions. Though the book remains primarily personal
and doesn't rise to the level of great literary travel writers or
diarists, it's worth reading.
