“To be in a moment completely, you think, like this, now, is the essence of living, and if only it could be taught, or if only you could learn it, like an alphabet, and repeat it over and over to music, so each moment that passes would be whole, and you could live it entirely, swallowing the sounds of it, the tastes and nuances of it, then you could stop whatever it is that draws you into the dredges of memory, taking you further and further away from now.”
The Language of Remembering, by Patrick Holloway, tells two interconnected stories set across distinct timelines. In the Now we have a young man, Oisín, returning to his hometown in western Ireland after building a life for himself in Brazil. He brings with him a wife, Nina, and their young daughter, Ailish. They have chosen to move half way round the world, away from Nina’s wider family, because Oisín’s mother, Brigid, has early onset Alzheimer’s and is deteriorating.
The second story being told, Then, focuses on Brigid when a teenager. She is in the throws of first love with James, who is a talented soccer player and her school mate. The life Brigid dreams of – university and then work in academia – is thrown into turmoil when she realises she is pregnant. Abortion would mean a trip to England that is beyond her family’s means. Carrying the baby will bring with it shame and condemnation from church and community.
Chapters alternate between Now and Then over the course of a couple of years. Oisín struggles with guilt, manifesting as something akin to dissociation. Nina can see he is struggling but has her own issues to contend with. She puts up with a great deal given her husband’s selfish and furtive behaviour.
Brigid worries that James will not stand by her, and is at times unsure if being with him is what she wants anyway. They are still children themselves and have little autonomy. In the village where they live their furious parents are as affected by their children’s actions as they are.
The threads show an Ireland through various lenses: church, state, community, music, language. The writing style is somehow both raw and lyrical. The lives being woven keep the reader invested. This is fine storytelling.
The author depicts the effects of Alzheimer’s with skill. Oisín comes across as weak – although he clearly suffered a particular trauma as a child – wanting now to do more for his mother but unable to face how she has changed. The main female characters across both timelines have more strength and depth. I would have liked more on how Nina felt about leaving Brazil but her loyalty and willingness to support her husband are made clear.
None of this highlights fully what a pleasure this book was to read. In a time when holding attention can be challenging I was always eager to find out what happened next. Yet the stories are nothing like genre fiction – more typical page turners. Indeed, a couple of the characters enjoy that they know unusual and complex words in their conversation. This is depicted skilfully as eagerness to learn, to expand knowledge, rather than an affectation. It works within context, especially as a foil to Brigid’s Alzheimer’s.
Another literary treasure from the tiny powerhouse that is époque press. A debut that has me eager to read whatever the author publishes next.
The Language of Remembering is published by époque press.
