I love Monica McInerney’s books. The first one I read was The Alphabet Sisters which was a beautiful story about the complex relationships between sisters. A sequel, Lola’s Secret, was a big disappointment but The Trip of a Lifetime seals off the trilogy perfectly.
Lola Quinlan, Grandmother of the eponymous Alphabet Sisters from the first book, decides she needs to return to her homeland of Ireland after 65 years living in Australia. There are skeletons rattling in the family closet she feels she needs to revisit.
Like many of my favourite books, McInerney’s strength is not in her prose but in the heart with which she imbues the characters and the plot. Lola’s lifetime of heartaches and joys are believable and engaging. The underlying mystery is a simple one but it is all the more realistic as a result.
The plotline revolves around the various family relationships we all need to negotiate – parents, children, grandparents, siblings, in-laws and friends that fulfill familial roles. There is a perfect mix of comedy and pathos.
This is a book which can be read as a standalone. However, if you have already read and loved The Alphabet Sisters, you are sure to love this one too.
