READ THIS: It Started With Paris by Mover and Shaker, Awesome Author Cathy Kelly Our Coverage Sponsored by Maine Woolens
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America, do we have your full attention? It pains us to see that our friend Cathy Kelly is a number ONE bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia, yet we see one country missing from that list: ours. We have yet to meet Cathy in person but have become friends across the pond because of her phenomenal writing ability in the great Irish literary tradition. If you think Hozier sounds fantastic, wait until you crack open It Started with Paris. Keep in mind that Hozier and Cathy are probably drinking from the same spring in County Wicklow...why do we love Cathy? Let us count the ways.
Cathy's dual prowess in understanding the fundamentals of people and spinning a fine tale with these characters intertwined is her gift to the world for you to enjoy. She combines the plot with Cathy Kelly-esque fairydust with carpe diem: "Life wasn't to be thought about. It was to be grabbed." (p. 263) (Note from the editor: Page numbers are based on the UK Edition, which is the one we've reviewed.)
Cathy is not a one-hit wonder. We believe this is her third book review we've published on, and we anticipate the arrival of one of her newest with high enthusiasm, and when we close the last page, we think it's even better than we had hoped. Not too many people exceed picky Peachy's expectations; at best, most meet them. When we cracked open It Started with Paris, we read it cover to cover one day because Peachy could not put it down. Cathy's plots are superior, her characters jump out of the page at you, and you genuinely want to know what happens to them so you turn off your phone and computer and turn on your inner Kelly.
What makes Cathy better? Her melodic word choice makes the story flow in a superior fashion, particularly the character descriptions:
"...the woman cowering behind the carapace of professionalism" (p. 19), and this book even possesses the Eiffel Tower effect.
She's wise. Cathy has great life insight quotes herself and has them by others she collects, both of which she weaves into the tale: "I will remember always that marriage, like life, is a journey, not a destination - and that its treasures are found not just at the end but along the way." (p.86)
"Better a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred within."Proverbs 15:17
"There really was no fool like an old fool." (p. 296)
"There was never any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate. -Robert Frost" (p.312)
Cathy also has a unique ability to make you believe that supreme, glistening happiness in all life aspects is possible through the stories of her characters, whose lives are not always as idyllic as you might imagine in Ireland. She shows the good and bad in her characters as lovely shades of gray, and she's got a lot more than fifty. Cathy's grays are silver, and they shine.
We imagine writing non-fiction to be more straightforward; we imagine writing fiction to be quite a challenge to do well. Many novels can be ridiculously sacchariney-sweet; Cathy Kelly sprinkles the evil and overjoyous moments sparingly, for maximum impact.
Americans: if you have not been to Ireland, know that cash desk means register, and worked out means deduced rather than referring to physical activity. The Bridgeport in Ireland that she refers to in this book sounds like it is quite different from the one in Connecticut and we're not talking geographically. We were pleased to see Brookline referenced as it is just down the road from the best Irish Catholic school in America founded in 1863 by Irish Immigrants, now having a campus on St. Stephens Green in Dublin also, Boston College.
Cathy, we do have a suggestion though. How about living here for awhile and writing on Manhattan? We'd like to see how the setting impacts your writing. For example, you write on page 32 that [someone in Ireland would not dare] "buy vodka and chicken nuggets for dinner, else it would be round the town in a moment." (p. 32) In New York, you have a lot more anonymity and you could do this, and if you do, may we suggest Star Vodka (American!) and The Milton's Truffle Chicken Nuggets (Irish), both of which you'd be proud to see consuming. Also, the Birdie character would not hate shopping if she was in New York. And, the one that says: "There's something very comforting about at dinner at home, Much better than being in a fancy restaurant..." (p.299) No. We protest! This character maybe has not read Peachy's Picks, the column where Peachy recommends restaurants.
It Started with Paris is the latest and greatest treasure by Cathy AND WILL BE PUBLISHED IN AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN APRIL 2015! So, you can continue your St. Patrick's Day celebration in another month; we believe every day is St. Patrick's Day. America, please make it your goal to make Cathy #1 in the USA because she's earned it.
It Started With Paris is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know! Make it yours in April 2015, America!
Cathy Kelly was featured as a Mover and Shaker in 2012:
and as an Awesome Author in 2013:
Our review of The House on Willow Street:
Our review of The Honey Queen:
The truth:
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It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend, cheered on by delighted tourists. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Bridgeport, Ireland...
Leila’s been nursing a badly broken heart since her love-rat husband just upped and left her one morning, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride.
Vonnie, a widow and exceptional cake-maker, is just daring to let love back into her life, although someone seems determined to stop it.
And Grace, a divorced head teacher, finds the impending wedding of her son means that she’s spending more time with her ex-husband. After all those years apart, is it possible she’s made a mistake?
With her warmth and insight, Cathy Kelly weaves a delightful tale spinning out from a once-in-a-lifetime moment, drawing together a terrific cast of characters who feel like old friends. It Started With Paris is the sparkling new novel from No.1 bestseller Cathy Kelly.
Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of books in print. A No.1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia, her trademark is warm Irish storytelling about modern life, always with an uplifting message, sense of community and strong female characters at the heart.
She lives with her family and their three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland. She is also an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS. Find out more at www.cathykelly.com
