Review The green road – Anne Enright

In The green road Rosaleen Madigan grows up in an upper middle class family in Ireland. When she meets her husband she falls in love and doesn’t care about his lower-class heritage. Rosaleen’s family, however, never understood her passion. A passion she slowly seems to lose when she is married and has children.

Depressed

She finds herself often depressed and spending her days in bed. While the children all find their own way and leave her feeling useless. They see their mom as a drama queen, who needs a lot of attention. When Dan, her darling boy, decides to become a priest her whole world falls apart. Again. And again, her eldest daughter Constance must be the one to pick up the pieces.

Four children

All four children get their say in chapters in the book. It starts with Hannah, still being a child and trying to take care of her mom. Then we follow Dan, who has moved away to New York and Toronto, Emmet is third. He is the one who cares for everyone but the people in his nearest circle. He’d rather spend time in poor countries where babies die from hunger and disease than being around family and friends. Constance has married well, she adores her husband and her children and is a very happy person. But her life seems to be turned upside down.

Christmas

When mom decides it’s time for all of them to get together for an old fashioned family Christmas everything explodes. Emotions run high and fights are wild. Everything revolves around Rosaleen, as always. Then when Rosaleen walks away from home and cannot be found, the family pulls together. Will Rosaleen walk the green road forever with her late-husband or will they find her just in time?

Anne Enright

Winner of many awards, Anne Enright is an Irish writer. Born in 1962 she lives in Dublin en has written many novels. Her Irish upbringing is evident in her novels. Family is important, so is religion and interaction between the people you love.