Anam Cara
an excerpt

About my Novel:
This novel started coming together in my head in about 1985. Much of the main characters experience comes from the experiences of those I watched from the sidelines, but in the end, they are, at most, composite characters rather than based on any real people.
My story begins in the Summer of 1981, when Carol and her family move to a small island off the New England Coast. She is out of place, and a bit forgotten by her family, who are all focused on their own goals. Mickey is a lifelong islander, popular and outgoing, but as sixth in a family of eight children feels a bit lost in the shuffle of his loving family.
While waiting for their sisters to finish basketball camp, the two form a kind of friendship. During that first year, it turns to a type of tendre, and as they get older, it turns to flirtation and then love.
This story is not without its tragedies. Carol’s whole home life is just short of a tragedy to start with, and the illnesses and deaths of some family members are more than most families have to face. The story of the O’Briens, while not as tragic as the Kelleys, is still full of its share of hardships. And then as Carol and Mickey try to make a life for themselves, they are faced with more tragedy, which forces them to grow up at a very early age.
To this day, over twenty years later both in real time and in their story, Mickey and Carol O’Brien often face adversity which makes them stronger. I hesitate to categorize this story. It is a romance, I suppose, but is more about the ongoing drama – the triumphs and tragedies – of their lives.