The Secrets of Nine Irish Sons: II The Rose Oisín

The Secrets of Nine Irish Sons is an epic, consists of three books. The first volume is subtitled “The Beginning” and the second, “The Rose Oisín.” The stories follow a large fictional family in Aghadoe, Ireland that in today’s world is almost extinct. But in the world I grew up in, large Irish families were many, and great grist for a child’s imagination. There were always secrets!

What was most fascinating about those conversations were the vacillating perspectives that would emerge after each emotion or shocking act was revealed —”I don’t know why she would put up with that?” one would whisper and then lots of ideas would follow on what everyone guessed about the victim’s knowledge or the predator’s circumstances.

In my novels, the family reigns supreme. Commitments to take care of family members aren’t dismissed by unfortunate circumstances, boredom, anger, rejection, loneliness, or hard times. Dreams of a better life are just that—dreams. Desires, ambitions, faults, mistakes, regrets—and every accompanying emotion are held inside. They are things that require personal growth, change, persistence, strong family intervention, discipline, or minimally, are stored away until or unless more advantageous moments emerge. These are things that are predominantly Irish and in our modern society of self-indulgence are often dismissed as emotionally unhealthy.
So while The Secrets of Nine Irish Sons’ books are not unlike typical spy or mystery novels, they are wrapped in a great deal of mental discourse, and each machination reveals the deep sources of internal pain or expectant glory within each individual’s personal destination.

For example, one of the son’s secrets is his passionate admiration for his brothers who he feels are smarter, better looking, physically stronger, and far more successful [and desirable to women] than he is or ever will be—a mere low-wage Latin school teacher in a parochial school. One has to imagine a Matt Damon-like character—a young man who smiles and aims to please and yet shies away from the spotlight. None of his brothers would ever suspect that Teddy feels he is not their equal or that they are in any way superior. Writing about the quiet torments of this young adult who is still seeking a way to prove himself to his family is an example of many of the internal challenges we all know. For Teddy, he continues to use the childhood skills he developed learning Latin conjugations to organize and memorize large amounts of clues that the rest of the family does not keep up with, as if it is his personal responsibility to do what he does best. His continuous ambition to be something more and yet, continue on the same road he has always been on is one of the mysteries of life that we all experience. As Joyce said, “We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves.” Despite his insecurities, like most of us, he continues his trek towards his dreams without validation as if he will recognize some super hero change in himself. He will not, but his family will. And just as all secrets weirdly compound themselves, the recognition and praise they privately discuss about him is cached into new secrets.

That example is just one of many dozens of secrets weaved into the book’s mysteries behind various criminal plots and strange behaviors. None can be explained fully, no more than one could understand why one human being is willing to save a stranger’s life and yet another, will recklessly destroy a person’s life out of unconscionable greed and selfishness. What is meant to happen is for the reader to meet up with him or herself on occasion and enjoy the coincidence.