Secrets and lies
A matriarch’s hidden past begins to emerge on a trip home
HER name was Lola. She was a great-grandmother. At the age of 85 the eccentric Lola Quinlan decides she is going to go home to Ireland – her first time back in 65
years.
In tow on this trip down memory lane are her beloved granddaughter and great-granddaughter.
The lovable and flamboyant Lola, the matriarch of her small Australian family, emigrated Down Under when she was 20.
In her twilight years she is keeping a secret promise to return to her homeland, and while there is an air of excitement, there is also a feeling of fear and uncertainty as she has no idea who or what may be waiting.
Along with her memories, she is also keeping quite a few secrets.
She is hoping the trip may be the perfect time to get these off her chest after decades of hiding the painful truth about why she left Ireland in the first place.
Even after arriving in Ireland, Lola can’t help but wonder whether she is doing the right thing or if it’s just an incredible waste of money.
She is even feeling guilty about lying about where the money for the trip came from in the first place.
Then there is the overly friendly, talkative and very curious driver who was hired to drive them around in Ireland.
While he is only trying to be helpful, he often pokes his nose in further than he should.
Adding to the problem, a family emergency in Australia threatens to derail the visit after only a few days.
Meanwhile, back home in South Australia’s Clare Valley, a TV company has arrived to film a murder mystery set among the vineyards and it has sent locals, including one of Lola’s granddaughters, into a frenzy.
Who is the mystery scriptwriter? And how did he or she find out all their secrets?
The appearance of the star of the show, a famous British actor, also causes much excitement and there are some interesting consequences from an interview gone wrong and the unintentional sharing of a photo.
The Trip of a Lifetime, a bright, bold book by Australian-born,
Dublin-based writer Monica McInerney is a wonderful story about family, about relationships, about the good and bad times and about secrets and lies.
But most of all it is about the true meaning of family and the true meaning of home.