Rory & Ita

Rory and Ita Doyle are Roddy Doyle's parents, a remarkable pair whose memories make up almost the entirety of this book, veteran Irish novelist Roddy Doyle's first work of non-fiction. Roddy's only address to the reader is in the short, paragraph-long preface. The remainder of the book is essentially a verbatim account of his parents' lives, recounted in the first person in turn and supplemented by footnotes where necessary. It may not sound like much, but this is one of the liveliest biographies published this year. The evidence on the page suggests that Rory and Ita are formidable raconteurs with prodigious memories. In every detail, whether it's the cut of the clothes they wore as children in Terenure or the midges that bit them in Bayside, their stories are rich with detail and wholehearted emotion. Broadly speaking, Ita tells mainly of family and neighbours whereas Rory remembers their lives together, his career as a printer, teacher and organizational executive, and the changing political lie of the land. Every page is a revelation, tender and in good humour. Heartbreaking moments, like the loss of their prematurely born baby, bump elbows with instances of near-surreal hilarity. Together they span about 80 years of personal history set against an Ireland just coming into itself. It has been a good life for both of them, and Roddy Doyle aims to celebrate that goodness. After a spell in hospital following a heart attack, a priest asks Rory if he'd like to take confession. He replies, 'No. At this stage in my life, all the sins I'd like to commit, I've neither the money nor the inclination for.' Together, the Doyles make this book a joy to read, and a remarkable tribute to ordinary virtues. (Kirkus UK)