Hands up if you love commercial fiction. My hands are in the air like I just don’t care. I adore it, specifically fiction written by female Irish authors. It’s Maeve Binchy’s fault, Marian Keyes has to take some of the blame, and now, so too does Ruth O’Leary.
Her debut novel, ‘The Weekend Break’, spent a few well-deserved weeks on the Irish Times Bestsellers list last year. Full disclosure, my comedy co-writer Orla Diamantino and I launched Ruth’s debut, and we are thrilled to bits to launch her follow-up novel on the 7th of March 2025. As such, I was privileged to nab an advance copy of ‘A Week to Remember,’ and let it be known that I devoured it within 24 hours.
The book centres around three Irish women in their 30s, 50s, and 60s who cross paths on the famous Camino de Santiago. They chose a 100 km stretch from Sarria, Spain, to the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela.
We meet the three strangers at the departures gate in Dublin airport, each carrying hiking and mental baggage in equal measure. Such is Ruth’s skill as a writer; by the end of chapter one, I already had a clear sense of the three protagonists.
Paula had an anxiety attack at her surprise 60th birthday because the prospect of winding down in her 60s fills her with dread. She’s looking for adventure but is unsure if her partner is on the same page.
Rachel, approaching 40, is stressed. Her personal and professional lives are inextricably linked, and neither is heading in the direction she had anticipated.
Cathy, who recently turned 50, is leaving a complex life crisis in her wake and is trying to figure out how best to move forward.
The three ladies have no connection, but the universe has other ideas. It was effortless to connect with the characters and care about their outcomes. Each needed to park personal dramas and clear their minds, and as the book unfolds, we get the full lowdown on each crisis. Their individual stories felt like a bonus mini-drama within the overall drama. As a reader, I effectively walked the journey with them while they processed a pathway to a solution.
Characters in Ruth’s books typically have an intriguing backstory, and this book is no exception. She deals with complex personal and family issues with a sense of realism and great sensitivity, giving depth to the story, but there’s always room for romance. Let’s just say it wasn’t just the long walks that left the ladies a bit hot under the collar…if you know what I’m sayin’.
The fourth character in this novel is the Camino itself. As research for the book, Ruth took on the same journey and noted in her acknowledgements that if her characters arrived solo and unprepared, she had to do the same. Every café, restaurant and pitstop mentioned in the book is authentic. With acute attention to detail, Ruth discretely and elegantly interweaves the 100 km journey into the narrative based on her lived experience, capturing the landscape, the weather, the sense of camaraderie from fellow pilgrims, as well as the blisters and ice packs.
I’ve always said I wouldn’t mind doing the Camino…but for all the walking. This book may have changed my mind. It’s yet another adventure to add to the bucket list, I guess. But I think bestselling author Faith Hogan sums it up best. She describes the book as “The summer adventure I’d been waiting on, with tons of heart, self-discovery, friendship, and drama along the way.”
I’m firm in my view that this novel deserves a space on the bestsellers list, too. You can grab your copy here, and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did.
Originally published on www.writing.ie
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