Valentino McKelvie

The village of Sperrin in Ireland during the Second World War sees the lives of six people become inextricably intertwined, with far-reaching consequences for each of them: 

— Valentino McKelvie, whose loss of sight does not hinder his perpetual search for sexual liaisons.

— Emma Johnston, a young English woman exiled to Sperrin because of a family scandal.

— Sir Kenneth Montgomery, the local magnate and owner of the town’s linen mill, now given over to making parachutes for the war.

— Eleanor Montgomery, Sir Kenneth’s wife, who leads a lonely life in the big house at Mill Brae, grieving over her inability to have children.

— Kryzsztof Walenski, a young Polish man sent by his father to Ireland to avoid the war.

— Kate Reilly, Sir Kenneth’s secretary.

In telling this fascinating story of passion and deception, Michael O’Kane demonstrates a remarkable talent for bringing his characters to life as well as an ability to create an evocative picture of time and place.