BY THE HOB
A novel by Kevin Dooley
(Ottawa: Baico, 2006)

Michael Kevin Dooley, Irish born and bred, came to Canada in 1977 after 11 years at sea and living in Britain, Australia and South Africa. A work life as a Machinist and Marine Engineer followed, including service in the Coast Guard until a work injury ended it. Writing, long an avocation with many stories and novels written by hand, is now his vocation.

The story of common men and women struggling to realize their dreams and surmount adversities, drives this writer. Having had a hard row to hoe himself, Dooley’s characters are reality-based with no pulled punches.

In BY THE HOB, Patrick and Mary weave their often separate ways through unspeakable circumstances and social conditions in the sea-ports of the world. Both carry the daemons of a poor Irish upbringing, yet ferociously oppose the injustices and cruelty that block their way towards surviving with a family in an uncaring world. His women, singly and in groups, in all their variety, are almost real to the touch. His characters are driven by their situations and their situations are tough and very real.

Dooley’s style is melodic, understated at times, yet seduces the reader further and further into the dark tributaries of this couples’ life journey. Patrick’s almost surreal experiences counterpoint Mary’s down-to-earth methods of problem- solving.

The themes and settings are recognizable in Irish heritage and history in both the Hibernian world and in the Diaspora. The writing is fast-paced, intense and compelling.

This is a great read for those who enjoy a good hard dose of reality with their fiction and for all who enjoy the triumph of the human spirit.
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