84. The Barracks by John McGahern

Marrying a widower with three young children was not what Elizabeth Reegan thought she would do with her life. Working as a nurse in London after World War II, she thought she would live her life alone and without love. After marrying her husband, she moves to Ireland to live with her new family in the 1950’s. A frustrated policeman, her husband wants to turn to peat farming and seems emotionally removed from not only Elizabeth, but also his three children. When Elizabeth learns that she has breast cancer, the family’s life changes forever.

Although usually very reserved in her life, Elizabeth confronts her impending death with bravery and determination. Beautifully written, this novel originally written by Irish author McGahern in 1963 just had a U.S. publication a few years ago. The bleakness of the Irish bogs and the hard life of the Reegan family shortly after the War adds to the melancholy of the novel, as does Elizabeth’s lack of bonding with her stepchildren. Her death scene is one of the most strongly written ones I have read in awhile and was extremely effective and emotional. Author McGahern died in 2006 and was known for his detached writing style depicting rural Irish life.