Mr Lynch's Holiday by Catherine O'Flynn

 

Dermot Lynch turns up unexpectedly to visit his son, Eamonn, and his partner, Laura, in the Spanish resort of Lomaverde. Upon his arrival, he discovers that things are not as he expected.

A few years ago there seemed to be a spate of books about Brits abandoning the rat race and relocating to France and Spain. In these books, the main characters found that not everything was as easy as they expected but through perseverance and integration with the local community, they were able to solve their problems and find the lifestyle they were seeking. In Mr Lynch's Holiday, my book group read for June, author Catherine O'Flynn has written the antithesis of these stories.

Retired and recently widowed Dermot Lynch makes an unannounced visit to his son in Spain. Eamonn and his partner had decided that relocating to Spain would offer them the work/life balance they truly wanted. They could both work remotely from the newly established resort of Lomaverde. When Dermot arrives he discovers that things aren't as rosy as he had expected. The resort is a half-built ghost town, populated by a few Europeans who had sunk their money into buying property they now couldn't sell. Eamonn is also alone as Laura has walked out and returned to the UK. A despondent Eamonn has buried his head in the sand, refusing to accept what is happening around him.

I found the story quite sad, there is a clear message that the grass isn't always greener. The thought of investing all of your money in a property that becomes virtually worthless is daunting. While the few residents remaining have tried to make the best of the situation you feel that it is a mask to try and cover up how they really feel. Eamonn in particular feels a sense of hopelessness and inertia.

Thankfully, Dermot is of a different generation. He's one of those characters who refuses to be beaten by life's adversities. If Dermot can't solve a problem immediately he'll do research or seek help. He's also willing to get involved and not be judgmental about people.

Over the fortnight of Dermot's visit, we see a father and son who struggled to communicate slowly realise that they are both quite similar and dealing with similar issues, just at different times in their lives. The conclusion was a fitting solution for both father and son.

Author Details

Catherine O’Flynn grew up in a sweet shop. She is a former child-detective who failed to ever solve a crime. Catherine lives in Birmingham with her husband and two daughters. She’s the author of three novels for grown-ups and her adult novel What Was Lost was the winner of the Costa First Novel Award and the Newcomer Award at the Nibbies.