The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes
by Anna McPartlin (Transworld Publishers)
I’ve long thought that Ireland has produced some of the greatest writers of any nation. Oscar Wilde, for instance, with his biting wit, and Roddy Doyle are quite brilliant.
Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, Bram Stoker and Samuel Beckett all studied at Dublin’s Trinity College. Nobel Prize-winning poet, William Yeats, was an Irishman and the ghost of Dubliner, James Joyce, is said to haunt a local pub.
Still not convinced? Try reading Anna McPartlin’s The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes.
The author, apparently inspired by Doyle’s The Barrytown Trilogy was halfway through The Snapper when she made the decision to get off the stage and focus on storytelling.
McPartlin’s previous incarnation as a stand-up comedian has left an indelible mark and despite the cancer diagnosis received by the central character, this outstanding book begins with an upbeat blog entry by Rabbit (Mia) Hayes, which sets the tone for a wonderful celebration of her life.
It’s not often one gets to laugh in the face of death, but that is precisely what this author achieves, a heart-warming, poignant novel that elicits both laughter and the odd tear. But don’t think of this novel as maudlin – it is anything except that.
We meet Rabbit (Mia) Hayes as her mother takes her to the hospice in the last stage of her four-year struggle with cancer.
Rabbit is beginning to accept the idea of her imminent death, but we are privy also, to the emotional upheaval of her parents, Molly and Jack, who desperately hope for some “stay of execution”, as it were.
The story is told from several points of view, including those of her brother and sister; her 12-year-old daughter and others, such as her nephews and friends.
The characters are all beautifully drawn and their dialogue is so well-written, it feels as if you’re right there in the bosom of this chaotic, but lovable bunch, who are learning to deal with the inevitability of heartbreak.
McPartlin switches with ease from past to present – showing, through each character, that coping with grief and suffering differs from person to person and that no matter how close the family members may be, each must come to terms with it in their own unique way.
The fear, sadness, anger, but also hope, are palpable. And the humour, warmth, spirituality in some cases, and love of this tight-knit Irish clan makes an untenable situation more bearable as they come to an agreement on what will happen to Rabbit’s daughter after she is gone.
From what I’ve read, it is obvious why McPartlin claims she “loses all concept of time” when she writes.
Her imagery is moving, but also filled with mirth
She is capable of melting even the stoniest of hearts with her take on the death of a family member. I was rapt from start to finish and did not want to put it down, no matter how interesting the conversation around me.
Judging by the soulful quality of this novel, I can only imagine she was so engrossed that if it were left to her, her pets may have gone hungry for the duration of the writing of The Last Days…