If You Could See Me Now

November 28, 2005
In her third novel, Ahern (P.S., I Love You
and Love, Rosie
) employs an imaginary best friend to breathe distinctiveness into an otherwise stereotypical Irish tale. Living in her own house in a small, posh Irish town, 35-year-old Elizabeth Egan is an uptight interior designer and adoptive mother to her six-year-old nephew, Luke, whose mother, Elizabeth's 23-year-old sister, Saoirse, prefers boozing to parenting. Saoirse's behavior reminds Elizabeth of a painful past—the alcoholic mother who abandoned the family, leaving Elizabeth to care for her baby sister and forgo her own childhood, and the emotionally distant, controlling father still waiting for his wife's return. Unlike the other women in her family, Elizabeth adheres to a fastidiously well-ordered existence—no mess, no complications, no love. But all that changes with the arrival of Ivan, a goofy and spontaneous man intent on infusing much-needed fun and tenderness into Elizabeth's frigid persona. The catch is no one can see this ageless man from the land of "Ekam Eveileb" save Elizabeth and her nephew. Through Ivan, Elizabeth becomes the woman she's always been too afraid to be. He helps her reclaim the childhood she never had and, most importantly, to forgive those who have let her down. Ahern tempers heartbreak with hope and playfulness in this uplifting, sentimental tale.

Living in an Irish village and raising her young nephew, Luke, isn't what interior designer Elizabeth Egan imagined, but she accepts her fate--until she meets Luke's not so imaginary friend, Ivan, and everything changes! Resonant with the charm and melancholy of Ireland, Susan Lynch's characterization is the strongest aspect of her reading, and her interpretation of rigid, emotionally repressed Elizabeth almost makes her likable. Equally impressive is Rupert Degas's performance as Ivan. The joy and warmth infusing his voice are contagious, and his comic timing is impeccable--particularly in the scenes involving Ivan's otherworldly cohorts. Also notable is the moody Celtic-flavored score, which helpfully denotes time passing or a flashback. C.E.W. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine