from sue

10th August 2026

Review: Where Are The Kings – by Donal Ryan

Location ***

Content ****

Settings: Tipperary and Kerry, Ireland

I’m seriously conflicted about my verdict on the book Where Are The Kings by prize-winning author, Donal Ryan. Most  of the book is pure magic. It’s a coming-of-age novel that’s set in rural Ireland in the 1990s, though it is almost timeless. Jack Frištenský is a 12-year-old boy trying to come to terms with his grief after a family tragedy. It’s written in the third person, with the narrator being privy to Jack’s innermost thoughts. Donal Ryan does a superb job of depicting Jack’s confusion and grief. As a reader you only gradually come to realise how badly the boy is affected by his circumstances. Meanwhile the author draws you into the boy’s suffering and we witness the extraordinary love and tenderness that his family bestows on Jack, despite sustaining their bluff appearance.

 The history of the family is also slowly revealed, as the author skilfully weaves their past into the events that Jack is experiencing. My only gripe is with the ending: on a first read I found it confusing and unsatisfying. On re-reading the final pages, I feel more generously disposed to the way the author depicts the outcome, and I can see that he is reflecting Jack’s inner turmoil and the tipping point when he finally commits to resolving his pain.

 I loved the characters in this book – to a certain extent they are caricatures of what you might expect rural Irish folk to be, but they are so much more complex and loveable than simply that. After his mother’s death, Jack has gone to live with his maternal grandparents, aunt and uncles in their home, a former farmstead-cum-mechanics business in rural Tipperary. It contrasts with the housing estate in Nenagh that was formerly his home. The entire structure of his life changes, and even school has become optional. The bickering and ancient grudges within the Connell family are set against their fierce loyalty to each other when it comes to outsiders. Jack is failing to deal with his grief and there are moments of hilarity when he finds the only way to distract himself from his intense feelings is through inappropriate laughter and lascivious thoughts about his vivacious young aunt.

Jack’s father, Tom, is an occasional presence in his life. Jack loves him and relishes his infrequent visits, despite the disruption they cause (as the Connells aren’t always pleased to see him). Jack looks back fondly on the stories and clever bits of information his father has shared with him over the years. Jack’s uncles also play a key role in nurturing the boy as he settles in to his new life. Though in many ways they are a bad influence with their swearing and bawdy behaviour, they try to protect him from past events. Jack sees their good intentions but is puzzled about what it is that they are protecting him from. Jack is curious but passive; never taking the obvious step of actually asking questions about his past.

I think it’s fair to say that the author focuses more on characterisation than on setting for this novel. Nevertheless, the key locations are clearly depicted and it’s easy to create a visual image of the scenes, whether that’s the uncles’ backyard car mechanics business, the forest leading down to the pebbly shores of a lake or the “posh”  houses around Jack’s parents’ house in Nenagh. Like everything else, the actual locations are only slowly revealed – the mark of a good author in that they don’t tell you everything at the outset but sometimes a little frustrating! The action of the book is sprinkled with snippets of local history and the everyday rituals that the community observes – both religious and secular – which firmly root the book in its setting.

So my verdict? A lively and engaging book that’s bursting with extraordinary characters, and a unique setting. Does the ending do them justice? Over to you!

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