Some years ago I was listening to a book review programme and when the guest author was asked to name her favourite literary writers she named 2 that would certainly be on the top of every readers list, and then surprisingly the name of David Park was mentioned…..”one of Northern Ireland’s finest undiscovered literary talents”......I wanted to find out more… As a Northern Ireland expat residing in mainland UK I was suddenly very interested to discover the works and possibly the writing genius of this retired school teacher turned author. Two stories in particular caught my attention: Travelling in a Strange land…a father driving to Sunderland in midwinter to collect his son. The journey through the cold, stark snowy landscape allows him the solitude and time to reflect on his past life…Swallowing the sun, a fathers unconditional love for his daughter with a tear filled emotional conclusion. Now the question is would Ghost Wedding have the same breathtaking prose? There are two different timelines in Ghost Wedding and both are separated by 100 years. George Allenby, an architect by occupation, is charged with the task of constructing a large lake in the grounds of a wealthy landowner overlooked by a spectacular Irish Manor house. The time is post WW1 and George, like many returning, damaged soldiers, is haunted by the traumatic experience, the needless fighting, the untold dead, the never ending mud in filthy rat infested trenches. He is a man full of self doubt questioning his actions as an army officer in the blood soaked fields of France. He is able however to find some solace in the arms of Cora who is employed as a maid in the manor house. It possibly strikes him as strange that shovelling mud and soil, to construct a lake, has now become a positive healing force a long way removed from the dead and dying in France. Now step forward 100 years to the marriage of Alex & Allie, who have chosen as their wedding venue, the lake house which occupies a prime position adj to George Allenby’s masterful lakeside creation. We follow the wedding preparation and learn of Alex’s fears and a terrible secret he holds, which if he discloses to Allie may destroy their future life together before it has even commenced. The novel explores themes of love, the happiness and heartache it can hide, betrayal and trust, what should be said or possibly left unsaid. As with all David Park novels these connections between past and present are very human and resonate with the reader. The author understands what it is to be human, what it is to be filled with doubt, love and happiness, not everything concludes as we desire but somehow we survive. This is wonderful thoughtful writing, beautiful prose with not a word wasted. Highly recommended.

Ireland, 1920s. George Allenby is put in charge of creating a lake and boat house in the grounds of the Remington family’s imposing manor house. It is an unenviable task plagued by bad weather and the mud makes the job even harder for George, who is haunted by his time in the trenches during the Great War and the ghosts of the men they lost. All he wants is to finish, go home to Belfast and forget. A century later, Alex and Ellie book the Boat House of the Manor House Hotel for the wedding, known as ‘the ghost house’ by everyone who works there. But Alex is haunted by his own ghost and regrets of a night years earlier. As the wedding approaches, his guilt deepens. He longs to unburden himself but knows that if he confesses then he risks losing everything. Hopeful, moving, and thought-provoking, Ghost Wedding is a poignant and lingering story about the ways in which our past can haunt our present. David Park showcases himself to be a masterful storyteller with exquisitely written prose and by moving between timelines and narrators to create a storyline that is inextricably interwoven. It is a story that is deeply human, exploring the aftermath of our choices and how we can be haunted by guilt. He examines how these so-called eponymous ghosts can affect our present and our future, shaping our destiny in ways that can be devastating. Beautiful and affecting, I highly recommend this novel. Just make sure you are emotionally prepared before you start.