Strangers at Lisconnel is a heartwarming novel that transports readers to the quaint Irish village of Lisconnel. Jane Barlow's descriptive prose truly brings the rugged landscape and close-knit community to life, making it easy to imagine oneself walking the streets alongside the characters.

The story follows the arrival of two strangers to Lisconnel, the schoolteacher Miss Honor Blake and the artist Lionel Gwynn. The villagers are wary of these outsiders at first, but as they gradually become part of the community, they learn valuable lessons about acceptance, forgiveness, and the power of friendship.

Barlow's characters are richly drawn and relatable, each facing their own personal struggles and growth throughout the novel. The relationships that develop between the villagers and the newcomers are moving and authentic, making it impossible not to become invested in their fates.

Overall, Strangers at Lisconnel is a beautifully written tale of love, loss, and the bonds that connect us all. Barlow's vivid descriptions and engaging storytelling make this a novel that is sure to stay with readers long after they have turned the final page. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a captivating and immersive read.

Book Description:
Strangers at Lisconnel is a sequel to Jane Barlow’s Irish Idylls. The locations and most of the characters are common to both. There is great humor and concomitantly a certain melancholy in most of these stories of the most rural of rural places in Ireland. Although of a higher social class than her characters, Our Jane seems to have a touch of softness in her heart for their utter simplicity, abject poverty and naiveté. From the following brief example of dialogue, can be seen that Ms Barlow could only have come to write these words after having heard them countless times in person: Mrs. Kilfoyle: "I declare, now, you'd whiles think things knew what you was manin' in your mind, and riz themselves up agin it a' purpose to prevint you, they happen that conthráry." Although Jane Barlow did not consider her poetry worthwhile, the rythmn and music of her prose is magical to the ear.