BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
I’m taking a break from nature to spotlight one of my favorite books of 2025 and present an interview with its author, Orla Mackey. More articles about nature in Chicagoland (including Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve, Markham-Gensburg Prairie, and Garfield Park Conservatory) coming soon.
Small towns are full of secrets, scandals, gossip, long-festering grudges, good love, bad love, resilience, kindness, and grace, and the fictional town of Ballyrowan in Ireland is no exception.
The characters in Mouthing (ISBN-13: 978-0241617298, Hamish Hamilton), by first-time novelist Orla Mackey, tell their stories and those of others in narrative arcs that stretch from 1963 to 2001. Each section tells the stories of several characters from each of their viewpoints over the years. One narrator gradually takes over the rectory and the life of the town’s parish priest after escaping her own servitude at the hands of her brother. One narrator tells his story from beyond the grave, while another becomes so lonely that he brings a cow into his home for company. Another is wracked with guilt after accidentally killing his brother in a farming accident. And one narrator rescues and mothers a neighbor girl whose mother is mentally ill and whose father is having an affair with a young woman.
The characters in Mouthing love to tell their own stories, but they also like to talk smack about loved ones and townsfolk. Others are more forgiving and are simply trying to make sense of the world—and their place in it. I’d never heard the term “mouthing” until I picked up the book. [Author Orla Mackey discusses the term later in this article.]
What struck me most about Mouthing (other than its humor, humanity, and sharp-eyed understanding of the world) was that, in many instances, the truth about a particular incident or relationship is subjective based on who is telling the story. The truth often lies somewhere between the two or more viewpoints conveyed by the narrators. This is reinforced as main characters from earlier sections in the book occasionally appear on the periphery of other stories and their narrators share more observations about them.
Books imitate life. Life is messy. Human beings are complex and sometimes unreliable narrators. And the truths and stories that become codified over time are often built on a rickety framework that sometimes only holds up because there is no one left (or willing) to correct (or add to) the tale.
Mouthing is a thought-provoking, often rip-roaringly funny, and sometimes hard-edged ode to small town life in Ireland, and I was sad to say goodbye to many of its townspeople. It was one of my favorite reads of 2025, and I highly suggest it for those who love both a laugh and are comfortable facing the occasional hard truths and messiness of life. Buy this book! You won’t be disappointed.
You can find more book suggestions in my newly updated article, “Books Make Perfect Stocking Stuffers: Here Are 35+ Suggestions—Ranging From Chicago Area Nature and Cultural Spots to Music, Radio, History, and Fiction”
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Orla Mackey is a writer and teacher based in Kilkenny, Ireland. She studied English Literature in Trinity College, Dublin and was a winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair. Mackey was kind enough to participate in an interview with me about her book, the writing process, and advice for aspiring writers.
Q. What made you want to become a writer?
A. I come from a small village in rural Ireland. The local school had two teachers, teaching children from 5 to 12 years old. While the teacher was moving around, teaching lessons to the different age groups, you had to find something to occupy yourself with. I had a spare copy book and I wrote poems. Other people drew or coloured or plaited hair. I loved how time disappeared when I was writing.
Q. How would you describe Mouthing in a few sentences?
A. Mouthing is the sound of Ballyrowan itself—every whispered slight, every story passed over a half-empty pint, every truth tangled up with a dozen others. It’s a chorus of voices from across the decades, each telling you who did what, who loved who, and what was said about it all, only to make you question your own ears before the next confession.
Q. What was the genesis of the book, and how long did it take to write it?
A. I was a member of a writing group. Every week or so we’d meet and eat and afterwards, we’d write. I wrote short character pieces and I found the people of Ballyrowan during those sessions. It took me a couple of years to bring the voices together. I spent an hour a day writing during Covid and it was that small but consistent practice that made the difference.
Q. Do you have a favorite character (or group of characters) in the book? If so, which one(s) and why?
A. Mona and Joe are my favourite characters. They’re my first born. I almost feel like all of the other characters came from them. I have sympathy and a kind of love for every character in the book because I understand them. When we understand people, we often love them, whether we like them or not.
Q. Can you tell me about your writing process?
A. I’d love to have something different to say here, but unfortunately, my writing only happens in fits and starts. I write a few days here and there over the school holidays (I’m a teacher myself). I occasionally get the opportunity to go on writing retreats to beautiful places like the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig. These times are the most productive for me.
Q. Any advice for aspiring writers?
A. Enter the International Debut Novel Competition with the Irish Writers Centre. I wouldn’t have had the first idea about how to break into this world if it wasn’t for that competition. It changed my life. Go on a writing retreat. You’ll learn so much from other writers. I don’t know if there’s a U.S. equivalent for the Arts Council in Ireland. If there is, register with it and keep up to date with the supports that are out there.
Copyright (book review text): Andrew Morkes
Copyright (interview text): Orla Mackey
Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.
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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES
I’ve been a professional wrestler of words for more than 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I also served as a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school for five years.
My poetry has appeared in Cadence, Wisconsin Review, Poetry Motel, Strong Coffee, and Mid-America Review.
In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 70 teen and young adult-oriented books about college planning and careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, The Vault Guide for High School Juniors and Seniors, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series), Lerner Publishing, and Mason Crest (including Detecting Misinformation on Social Media, Detoxing from Video Games, The After Life, and Sports and STEAM: Arts).
Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:
Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
Environment (Getting Started series)
Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)
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