The Banyan Tree, by Christopher Nolan (Phoenix, £6.99 in UK)

Set in Westmeath and spanning the century, this is a beautiful, engaging and profound story of one woman's life. Minnie O'Brien's destiny is settled when she sells a mousetrap to a kindly man who walks into her father's shop. Peter proves a fine husband and the pair are set for a long partnership based on love and trust. Christopher Nolan's Under the Eye of the Clock won the 1987 Whitbread Book of the Year. For all its linguistic daring, I found that a dense, difficult book because of his relentless forcing of language. This textured marvel, some 12 years in the writing, succeeds brilliantly through that same daring use of language, this time an earthy and inventive one. There are many wonderful set pieces, particularly the opening sequence in which Minnie embarks on bringing about "a miracle" with a butter churn. From young mother to ancient widow patrolling the five

fields of a farm neither of her sons were interested in, likeable Minnie survives. The story, told through a dreamy third person, is rich and human, full of domestic incident, physical work, the raising of children and memory. Minnie never loses her sense of wonder and, as an old lady, is bewildered at the years that have passed. Many Irish novels have been over-praised, none has been as seriously under-rated as this mature, atmospheric narrative which is as subtle as it is simple, and is also a vivid portrait of a rural world which is disappearing.