The Old Trading Store - by Joe O'Flaherty (Paperback)

About the Book

A sweeping Irish family saga of love, ambition, betrayal, and resilience in mid-century rural Ireland, from the trading store to the pub and beyond.

Book Synopsis

The Old Trading Store is a richly detailed saga of Irish life in the mid-20th century. Following the Flanagan family of Cody's Cross, the book explores ambition, resilience, and betrayal in a small town where the trading store and the local bar are the heartbeat of the community. Packed with vivid characters, rural traditions, and the tensions of modernisation, it is a book that celebrates Ireland's enduring spirit.

Step back into mid-20th-century rural Ireland, where family honour, gossip, and ambition collide. The Old Trading Store follows Bill and Hanna Flanagan, pillars of Cody's Cross, as they struggle to balance the demands of a thriving hardware store, the lure of bar ownership, and the hidden costs of ambition.

From bare-knuckle brawls and horse trading to the tensions of after-hours pubs and the watchful eye of the Gardaí, this sweeping saga explores love, betrayal, resilience, and the price of survival in a close-knit community. At its heart is Jonsie, the restless son who runs from school to Scotland, stumbling into danger, deception, and fleeting connections that could change his life forever.

Rich in Irish tradition, humour, and tragedy, this novel paints a vivid portrait of a town caught between old ways and modern temptations. Perfect for fans of Patrick McCabe (The Butcher Boy), Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes), and Edna O'Brien (The Country Girls), The Old Trading Store captures the heart and soul of Ireland's storytelling tradition.