The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

A Four-Star Review

Decades ago, I received my B.A. in English Literature and Language, with a concentration in Irish Literature. I benefited from professors at Creighton University who were experts in Irish history and literature, spanning from ancient to contemporary authors and poets. That education led me to love the Irish and—magically—get to spend a summer at Trinity College where I met some of the writers we talked about.

Despite not being back in the classroom or on the Emerald Isle since the early 2000s, I got the chance to travel in my imagination by reading The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue. It’s a wonderful novel about friendship, young adulthood, and discovering love, all while being an Irish woman in the 21st century.

Summary of The Rachel Incident (No Spoilers)

Rachel Murray is walking through life as a University College Cork student, unsure of what her English degree will do for her other than let her read books, which she loves. The same goes for her part-time job at a bookstore. She lives a simple life but is keenly aware of the recession in Ireland as her parents’ dental practice is faltering and no jobs are on the horizon.

But when James Devlin takes a temp job at the bookstore, everything changes for Rachel. They become fast friends and flatmates, and after concocting a plan to get Rachel’s crush, Professor Fred Byrne, to the bookstore, their lives become intertwined with Dr. Byrne and his wife.

Both Rachel and James, who is hiding a secret but not as well as he thinks he is, find and lose love, build dreams, and make defining decisions along the way during this one year of their lives, but most importantly, they develop what’s most important: a friendship.

What I Enjoyed About The Rachel Incident

As a contemporary Irish novel, The Rachel Incident addresses key discussion points within Ireland: reproductive rights and economic recession. From Rachel’s job talking to women who have to travel to England to secure abortions to Dr. Byrne’s obsession with the Potato Famine and the lack of jobs in the current economy, Ms. O’Donoghue brings Irish political discourse into real focus with her plot and characters’ experiences.

The relationships drive The Rachel Incident and make it a compelling read. All of the characters make questionable decisions at one point or another, whether through lies or neglect or coercion. However, forgiveness and loyalty prevail as they recognize that friendship and love are most important.

Rachel is an engaging narrator with a witty but honest view of herself. She tells the story of the incident in the past tense, looking back from 12 years later, but she keeps her role in the story as neutral as possible. I appreciated this because she doesn’t try to be the heroine, nor does she try to explain away her actions.

My Final Thoughts About The Rachel Incident

The Rachel Incident took me back to my Irish literature days, and I’m thankful for that. It is a book to read if you want to experience flawed but loyal friendship in a vivid setting. Rachel and James will latch on to you much like they did to each other, and you’ll be satisfied with their friendship arc. Overall, this is a good novel that reaffirms how real friendship should be.