The Stray Sod Country

Set in 1958, this novel intertwines the lives of various characters in the small town of Cullymore as Laika, the canine cosmonaut, ventures into space. Golly Murray, the barber's wife, develops an obsession with Laika, while Fonsey "Teddy" O'Neill returns home with a newfound swagger, and Father Augustus Hand prepares an ambitious theatrical production. Amidst this backdrop, James A. Reilly grapples with unsettling feelings in his isolated world. With a narratorial presence that influences their fates, the story blends small-town secrets and theatricality, reflecting on the complexities of identity and the darker aspects of the past.