Flanagan Soup
2022-03-17
The family that dines together, stays together.
Tom Flanagan comes to the Ottawa Valley from Dublin after the Second World War. He starts an automotive service centre in a small town and marries local resident Annie O'Reilly. Tom sires children Patrick, Maureen and Ciarán.
The government tries to shut down the new service centre. Tom attends a risqué bachelor party. A spectacular wedding is celebrated by the whole town. A family tragedy causes Annie to come undone. A captivating climax takes place in a blizzard.
Flanagan Soup chronicles the sensational life of a family striving to achieve health, happiness and prosperity in Canada. This book also illustrates the shift in the Canadian landscape over 70 years from a land of opportunity to a society fraught with difficulty and struggle.
The resilience of the human spirit is celebrated in the Flanagan family's quest for life, love and happiness.
Price
Digital Edition
$29.99 CAD
Purchase includes two formats: an e-book and a mobile-friendly PDF.
Flanagan Soup is an e-book. An e-book is an ePub – "electronic publication" – file. This is the industry standard file format for e-books.
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The Flanagan Soup mobile-friendly PDF format features colour, large font sizes and ample line spacing. It makes for an easy and pleasurable read. It also contains accessibility features.
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Digital Edition
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Excerpts
Although Tom ate most of his meals at the Beresford Hotel dining room, he occasionally purchased a few items from the Killaloe General Store. While in it one day in August, he came across a young woman of average height with curly brown hair and spectacles holding a clipboard and studying items on the store shelves.
Tom motioned past her in the aisle, muttering, "Excuse me."
"And who might you be?" the young woman spat out.
Tom looked at her in surprise. He was not accustomed to being spoken to so directly by young women.
"Tom Flanagan," he answered, "not that it's any of your business, lass."
"I make it my business to become acquainted with everyone who shops in my father's store," the young woman replied, studying Tom intensely.
An awkward moment passed and then the young woman held out a stretched arm to shake Tom's hand.
"Annie O'Reilly," she offered by way of introduction. "And an Irishman you are, too, no less!" she added.
Tom shook her hand and studied her in return. She appeared to be in her early 20s and had a fine figure on her, although it was well covered up with her conservative choice of clothing. Tom was fascinated by both her working in the store and her businesslike manner.
"I hail from Dublin," offered Tom. "I've been in Killaloe since the spring."
Tom suddenly became conscious of his appearance. He had just finished work, was wearing soiled clothing and needed a bath. Although he didn't put much emphasis on his looks, Tom had been told by the ladies prior to leaving Dublin that he was a looker. And a keeper.
"Why don't I see you at church chatting with women on the steps after mass?" Annie asked, her direct manner continuing.
Before Tom could answer, Annie added, "Perhaps you frequent the Beverage Room at The Beresford?"
Tom cast her a stern gaze.
"I have better things to do than drink or chase women," he told her. "I have goals."
"What kind of goals?" Annie asked.
"I am a trained automotive mechanic and I intend to open the first automotive service centre in Killaloe," Tom proclaimed proudly.
"Really!" exclaimed Annie. "Then, as God is my witness, I will keep an eye on you, Tom Flanagan," she proclaimed herself.
And with that, Annie O'Reilly swept past Tom in the store's aisle, touching him ever so slightly with her hips as she passed.
The scent of her perfume overcame Tom's senses momentarily and he became disoriented. For a few seconds he forgot what he had come to the store to purchase.
But he wouldn't forget Annie O'Reilly. Of that he was certain.
"He's courting my daughter Annie," Angus told Archie.
"She's the last one to be married?" Archie asked.
"Yes, she is, and if she does marry I'll be happy for her but will feel her loss in my business endeavours," Angus explained.
"Annie is an astute businesswoman."
"I'm prepared to offer you a deal," Angus told Tom.
"I will invest 40 per cent of the required cash to start up the business and you will buy me out over the course of the first five years of operating," Angus explained.
"That will put you in a better income position – working as a mechanic and being a business owner – and expedite the achievement of your goal," Angus concluded.
"He’s a fine piece of real estate," Kathleen told Annie as she helped her with the dishes following dinner. Kathleen was known for her candour.
"Hush," Annie said to her sister.
"Nine months from tonight until a Tom Junior will be born," Kathleen predicted to her father.
"Hush," Angus told his daughter.
"But I bet you're right," he whispered to Kathleen among the crowd, adding, "unless it's a girl."
When the last guest departed, Tom and Annie – who had stationed themselves at the front door to say good night – walked upstairs to Annie's room. Although exhausted, they weren't too tired to enjoy each other physically, something they had waited over a year to do. When the evening was over in its entirety, Tom and Annie collapsed in each other's arms. Although the moment was the end of their courtship, it was the beginning of a grander design: the Flanagan family. For Kathleen and Angus, in their earlier prediction, had hit the mark. Nine months it would be.
