Civil & Strange by Clair Ni Aonghusa

Play it "civil and strange" advises Ellen's Uncle Matt when she moves to the small Irish village of Ballindoon. Ellen has just bought her cousins' home and plans to fix it up after taking a year off from her teaching job in Dublin. Ellen spent summers here with her three cousins while growing up and Uncle Matt, her father's brother, has a farm outside town. By "civil and strange," Uncle Matt means to keep her distance from people because there are awful gossips around, especially at the village store. Ellen does become close, though, with her uncle, as well as with Beatrice (who has her own heartache) and Eugene (who builds Ellen a new kitchen and finds a way to her heart). The novel does a great job of showing life in contemporary Ireland, especially the changing countryside and its new, vibrant economy. An interesting read, like Maeve Binchy with a bit of a edge.