Book Review

By Derryll White

Doyle, Roddy (2024).  The Women Behind the Door.

                  “There was no such thing as the past.”  – Paula Spencer.

Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin, Ireland, and that is where this novel is set.  It presupposes an understanding of the division of Ireland and only subtly refers to ‘the troubles.” Roddy Doyle looks at family trauma in a very current fashion, complete with the Covid, masks and the alienation accompanying that event. But his true focus is Paula Spencer and her eldest daughter Nicola.

Paula Spencer had four children and was regularly beat senseless by her husband Charlo.  Paula became a drunk and now, having finally driven Charlo out with a frying pan, she is working to assemble a satisfactory life for herself.

All of the novel basically occurs behind closed doors with a couple of notable exceptions. Those exceptions highlight Paula’s friendship with Mary and how two older working-class women establish and maintain a wonderful, supportive friendship.

The reader has to remember that this is a man in a woman’s voice.  Doyle takes great risks in charting the generosity and support of women for each other and the warm dialogue clearly pulls him through. Not many men dare write with such honesty and humour about women.

The power lies with Paula, with her realization of self after being thrown on life’s garbage heap. She rises as a beautiful, caring and capable mother doing her very best to escape the shame that past tragedy places on a person and a family. This is a grand Irish story of redemption and Roddy Doyle’s sense of humour shines through.

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Excerpts from the novel:

SELF-KNOWLEDGE – She loves that, when information pops up like that.  Stuff she’s not particularly interested in and wasn’t aware that she knew.  She’d noticed it when she started going out with Joe.  He’d be talking about something – explaining something – and she’d realise that she already knew.  And she knew stuff, herself, that he hadn’t a clue about.  It was just that he did more of the talking.

TIME – No time had passed – a second or two.  It feels like an eternity but it can’t be.  She remembers time being warped and squashed.  She remembers it, even now – where she is now, with what’s happening.  Time has always played tricks.  After Charlo had beaten her.  Or when she knew he was going to, but she could still hope that he wouldn’t.  Time flew and stopped, and crawled, jumped backwards and forwards, and made her topple.

AGE – Maybe it’s because of their age.  They don’t have to be careful – they don’t have to care.  They’re like two men who don’t give a fuck.  No – they’re two women who don’t give a fuck.  It’s definitely age.  It’s liberating.  When Charlo was alive men didn’t hug one another.  They just nodded – one quick nod, like a half-hearted head butt.  But she’s seen men since, big-bellied middle-aged men, hugging, really hugging – arms right around each other.  Like bears in the zoo.  Loving one another, although they’d never be able to say it.  Women don’t hug that way – they’re always more careful.  But Paula and Mary do.  And kiss each other on the lips.  Right on the smacker.  And stand back and laugh.

– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them.  When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org

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