Strangers at Lisconnel

"Strangers at Lisconnel" by Jane Barlow is a story that looks at the lives of people living in a small, quiet village in Ireland; the book is set in the late 1800s. The story shows the hard times and the relationships these villagers have with each other. Important ideas in the book seem to be companionship, dealing with loss, and how time and change affect them. The book starts by showing Mrs. Kilfoyle and how she interacts with her neighbors, suggesting that everyone has their own history that connects to everyone else's. Lisconnel is cut off from other places, and the people who live there have a simple way of life. The book tells how people like Mrs. Kilfoyle and Mrs. M'Gurk spend their days, talking about their families and how time is passing, while waiting for neighbors to visit, and the story shows a feeling of looking back and accepting what is, and it also shows how memories and relationships that have lasted a long time affect how they deal with each other.