In July 1943, as World War II rattles Europe, Ben McCarthy (returning narrator of Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show) meets an enigmatic woman--Miss Begley, the sharp-witted matchmaker of Kenmare--and a powerful friendship begins. Miss Begley helps Ben rebuild himself after the savage loss of his beloved wife, and he stands by her as she nervously makes a match for herself--with Charles Miller, an impressive U.S. officer. Miller tests Miss Begley's infatuation by sending her on a dangerous errand into enemy terrain. Exploiting the freedom of movement granted to citizens of neutral Ireland, she and Ben snatch a man the Americans need ahead of D-Day. The adventure changes many lives, draws Ben and Miss Begley into ever deeper commitments, and hammers home a harsh lesson of war- the neutrality of one's country doesn't secure the neutrality of one's soul. In the summer of 1943, as World War II rages on, Ben MacCarthy is haunted by the disappearance of his wife, the actress Venetia Kelly. Searching for purpose by collecting stories for the Irish Folklore Commission, he travels to a remote seaside cottage to profile the enigmatic Miss Kate Begley, the Matchmaker of Kenmare. Ben is immediately captivated by her, and a powerful friendship is forged. But when Charles Miller, a handsome American military intelligence officer, arrives on the scene, Miss Begley looks to make a match for herself. Miller needs a favor, but it will be dangerous. Under the cover of their neutrality as Irish citizens, Miss Begley and Ben travel to London and effectively operate as spies. As they are drawn more deeply and painfully into the conflict, both discover the perils of neutrality-in both love and war. Steeped in colorful history, The Matchmaker of Kenmare is a lush and surprising novel, rich as myth, tense as a thriller, and, like all grand tales, harrowing, sometimes hilarious, and heartbreaking.