Bird Alone — Sean O'Faolain

This novel is set in late 19th-century Ireland, where Corney Crone grows up in a family marked by poverty, pride, and spoiled aspiration. The recurring theme in Corney's life is one of solitude, a note which becomes more dominant in his old age. Corney is a "bird alone," reliving the experiences of his youth and the secret love for his childhood sweetheart.