Lives up to the hype

After hearing of the huge advance Kathleen MacMahon received for this novel and the publishing hype around it I was ready to be critical ! However there needs to be more hype around this beautiful novel. It is the sort of book that you want to start listening to all over again once you've finished. It's the sort of book you want to buy for all your friends. So beautifully written and narrated I felt that I was there, living with the characters. The descriptions of the coast are so evocative I wanted to move to Ireland. In a way this is superior chick lit, superior Marian Keyes but so much more. I have struggled to find anything else to listen to since finishing this amazing novel.

4 people found this helpful

Beautiful and poignant

Great characters in this Irish family with connections to their American-Irish family. A story written with grace and insight into the vagaries of love and death between humans, animals and the glories of the planet. This story is well formed and will have you both laughing and crying at different times. Thoroughly enjoyable and one that will remain in the mind for a long time to come.

My only criticism is there are frequent lines quoted from songs and the narrator Caroline Lennon made no attempt to put the words to music which left the lyrics sounding somewhat flat and dull. Perhaps the narrator is tone deaf or did not know the tunes, but I just felt it was the one negative for an audible listen.

2 people found this helpful

Weak

Having read Nothing but Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon, which is exquisite, I eagerly bought this but it couldn’t be more different. It’s so prosaic I can’t believe it’s the same author. I’ve stopped listening the narration was so tedious.