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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Did I really hold off four months before finishing the last four pages. What does this say of a love story between a priest and a congregant who slept with her brother. I liked it, soft and sharp.
A deceptively slim novella that weaves a tale of sin, morality, passion, and confession. It's a frame story with three levels. The first is that Enda, a 60-year-old female parishioner, is 'confessing' to Father Declan, but under the condition that he divest himself of his priestly judgment. Her harrowing past story illuminates the spark of independence that still burns within her. Meanwhile, Father Declan is presently fishing for salmon and mulling over the essential pieces of the narrative. Ultimately, this book is about empathy and Ireland. I read it in one evening and felt that I had just returned from a seaside village with a deeper understanding of how complicated relationships can truly be.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Beautifully written and provides much food for thought, in particular regarding loneliness, friendship, and sin. I am not sure I agree with the author's seeming conclusions, nevertheless, I am not sorry to have read her words, met these characters, and spent time in reflection on this novella.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Wow. This book is amazing. They should teach it in college. It's very complex for such a small, short book. I'll be thinking about it for a long time. Do yourself a favor and read it.
I didn't care for it but stuck with it since it's so short. I sure did like the ending.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this one years ago but couldn’t remember it at all, so I decided this might be a better age to read it. A small story but very meaningful, about characters who live in their own way, outside the expectations of others. Beautiful in its way. Set in Ireland, the story is told to a priest by one of his parishioners, a woman whose husband has recently died.