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lara_m2022's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
kipahni's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cmreynolds613's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kate_pf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
yashie_24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lindavadgaard's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
aaronjchase's review
5.0
The book is a powerful literary fiction work set in Ireland. At its core, it is about ordinary kindness and how treating others with kindness begets more kindness in those around us. Bill Furlong (our protagonist) shows us that morality and kindness are taught through how we are treated and raised.. and not by the existence of organized religion in one’s life.
Bill is a quiet hero. Bill’s kindness borne out of ordinary circumstances (his treatment by his mother and his caretaker juxtaposes against the crimes of religious influence in Ireland’s Magdalen Laundries. On top of that, the community itself outside of Bill are complicit through silence in the mistreatment and wrongdoing of the church. This line runs throughout the book, particularly in the logical inconsistencies and hypocrisy of churchgoers in the community who will scoff at helping the homeless while remaining committed to regularly paying tithe in the offering plate at weekly mass. It is a warning against the harm one allows to transpire by remaining complicit through silence, and in blind trust to religion as the objective beacon of morality and ethics.
Bill is a quiet hero. Bill’s kindness borne out of ordinary circumstances (his treatment by his mother and his caretaker juxtaposes against the crimes of religious influence in Ireland’s Magdalen Laundries. On top of that, the community itself outside of Bill are complicit through silence in the mistreatment and wrongdoing of the church. This line runs throughout the book, particularly in the logical inconsistencies and hypocrisy of churchgoers in the community who will scoff at helping the homeless while remaining committed to regularly paying tithe in the offering plate at weekly mass. It is a warning against the harm one allows to transpire by remaining complicit through silence, and in blind trust to religion as the objective beacon of morality and ethics.
roadrunningwren's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
caoilo's review
5.0
Thank you so much to Faber and Faber as well as NetGalley for this amazing ARC.
There is not much I can say about this book, not because it was bad, I actually liked it, but it's so short that almost every word I wright might be considered a spoiler. I promise to do my best.
Keegan describes the idyllic Irish life so well you almost forget her dedication at the front of the book. We are swept up in her description of this small town that can almost seem like eons ago and at the same time just a decade or so. We follow Bill and his life, switching between the current day, which is set in 1985 and his childhood, perhaps around the 1950's. In some ways his life has been blessed but not without hardship. Yet if there is one person in the town to be known for their kindness it is Bill Furlong. And that is exactly why he is the main character. We watch as he struggles to decide if he should act with kindness, or keep to himself for the sake of conforming to social convention. Help someone less fortunate or incur the wrath of society?!
This book is powerful in the way that it contrasts the beauty of the country with the ugliness of it's society. The faces who smile back at you when you meet them in the street but are self serving in private. The culture that said " love they neighbor" and yet ignored those most in need. Said "judge not lest you be judge", yet acted as judge, jury and executioner all because they had the power to.
Any one reading this book should find it easy to pick up on the abuse women suffered and suffer. This is a skilled piece of (in my opinion) feminist work. Keegan doesn't need to may it loud and brash, she lets the truth do the work.
It is impossible for any feeling human to come away from reading this book with no emotions. I had to wait days just to be able to write a coherent review.
My only complaint about this work is that I wanted to know what happened to Bill, his family and his new friend. There was no way this went without consequences. Even though Keegan broke my heart and left me in a dark void with no answers I have to give this a five.
There is not much I can say about this book, not because it was bad, I actually liked it, but it's so short that almost every word I wright might be considered a spoiler. I promise to do my best.
Keegan describes the idyllic Irish life so well you almost forget her dedication at the front of the book. We are swept up in her description of this small town that can almost seem like eons ago and at the same time just a decade or so. We follow Bill and his life, switching between the current day, which is set in 1985 and his childhood, perhaps around the 1950's. In some ways his life has been blessed but not without hardship. Yet if there is one person in the town to be known for their kindness it is Bill Furlong. And that is exactly why he is the main character. We watch as he struggles to decide if he should act with kindness, or keep to himself for the sake of conforming to social convention. Help someone less fortunate or incur the wrath of society?!
This book is powerful in the way that it contrasts the beauty of the country with the ugliness of it's society. The faces who smile back at you when you meet them in the street but are self serving in private. The culture that said " love they neighbor" and yet ignored those most in need. Said "judge not lest you be judge", yet acted as judge, jury and executioner all because they had the power to.
Any one reading this book should find it easy to pick up on the abuse women suffered and suffer. This is a skilled piece of (in my opinion) feminist work. Keegan doesn't need to may it loud and brash, she lets the truth do the work.
It is impossible for any feeling human to come away from reading this book with no emotions. I had to wait days just to be able to write a coherent review.
My only complaint about this work is that I wanted to know what happened to Bill, his family and his new friend. There was no way this went without consequences. Even though Keegan broke my heart and left me in a dark void with no answers I have to give this a five.